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Originally Posted by dc_dux
Is your scenario possible? Hell, anything is possible, but using your Ron Paul/BIll Richardson example, it is highly unlikely that you could get folks like that to abandon their basic policies and principles and agree on a consensus platform that may attract some disenchanted voters but would just as likely alienate their original core supporters.
BTW, there is such a movement, Unity08, but it has gained little traction and is still just a blip on the fringe of the national political radar.
And if they were to win, how do they govern with a Democratic (or Republican) Congress that has its own policy priorities and agenda?
No, the only way to build a third party is from the ground up, not from the top down. It requires more than a one-time presidential/vice presidential "unity ticket". And that takes time...a long time.
The Green Party is probably the best recent example of how to build a third party movement. The Greens have focused on getting candidates in local/state elections first and have been marginally successful in a few states where they have won seats on city councils and state legislatures . Then build on that with candidates for national offices. Yet after 12+ years, they havent come close to having a viable Congressional candidate anywhere and even with a name like Nader as their presidential figurehead candidate in 2000, that did not advance the party as a viable option.
There are reasons why third parties have not been successful in the US. It requires long term commitments and organization beyond the initial feeling of disenfranchisement and frustration with the D and R parties and that is extremely difficult to achieve and maintain, particularly since the D and R parties make the rules.
I still believe the best way forward to achieving your goals it to work within the major party that most closely shares your goals (even if they have drifted from those goals in recent years) and use the existing structure to move the party forward in that direction.
That is no easy task either, but it is the method I will continue to pursue with the belief that it provides the best opportunity to have an impact on national programs and policies. |
I think if someone like this did win it would help Congress. I truly believe that the 2 parties we now have are strangle held by leaders that have very similar agendas, and neither agenda is to help America flourish. I think a lot of congressmen, governors and so on know this and do their best, but also know if they speak out, go against the grain, do something that will truly help the people, they will be destroyed one way or another.
Look what Bush did to Dewine and Voinivich. They spoke out against Bush and the GOP went after Dewine's office and didn't care if they lost it to a Democrat. Voinivich is next. Same with Leiberman when he spoke out against the Dems.
Look at what is going on in America, for the love of our country and all we hold dear we need to wake the fuck up and look at what is happening before it is too late.
China is poisoning us and our pets, while we sit here with thumbs up our asses and say, "well they offer cheaper labor so we can afford more junk." We have a trade deficit with this country that wants to destroy us, that has made no secret of wanting to destroy us and not 1 God damned presidential candidate has a solution to the problem or truly addresses it?
Our infrastructure is deteriorating before our eyes, the bridge in Minneapolis, I fear is just the beginning. (a few years ago I wrote a thread with links covering how the bridges, roads, dams, etc were falling apart and the Right on here laughed and the Left on here blamed Bush....) Well guess what nothing happened and now we face disasters. Congress knew of these reports, the president knew of these reports but neither did anything.... and to this day even after the tragedy, I still have yet to hear 1 major candidate address the issue of rebuilding the infrastructure.
I have been trying very hard to stay positive the past few months. I haven't been very vocal except to say we need to find compromise.
Fuck that...... neither side wants to compromise, the powers that be (in BOTH fucking parties) are too scared to lose their power..... The brainwashed minions are too busy blaming Bush for everything, preaching hatred, fear and not offering true positive changes. The GOP are doing the same thing, preach hatred, fear, etc. Run on the negative emotions and feelings, get the people to vote not for positive change but out of fear for what the other party might do.
Is that what we truly want????? How can anyone whether here in this forum or anywhere in this nation live with themselves for not wanting better, for not speaking out and demanding better, for not getting involved and finding better.
I want to be optimistic, I want leaders to have positive plans and fight for the people and want to rebuild America, I don't want to live in fear, hatred, anger anymore..... but the only way to stop the bullshit is to find leaders not afraid to inspire true hope, true plans, and true optimism. The only way to find those type of leaders is to start looking and demanding the press let them be heard.
If we do not do it now, we may never have another chance.