What would a viable third party look like?
 

Moderates, or "swing-voters" need their own party. What would the party planks look like for such a party? What would the position be for issues like:

Foreign Policy
Individual freedoms
Taxation
Abortion
Same-gender marriage
Welfare
States' right vs federal rights

And others?

This should be interesting.

I think swing voters are even more diverse than liberals, and I bet they would have a hard time coming up with a platform.

I'll throw a couple out though. Fiscal responsibility. Smaller government. Civil rights. Separation of church and state.

Foreign Policy- isolationist

Individual freedoms-keep your hands off my

Taxation- low but balance the budget

Abortion- none of my business

Samesex marriage-groovy/in the eyes of the government its just a contract

Welfare- none for corporations, regular folks safety net but if you screw the pooch you are gonna get cut loose.

States' right vs federal rights- move the power down toward the peeps. No unfunded mandates.

A viable third party would take control locally first, county governments on down, to prove they can do the job.

No platform. Just an organization to help fund independent candidates. I don't know how this would work, if at all, but it would be interesting.

Now that is one hell of a good idea. Remove the "party" aspect altogether.

A viable third-party would look like the viable third-party we already have in the Libertarian Party.

They said viable.

But bigger, and not as goofy-looking.

The Libertarian Party IS viable and extremely electable with the best candidates in politics. It's the largest third party in America. It has more people elected than all other third-parties combined.

Foreign Policy - Keep our paws off of other nations' affairs except in the case of an actual declaration of war by an actual nation.

Individual freedoms - Bring them back

Taxation - Quit squandering money on boondoggles, stupid foreign wars and awarding govt contracts to companies with insider connections with the Feds. That should allow us to balance the budget for once.

Abortion - A matter of individual conscience

Same-gender marriage - Should be the same as opposite gender marriage

Welfare - No more welfare for corporations. Make it available for those in need of help, but also provide training and education that will allow people to become self supporting again.

States' right vs federal rights - States' rights should supersede federal rights with each state upholding the Constitution. I would like to see the country move a little closer to being a federation of states with less power concentrated in Washington. The Federal government has become too corrupt (I know even local governments can be corrupt, but its a lot easier to weed out corruption on a state or local level than it is a national one).

And yet so few of them are elected.

Third party is in a system designed by two big parties so that only those parties are favored. Even gerrymandering has even made a third party implausible.

To better appreciate how a third party can occur, compare details of the British political system verses American. For example, British system does not permit unrestricted spending. Therefore contributions to a third party - that at first glance would appear to be a loser - could actually get a winning message out.

Two parties have conspired to fix the system in their favor. Therefore when Ross Perot won so many votes, it scared the hell out of party power brokers who did not understand this concept: 'working for America'.

The American political system is chock full of details that make it so difficult for third parties.

Weldon 'sort of' declares himself an independent
 

Not really, but I did do a doubletake when I saw this billboard with "Independent Fighter for US". It seems Mr. Weldon is joining the RINO party (Republican in Name Only). Maybe he and the rest of the moderates in Congress should replace the elephant with an actual Rhino as a mascot.

Let's not forget about the jobs, jobs, and more jobs.

Of course, there's always the chance he could follow Jim Jeffords and actually become an independent.

repubicans are funny, and not in the ha ha way. Their party position is less government spending and lower taxes, but when they want to get re-elected, they crow about how much money they bring to their constituency. I guess people who vote repubican don't wonder where that money comes from.

They know where it comes from - blue states.

I'd like to nominate Griff for presidential candidate of the ... What do we call this third party?

The Moderate Party?
The Middle of the Road Party?

The Grifftopian Griffins (oh, that's the name of the high school.)

How about: The party that makes some damn sense? :p

Griffindor?

The (IMRP) Immoderate Middle of the Road Party?

Hmmm. Hagel?

What would a viable third party look like?
 

A Swiss Army Knife.

The biggest problem with the Libertarian Party is local chapters tend to be VERY different.
Each having their own ax to grind.
I have had on-line discussions with party reps from the North West, East and South that all sound like they are from totally different political backgrounds. Each wavering FAR from Libertarian core beliefs.
Something that the other parties are more strict about. A Democrat who is against a core Democratic Party belief just does not get the backing of the party.
The Libertarian party is made up of strong individualistic people and we admire that in others and our candidates. Makes this a real problem with this particular issue. Makes us look inconsistent, which is not, entirely, inaccurate.
IMO, it is one of our strengths. However, it also causes issues with winning over those on the fence from other parties.

How are the Demoncrats any different?

Read and quote the whole thing, or aren't you ethically inclined to do that (typical conservative - exactly the hypocricy I'm taliking about). Democrats don't position themselves as the party of less spending and lower taxes - that's how they're different, they're honest.

Whoa, get over yourself! Republicans campaign on lower taxes and when they get into office, increase spending. Democrats campaign on higher spending and when they get into office, increase taxes.

Only Nixon could sign the wage and price freeze.

Only Carter could implement airline and interstate commerce deregulation.

Only Bush Sr. could sign the Clean Water Act of 1990.

Only Clinton could reform welfare.

No need to quote the whole thing (Typical liberal - exactly the double standard I'm talking about). Demoncrats tax and spend. Demoncrats are no more honest, not by a long shot.

Merc, the Dems, while not perfect by any means, are much better than the GOP. They say they tax and spend, because thats what makes sense. Cutting taxes then creating the most massive deficit in history is dishonest, corrupt, and stupid.

And, as I mentioned in the Falwell thread...

Democrats don't say they won't tax and spend - that's being honest. Repubicans lie.

Riggggghhhtttt... they just promise everything to everyone and never deliver. In the mean time my taxes still go up and we give away free medical care to crack mommies and illegal aliens.

So they do deliver, then?

We might as well not give any coverage to anyone that Merc doesn't like as well....

Why? I want them to have max coverage so I can laugh at them, make fun of them, and point out the obvious double standards they so oft spew forth.