A Third Party

random3434

Senior Member
Jun 29, 2008
25,899
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Not Republican, Not Democrat, Not Libertarian.


What would be your ideal Third Party?
 
Pontificate what George Washington said about political parties in his Farewell Address.

"I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume."
 
Not Republican, Not Democrat, Not Libertarian.


What would be your ideal Third Party?

One that follows what the Constitution actually says rather than what they can twist certain phrases in the Constitution to mean.

What candidates do you think would be viable to head the third party? And why?

Well if we're assuming that this is a third party that would actually be able to challenge the Democratic-Republicans I'd have to say Ron Paul. Every vote he's taken in his 11 terms has been based on the Constitution.
 
As much as the Founding Fathers (some of them anyway) hated political parties, they knew they would exist and eventually used them themselves.
 
Third Parties just don't work.
The problem is that they always start from the top and shoot for the Presidency. All this accomplishes is to pull votes away from one major candidate and elects the other major candidate. Thats how Lincoln got elected.
If you are serious about a third party, you have to build from the ground up. Start with State Assemblies, then Congressmen....work your way up to Senators and Governors. Don't even consider running someone for President until you have built a political base. If you can get 10 Senators elected you can rule Congress by pitting one party against the other.
 
Third Parties just don't work.
The problem is that they always start from the top and shoot for the Presidency. All this accomplishes is to pull votes away from one major candidate and elects the other major candidate. Thats how Lincoln got elected.
If you are serious about a third party, you have to build from the ground up. Start with State Assemblies, then Congressmen....work your way up to Senators and Governors. Don't even consider running someone for President until you have built a political base. If you can get 10 Senators elected you can rule Congress by pitting one party against the other.

I suppose if you want to be technical you could say Lincoln won because of a third party, but what really happened is that the Democratic Party split between the north and the south and elected different candidates to represent each faction.
 
Third Parties just don't work.
The problem is that they always start from the top and shoot for the Presidency. All this accomplishes is to pull votes away from one major candidate and elects the other major candidate. Thats how Lincoln got elected.
If you are serious about a third party, you have to build from the ground up. Start with State Assemblies, then Congressmen....work your way up to Senators and Governors. Don't even consider running someone for President until you have built a political base. If you can get 10 Senators elected you can rule Congress by pitting one party against the other.

I agree that is the foundation of the problem. It doesn't matter if you get a 3rd party person elected President. You still have a Congress full of Dems and Republicans to contend with.
 
I live in a red state, a red county. I was Libertarian for awhile here, because I thought the guy running for congress was the best man for the job. I even was interviewed by the county paper, profiling the "Libertarian Voter." I think he may have received 3% of the votes..............

I just think things need to change in the Political Parties, and wonder how we all can make it happen!
 
I live in a red state, a red county. I was Libertarian for awhile here, because I thought the guy running for congress was the best man for the job. I even was interviewed by the county paper, profiling the "Libertarian Voter." I think he may have received 3% of the votes..............

I just think things need to change in the Political Parties, and wonder how we all can make it happen!

Well some think we should do to them what we did to old yeller. :lol:

I personally think an actual educated public on the issues would solve the problem. Only problem is that has a good chance of happening as hell freezing over.
 
Third Parties just don't work.
The problem is that they always start from the top and shoot for the Presidency. All this accomplishes is to pull votes away from one major candidate and elects the other major candidate. Thats how Lincoln got elected.
If you are serious about a third party, you have to build from the ground up. Start with State Assemblies, then Congressmen....work your way up to Senators and Governors. Don't even consider running someone for President until you have built a political base. If you can get 10 Senators elected you can rule Congress by pitting one party against the other.


:clap2:
I have been saying this for years.
It's the reason Nader always rubbed me the wrong way.
Instead of running for senator or congressman where he could actually maybe do some good, he just runs for the big chair, which he could never win, and takes votes away from the dem candidate.
 
I would have voted for Perot if his campaign would have endorsed or rejected all of the candidates for the House of Representatives and the Senate in 1992, thus indicating that he wanted to build a 3rd party from disaffected Republicans and Democrats. If enough representatives and senators denied working majorities to either the Dems or the Pubs, a coalition in the Congress may have been possible.

I agree with KevinKennedy's analysis of why the third-party candidate Abraham Lincoln succeeded because the national structure of the Democratic Party split ~ Douglas's folks would not back the Southerns' demand to support a constitutional amendment guaranteeing that slavery was to be protected nationally. Nothing of the sort threatens either major party today.
 
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A third party is much like a business. Can you go intentionally if you can't succeed locally? Most of the time, no. Businesses like McDonalds didn't become big intentionally right off hand. They grew in the hometown and made their way up after tons of hard work. Third parties need to do the same.
 
Freedom and Liberty is not about political parties. We are to vote for the person not a political party. Too many people vote for the lesser of two evils acting like helpless employees, when they are supposed to be acting like the employers they truly are.

If people want the very best candidate for the Constitution and this Republic, it is up to each one of them to demand such. Casting a vote and then sitting back and expecting the employees to do their job, doesn't work. This Republic cannot function on auto-pilot.
 

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