1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

How do we make a SUCCESSFUL Third Party?

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by Rocket River, Feb 28, 2006.

  1. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 1999
    Messages:
    62,493
    Likes Received:
    29,836
    As I look through the political landscape it seems more and more
    that a third party is necessary.
    The Reform party seemed like a good one .. but
    it did not defend itself from infiltration and destruction
    all the Republicans did was send in the religious right to join
    enmass. . then totally make it into a laughing stock

    1. A Third party needs to solidify its planks and make them ridgit to protect against such foolishness

    I notice the GREENs and the LIBERTARIANS . . or whoever
    Why is it they only seem to run for President. . who was the GREEN
    Candidate for the At Large Council Seat? Who was the Libertarian
    Candidate for Mayor of Houston? How many of each are in the
    State Senate?

    2. A Third parties need to stop trying to hit the HOME RUN . . .their is no way in the blue h*ll you gonna get voted President when you don't even hold a senate seat. You have no local or state representations. The idea that you can catch lightning in a bottle and become president

    Rocket River
     
  2. GladiatoRowdy

    GladiatoRowdy Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2002
    Messages:
    16,596
    Likes Received:
    495
    IMO, a third party needs to solidify its base before it tries to actually run candidates. In our two-party system, a third party controlling even 5-10% of the voters can have more power than either of the major parties as the swing vote between the two party's candidates.

    We would also need to have a platform that is committed to reforming the problems with the two party system. Personally, I would like a third party to focus on things like campaign finance reform (or total elimination), tax reform (flat tax or consumption tax to replace the income tax), and term limits.

    If the "Middle Party" (my pet name for a third party based on compromise and collegiality in politics) controlled 10% of the vote, then the Democrats nad Republicans would have to bow and scrape to us in order to get our votes. If they over promised and under delivered, we could axe them in the next election.
     
  3. Bullard4Life

    Bullard4Life Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2001
    Messages:
    1,470
    Likes Received:
    1
    Eliminate single-member districts. Until you do that you'll never have a meaningful third party.
     
  4. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 1999
    Messages:
    62,493
    Likes Received:
    29,836
    Most Major thing is they need to build a RECORD
    and a reputation. They have to DO THE WORK

    Locally
    Statewide
    and then beyond

    Grassroots

    Rocket River
     
  5. nyquil82

    nyquil82 Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2002
    Messages:
    5,174
    Likes Received:
    3
    1. Get a powerful member in your party to go in a different direction from the norm.
    2. Invoke the extremists in the party to follow your direction
    3. get people on your staff that follow your ideology, put them in key positions
    4. hope other members in the part don't notice and will follow like sheep.
    5. Profit!

    And that's how we have three parties today: Republicans, Democrats and Neo-conservatives.
     
  6. underoverup

    underoverup Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2003
    Messages:
    3,208
    Likes Received:
    75
    just take the best ideas from all the other parties. ;)
     
  7. rimrocker

    rimrocker Member

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 1999
    Messages:
    22,638
    Likes Received:
    8,924
    The history of third parties in this country reflects the way the country is structured... if you have a third party with decent ideas, one of the two established parties will eventually coopt the ideas. If you have a third party based on a personality, as soon as that personality loses interest, dies, or is compromised, the party falls apart.

    The only way we'll have a truly powerful third party is when one of the two major parties begins to disintegrate and reform, like the Whigs into Republicans... then we'll be back to two parties again.

    I am not optimistic that there will ever be a long-term third party that is capable of challenging the other two. If you're really upset with the way things are going, pick a party and start working to change it into something you can live with.
     
  8. insane man

    insane man Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2003
    Messages:
    2,892
    Likes Received:
    5
    without proportional representation or a significant geographic cleavage it aint happening.
     
  9. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2002
    Messages:
    43,176
    Likes Received:
    3,247
    The problem with recent history is that the party was run by an egomaniac. ross perot tapped into something in 92 that could have been followed up on with fresh personalities. the guy, perot, was kind of off from the start and look what he accomplished.
     
  10. No Worries

    No Worries Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 1999
    Messages:
    31,503
    Likes Received:
    18,913
    Fool's gambit.

    One party will usurp the third party platform and reap the benefits. See Gingrich's Contract For America.
     
  11. bnb

    bnb Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2002
    Messages:
    6,992
    Likes Received:
    316
    Not sure i'd be too worried about the established parties taking all the good ideas. Afterall...if they are good ideas -- that would be a good thing, no?

    The bigger concern is vote splitting. Imagine 2004 again...only the anti-Bush sprinkled their vote between two parties. The result is a much bigger mandate for the one party many of those wanted to defeat. Some argue that Nader helped the GOP in 2000 -- yet many of his supporters would likely prefer a Dem to a Rep.

    Rim's right. Change has to come from within parties. The primaries and leadups are your multi-party system -- determining which policies the party will embrace. It would be a lot more fun to vote 'none of the above' but it doesn't work that way.
     
  12. gwayneco

    gwayneco Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2000
    Messages:
    3,459
    Likes Received:
    36
    America's done all right with a two-party system.
     
  13. thadeus

    thadeus Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2003
    Messages:
    8,313
    Likes Received:
    726
    Fixed.
     
  14. thegary

    thegary Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2002
    Messages:
    10,702
    Likes Received:
    2,726
    the problem with the two parties we have is that they are not really parties. at least not parties i want to attend. i think we should have a third party with hot chicks, awesome bands and kegs flowing.
     
  15. rhester

    rhester Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2001
    Messages:
    6,600
    Likes Received:
    104
    A SUCCESSFUL Third Party?

    It is against the rules of bankers and politics.

    Forget it, won't happen.
     
  16. room4rentsf

    room4rentsf Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2003
    Messages:
    2,409
    Likes Received:
    5
    I agree for a third part to even become respectable they need to start from the bottom up.

    Local politics like Mayors, City supervisors, then maybe Gov's, and House or Rep.

    Then maybe they can play with the big boys on the National scale as Senators and hopefully someday Pres.

    J
     
  17. Invisible Fan

    Invisible Fan Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2001
    Messages:
    44,521
    Likes Received:
    26,501
    3 largest hurdles....

    Eliminate the Electoral College

    Force term limits

    Reduce congressional Gerrymandering privledges
     
  18. Batman Jones

    Batman Jones Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 1999
    Messages:
    15,937
    Likes Received:
    5,488
    An old friend of mine in Houston was an English guy, about twenty or thirty years older than me. He'd been involved in radical politics in England in his youth and belonged to the Cocktail Party.
     
  19. Batman Jones

    Batman Jones Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 1999
    Messages:
    15,937
    Likes Received:
    5,488
    This third party talk is a lot of grass is always greener stuff. I'd love for any of the self-identified moderates/independents in this thread to name one issue on which the DNC is too far left. I sincerely doubt you can. I'm not especially happy with the Democrats and I deplore the current GOP, but it's silly to think there's a third way that would actually please you guys which is only being prevented by party machinery. Both major parties have proven they're more than willing to sell out their core values in order to win. That's got everything to do with the contemporary cult of the "moderate." The major parties - especially the Democrats, with the DLC and all - have already done everything they could dream up to try to appeal to the largest group of people possible. You guys don't want a third party -- you just want to register your disgust with the two parties we have. There are plenty of third parties already. If one were to gain prominence, the exact same people here would be calling for a fourth party. It's just an opportunity to project your values onto an unknown quantity while repeating the tired old mantra that all the people currently in power are bums. I defy any self-identified moderate that tilts even the slightest to the left here to find an issue-based objection to the Democratic Party. I'm not a moderate, so I have plenty of issue-based objections to them but if you are a left leaning moderate I can't imagine how you could take issue with them wrt the issues. On the other hand, I can completely understand where right leaning moderates would be frustrated. As it stands the Democratic party is their best bet as well, wrt the issues, which must be a real pill.
     
  20. No Worries

    No Worries Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 1999
    Messages:
    31,503
    Likes Received:
    18,913
    Balanced Budget.
    Line Item Veto.
    Term Limits.
     

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now