Andrew Yang the latest to "launch" a third party

[whitehall]

A popular democrat leaving the party to create a 3rd party can't be good news for the DNC. My guess is that Media Matters will investigate every aspect of Yang's life and democrats will blackmail him into changing his mind.

 

[Indeependent]

A ‘third party’ isn’t the answer, of course.

And the problem isn’t the two-party system.

The problem – as always – is the willful ignorance, apathy, stupidity, and laziness of the American people.

Real solutions and reform come only at the very local level, when voters participate and get involved.

The American people are solely responsible for the bad government they get, not a ‘duopoly.’

It’s obvious you have never joined your local Democratic Party.
Your reps don’t give a shit about you.

 

[JoeB131]

Like the US, yes.

Two wings of one party, both criminally beholden to the plutocracy of which they are a part.

The fact we have two parties and vigorous debate is healthy. The real problem isn't partisanship, it's apathy. Half of us don't even bother to vote, not because of any other reason than laziness and indifference.

Just like the US.

Not that debate leads anywhere - the plutocracy does as it pleases regardless.

Yes, the rich will do what they please not matter who is in charge. Not sure what your point is. Being rich just insulates you.

Being middle class insulates you, for that matter. As much of fuckups at Bush and Trump were, they only slightly inconvenienced me.

Democrats, take note.

If you're just a hysterical sheep and not a psychopath, stop before it's too late.

Frankly, only person coming off as unbalanced in this conversation is you.

Our politics are not made better by third parties. I'm old enough to have seen several third parties, and they never amount to a hill of beans.

ops - I cut this part out in my reply above.

But yeah - one criminal party with two insane wings (the Democrat wing INCREDIBLY dangerous right now), and debate/discussion meaningless.

But believe me, I get it - you LOVE it, and don't want real representation or an actual democratic process.

Freedom is slavery & all that.

It's not the fault of the two party system you are a miserable failure at life.

 

[JoeB131]

A popular democrat leaving the party to create a 3rd party can't be good news for the DNC. My guess is that Media Matters will investigate every aspect of Yang's life and democrats will blackmail him into changing his mind.

Except Yang isn't popular... he has spent a lot of money trying to be 'a thing', but so far it's been last place in the Democratic Primaries for President and fourth place for NYC Mayor.

 

[WTH_Progs?]

And you vote R now when you’re a white supremacist member of the trump death cult.

you’re welcome

I think you're at or close the most racist person on this board.

You and IM2 should hang out.

 

[Pellinore]

Whatever, Andrew. Just don't run your own Presidential candidate; remember how quickly that Starbuck's guy was shouted down when he even suggested it.

 

[MinTrut]

A popular democrat leaving the party to create a 3rd party can't be good news for the DNC. My guess is that Media Matters will investigate every aspect of Yang's life and democrats will blackmail him into changing his mind.

Too much work; the Dims will just make sure he never becomes a threat via massive criminal voter fraud/suppression.

You know - the Democrat Blue Plate Special.

 

[MinTrut]

It’s obvious you have never joined your local Democratic Party.
Your reps don’t give a shit about you.

Well now hold on there, buckaroo!

How much money are we talking about in contributions?

Money owns the Democrats in particular.

 

[MinTrut]

The fact we have two parties and vigorous debate is healthy.

One party; no real debate.

The real problem isn't partisanship, it's apathy.

Both.

Half of us don't even bother to vote, not because of any other reason than laziness and indifference.

Some of the smartest people I know refuse to participate in the farce.

Yes, the rich will do what they please not matter who is in charge.

Finally some concordance.

Not sure what your point is.

I believe you.

Being rich just insulates you.

No - being rich means you own both parties.

Being middle class insulates you, for that matter.

The middle class barely exists anymore.

As much of fuckups at Bush

Bush II one of the worst presidents in history; belongs in front of a firing squad.

and Trump were,

5th worst president of the century so far!

they only slightly inconvenienced me.

It's all about you - I understand.

Frankly, only person coming off as unbalanced in this conversation is you.

Projection.

Our politics are not made better by third parties.

We'll never know, as the Democrats insist on criminally suppressing/destroying them & their voters to prevent them from ever having any real power.

I'm old enough to have seen several third parties, and they never amount to a hill of beans.

See above, Boomer.

It's not the fault of the two party system you are a miserable failure at life.

Projection.

 

[Blues Man]

Well, no, we really don't. What we need is to have two parties not run by Crazy people. Sadly, we don't have that right now.

The real reason why politicians don't listen to their constituents is that their constituents aren't really engaged.

I did an experiment in my office a few years ago, asking all my coworkers if they could name our two senators at the time. Most couldn't.

Only 37% of Americans can name their congressman. Now, it's bad enough that most congressional districts aren't really competitive in the general election (leaving who goes to congress in the hands of the small number of people who vote in primaries, which is how you get clowns like AOC and Taylor Greene in there), but the fact that most of us don't know our congressman is really a problem.

I don't see how having a third party mucking things up by forcing coalition votes and more pandering to get a few fringe characters on board is going to make this better.

Nope.

We need a system where one bunch of idiots cannot control the house or senate.

The only way to do that is with a 3rd party for a wedge

 

[Likkmee]

Andrew Yang ? I wonder if he's related to my ol buddy in Redland FL,Dang Yang ? Yang Tropicals, Fine Vietnamese gent. His dad didn't catch the freedumb delivery right(stupid fkin gook) so Dang never really knew him.Dang was born in 69-70.i've known him since the mid eighties when he immigrated to TGS from Cambodia or ??? for his degree in tropical Agriculture, UCF. He has a few hundred acres now.Thats a ton at 50 grand an acre

 

[Likkmee]

Laos, now that I think about it. Laosy gook !

 

[JoeB131]

One party; no real debate.

Okay, if you say so... I guess all the people here debating left vs. right aren't having a debate at all....

Some of the smartest people I know refuse to participate in the farce.

Then the people you hang out with are pretty fucking stupid.. but we knew that, they hang out with you.

The middle class barely exists anymore.

And whose fault is that? The Republicans have spent the last 50 years busting unions, imposing right to work, at will employment.

Bush II one of the worst presidents in history; belongs in front of a firing squad.

Actually, no where near as bad as Trump. Trump made Bush look smart, Clinton look ethical and Obama look humble.

5th worst president of the century so far!

No, he's probably the worst in our history. Or at least running neck and neck with James "Nancy-boy" Buchanan.

We'll never know, as the Democrats insist on criminally suppressing/destroying them & their voters to prevent them from ever having any real power.

Actually, what prevents them from having power is they largely tend to be fringe parties, often focused on one issue.

Let's take the Reform Party, as it was probably the most successful third party since the progressives in 1912 (at least in terms of the popular vote, where he got 19%). The reform party had two major issues. 1) Reducing The Debt and 2) NAFTA. Ross Perot spent a lot of money promoting himself, and the media ignored the fact the guy was kind of nuts.

Well, by 1996, they kind of lost their mojo. NAFTA happened, and frankly, it was a better deal for the US than Mexico. Both parties made significant efforts to reduce the debt, and people were angry about it when they realized that meant less services and higher taxes.

So the next time Perot ran, this time on the taxpayer's dime, he got 8% of the vote.

Pretty much a Zombie party at that point, the Reform Party still wandered around, animated by the stupidity that is Federal Matching Funds, and Pat Buchanan was the nominee in 2000. You know, the guy who praised Hitler. Oh, my God. Seriously. All your Godwins, and one of your beloved third parties nominated an ACTUAL Nazi. He got 0.43% of the vote. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

Now, that should have been the end, but it wasn't. The Reform Party nomination was seized by Ralph Nader in 2004 when the Greens didn't nominate him again to avoid being blamed for Bush winning a second term. He also got .4% of the vote, and that was with a bunch of other loon parties supporting him to get him on the ballot in other states.

Now, you can blame the Major Parties, but the reality was, the Reform Party failed to last because it was a fringe movement with diminishing returns...

The major parties survive because they are successful coalitions of interest groups with real concerns about issues.

 

[JoeB131]

Nope.

We need a system where one bunch of idiots cannot control the house or senate.

The only way to do that is with a 3rd party for a wedge

Why stop at three parties? Why not four, five or six.

Why not have what the Germans have, 47 parties running and no one is expected to get more than 30% of the vote.

 

[Blues Man]

Why stop at three parties? Why not four, five or six.

Why not have what the Germans have, 47 parties running and no one is expected to get more than 30% of the vote.

The more the better.

That way the fucking government can't fuck up more shit.

Gridlock is good

 

[dblack]

Why stop at three parties? Why not four, five or six.

Why not have what the Germans have, 47 parties running and no one is expected to get more than 30% of the vote.

With ranked choice voting, no one wins without majority support.

 

[dblack]

The fact we have two parties and vigorous debate is healthy.

LOL - we don't have "vigorous debate". We have hyper-partisan jackasses flinging their poo at each other.

 

[Indeependent]

Well now hold on there, buckaroo!

How much money are we talking about in contributions?

Money owns the Democrats in particular.

I live in Nassau County and both parties are rife with nepotism and cronyism.

 

[MinTrut]

Nope.

We need a system where one bunch of idiots cannot control the house or senate.

The only way to do that is with a 3rd party for a wedge

Well, that's one reason 3rd parties are so viciously attacked by the Democrats.

The wedge would have power the Democrats want to keep for themselves.

 

[MinTrut]

Okay, if you say so...

Yup.

I guess all the people here debating left vs. right

There's no one on the left here.

aren't having a debate at all....

Not any which affect policy (your point before you moved the goalposts), no.

Then the people you hang out with are pretty fucking stupid..

They'll be devastated by your assessment I'm sure.

but we knew that, they hang out with you.

Childish trolling.

And whose fault is that?

The single party with two wings.

The Republicans have spent the last 50 years busting unions, imposing right to work, at will employment.

That wing is almost as dangerous to the working/middle class as the Democrat wing, yes.

Or rather it was until Democrats starting burning the country down in 2016.

Actually, no where near as bad as Trump. Trump made Bush look smart, Clinton look ethical and Obama look humble.

Trump: 5th worst president of the century so far!

No, he's probably the worst in our history.

See above.

Or at least running neck and neck with James "Nancy-boy" Buchanan.

Historic ignorance & homophobia noted; your bigotry is truly...

...liberal.

Actually, what prevents them from having power is they largely tend to be fringe parties, often focused on one issue.

No; I've already addressed this, and repeatedly.

You're either trolling, or have some issue which prevents you from processing basic concepts.

Let's take the Reform Party, as it was probably the most successful third party since the progressives in 1912 (at least in terms of the popular vote, where he got 19%). The reform party had two major issues. 1) Reducing The Debt and 2) NAFTA. Ross Perot spent a lot of money promoting himself, and the media ignored the fact the guy was kind of nuts.

Well, by 1996, they kind of lost their mojo. NAFTA happened, and frankly, it was a better deal for the US than Mexico. Both parties made significant efforts to reduce the debt, and people were angry about it when they realized that meant less services and higher taxes.

So the next time Perot ran, this time on the taxpayer's dime, he got 8% of the vote.

Pretty much a Zombie party at that point, the Reform Party still wandered around, animated by the stupidity that is Federal Matching Funds, and Pat Buchanan was the nominee in 2000. You know, the guy who praised Hitler. Oh, my God. Seriously. All your Godwins, and one of your beloved third parties nominated an ACTUAL Nazi. He got 0.43% of the vote. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

Bizarre/irrelevant.

Now, that should have been the end, but it wasn't. The Reform Party nomination was seized by Ralph Nader in 2004 when the Greens didn't nominate him again to avoid being blamed for Bush winning a second term. He also got .4% of the vote, and that was with a bunch of other loon parties supporting him to get him on the ballot in other states.

See above.

Now, you can blame the Major Parties, but the reality was, the Reform Party failed to last because it was a fringe movement with diminishing returns...

Already addressed.

The major parties survive because they are successful coalitions of interest groups with real concerns about issues.

False & already addressed.