Has Achieved Nirvana
| quote: Far more Americans consider themselves independents than consider themselves either Democrats or Republicans, and independents may be growing more distinct. And there’s some research that suggests independents are increasingly not just closeted members of the two main parties but also hold different beliefs, which puts them between parties. Sixty-two percent of Americans believe a third party is needed.
Independents are not homogenous. This is a basic misunderstanding by Brooks (and others). Some are to the left of Democrats and want to burn everything down; some are to the right of even MAGA Republicans and want to burn everything down. Some are in the middle. Some are libertarian. No single third party will appeal to all of them. |
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Pinta & the Santa Maria
Has Achieved Nirvana
| You're probably right that no single third party will reflect the independents, but from a practical standpoint a third party will allow people to redistribute, for lack of a better term.
For example, if there's a shakeup and the third party takes on the makeup of a more far-right GOP, then there will be the existing GOP for the moderate GOP, the new 3rd party for the far right GOP, and the existing Dem party for the more liberal factions.
If the third party establishes itself as more far left, then the labels are reversed.
I see it as a statistical cluster problem - stating the obvious, if we wanted perfect alignment of people's political views to their party alignment, we would need a party for every single person. That's not what you're saying, but mathematically that is what makes sense. So then you start to reduce the number of options (clusters) until you reach 3, and let the "data" (in this case, platforms, voters registrations, etc.) determine the 3 parties and their political identity.
If there's going to be a viable third party, I think it will be chaotic for many years. Six years seems like an understatement. Practically speaking, I might anticipate many semi-viable alternative parties which will take quite some time to consolidate. |
| | | Posts: 35428 | Location: West: North and South! | Registered: 20 April 2005 | 
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Has Achieved Nirvana
| Agreed. He's acting as if everyday Americans are the be all and end all. I see no proof of this. |
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Has Achieved Nirvana
| quote: Dozens of former Republican and Democratic officials announced on Wednesday a new national political third party to appeal to millions of voters they say are dismayed with what they see as America's dysfunctional two-party system.
The new party, called Forward and whose creation was first reported by Reuters, will initially be co-chaired by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Christine Todd Whitman, the former Republican governor of New Jersey. They hope the party will become a viable alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties that dominate U.S. politics, founding members told Reuters.
Party leaders will hold a series of events in two dozen cities this autumn to roll out its platform and attract support. They will host an official launch in Houston on Sept. 24 and the party's first national convention in a major U.S. city next summer.
The new party is being formed by a merger of three political groups that have emerged in recent years as a reaction to America's increasingly polarized and gridlocked political system. The leaders cited a Gallup poll last year showing a record two-thirds of Americans believe a third party is needed.
The merger involves the Renew America Movement, formed in 2021 by dozens of former officials in the Republican administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Donald Trump; the Forward Party, founded by Yang, who left the Democratic Party in 2021 and became an independent; and the Serve America Movement, a group of Democrats, Republicans and independents whose executive director is former Republican congressman David Jolly.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/exc...-form-223654665.html
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When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
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| | | Posts: 38223 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010 |
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Has Achieved Nirvana
| quote: Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
Independents are not homogenous. This is a basic misunderstanding by Brooks (and others). Some are to the left of Democrats and want to burn everything down; some are to the right of even MAGA Republicans and want to burn everything down. Some are in the middle. Some are libertarian. No single third party will appeal to all of them.
Hurts to admit that I agree with Quirt.  Will be interesting to follow Forward, but I expect very little.
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Several people have eaten my cooking and survived.
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| | | Posts: 25850 | Location: Still living at 9000 feet in the High Rockies of Colorado | Registered: 20 April 2005 |
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twit
Beatification Candidate
| I think the third party should aim at a host of reform issues - gerrymandering, right to vote, integrity of elections, term limits, Supreme Court composition, campaign financing, and targeted taxation issues. Essentially, they should focus on addressing some of the issues that are undermining democracy and nurturing the dysfunction of our government. While some of those things have an ideological basis - try and stay away from the divisive issues of abortion, religion in the schools, pronoun usage, etc. |
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czarina
Has Achieved Nirvana
| the number one thing they must have on their platform is getting corporate money out of politics. that is the only way anyone else's agenda can happen.
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fear is the thief of dreams
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Has Achieved Nirvana
| quote: Most third parties have failed. Here’s why ours won’t.
By David Jolly, Christine Todd Whitman and Andrew Yang
https://wapo.st/3vnEMlo
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When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
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| | | Posts: 38223 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010 |
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