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| Joe | Posted: Jun 25, 2011 - 20:54 |
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 Level: 8 CS Original | I found this intresting. | |||||
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| Muertos | Posted: Jun 26, 2011 - 00:30 |
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 Paid Disinformation Blogger Level: 14 CS Original | The reason third parties always fail is very simple. If they have an issue that commands enough cachet to threaten the political base of either major party, one or the other party will co-opt that issue in order to dilute the support of the third party and keep votes from bolting them. Example: in the 60s, conservatives were upset about segregation and racial equality. In 1968, George Wallace ran strong as a third party on the platform of rolling back civil rights gains. In the 70s and 80s, the Republican Party picked up that issue, and as a result Reagan won big in 1980 and 1984. They knew that opposition to civil rights could command a significant number of voters, and strategically they went after those voters so they could say, "Why vote for a third party? The issue you want to deal with is right here in the Republican Party, so don't waste your vote on Wallace, vote for us instead." A professor that I work with sometimes on my campus wrote a book about this (at least as the effect played out in the late 19th century). It happens time and time again, and is the reason why there will never be a significant third party movement in the United States. | |||||
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| JimJesus | Posted: Jun 26, 2011 - 00:38 |
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 Bacon Pancakes! Making Bacon Pancakes, take some Bacon and I'll put it in a Pancake! Bacon Pancakes that's what it's gonna make...Bacon Pancaaaaaake!! ♪ Level: 3 | I agree with Muertos. I think the Democrats co-opt ideas from Greens when they get a lot of support and same with Republicans with the LP. I think 3rd parties can rise to the mainstream (as they have) only when a party with similar features becomes corrupt or strays from popular stances in the party. They do win some local elections, but Independents seem to get more attention and votes for Federal or executive State offices. | |||||
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| The Real Roxette | Posted: Jun 26, 2011 - 02:21 |
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 There ARE more sluts in public schools. Shut up and let me explain. Level: 8 CS Original | lol @ winner-take-all elections, then again... we have a dictatorship. | |||||
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| Wolf Bird | Posted: Jun 26, 2011 - 06:04 |
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 I shoot you dead. Level: 9 CS Original | The two party system is basically an outgrowth of the winner-take-all election system in the US. | |||||
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