Me three. ;)

The last time a third party won the White House it was back at the turn of the last century when Teddy Roosevelt and his Bull Moose party took the White House by storm. Bully!

I'd like to see a party that actually represented the American people for a change, but the chances of that are slim.

I think Teddy won as a repubican, then lost as a bull moose.[/picky]

Thanks for clarifying that. My Teddy Roosevelt knowledge is a tad rusty. I loked him up on Wikepedia, and while he indeed was elected on a Republican ticket, he promoted a populist agenda, especially when he stepped up to the presidency after McKinley's assassination. He continued to extol populism when he ran for president a second time.

The final time Teddy ran, that was with the Bull Moose Party. While he didn't win, the Bull Moose Party came in second, something no third party has done before or since.

(End of history lesson)

Toga, Toga, Toga

They really need to execute George Soro's political parties.....

Correct me if I'm wrong but the USA do have other political parties. It is the indirect election system that prevents most of them to come to the front.

http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm

Yes, of course. Probably ~ 50
The US was formed as a republic (representative government),
while France came in as closer to a democracy.

But, third parties just don't succeed, here or elsewhere... they end up as coalitions,
with a minority holding excessive power via threats to move to the other side.

Remember Italy just a few years ago...
elections every other week because coalitions would form and dissolve over small issues.

To my eye, it's up the the Republican's+TeaParty's to decide what the Republican party is going to be.
Then, it's up to voters to decide which party has their best interests at heart.

Ahh, that's one of those Zen riddles which has no answer better than "a fish!".

A third party in the current system would be exposed to the same corrupting environment that the other two exist in. That is what needs to be changed.

Each candidate has to sell out for "campaign contributions" because if they don't, the other will, and will blow them out of the water. So they both do. The solution, of course, is to mumblemumblemumble .

Although you might seriously consider preferential voting, at least for the Presidential election. And abolishing that electoral colleges business to eliminate the "battleground state" effect.

Well, sure - there are any number of parties out there. But none of them have the clout to stand up to the two parties which now comprise corporate congress.

I for one would love to have a third choice that had an actual potential to win the elections. I understand that's just some fantasy. I just threw it out there to stir up a discussion. ;)

Bingo! A fish it is!

What is desperately needed is election reform. Create a public pool from which each candidate draws the same amount. Anyone caught using money from any other source to finance their campaign gets to go to jail.

Naturally, this isn't going to happen either. Corporate congress would never pass a law which removes power from special interests and financial gains for themselves.

I love this country but our political system sucks. The US is headed down a very dark road. :(

A Constitutional Amendment requirement on every ballot issue:

None of the Above (_X_)

Preferential voting!

What if we just got rid of political parties all together?

Hah! What if we just got rid of politicians all together?

A basic question... If ALL politicians are bad, were they bad before they were elected ?

That is, does it take a certain internal "bad-ness" for a person to work
their way up through the civic organization offices (e.g., PTA), County,
State, and then Federal.
Or is it primarily the degradation of holding public office that erodes the person.

I've worked in State governments and found most State
employees were trying and actually did do a good job,
but the public view of government workers is really poor.