What will it take to break the two-party stranglehold on our political system?

Question

The most cursory glance at federal and state election laws will show you how stacked the deck is against third-party candidates. In 2004, two third-party presidential candidates (Cobb - Green and Badnarik - Libertarian) were ARRESTED for trying to participate in a presidential debate.

Clearly the powers-that-be don't want to give up their hold on power, and feel threatened by fresh ideas that third-party candidates bring to the table. How can we break this cycle and affect real change in the way our governments are run?

Answer 1

I have a suggestion which I am certain will work, but you would find it repugnant and perhaps something you do not have the nerve to do.

Get rid of all of lying, cheating dirtbags in Congress, quit obsessing over who is President. Did clitoon hurt us, did bush? No, they are term limited and can do little harm.

Congress on the other hand is killing this country, piece by piece, day by day. They have to go.

The real problem in America is stupidity, special interest and/or laziness of the voter. How does a person who takes bribes on video, laughs about the ineptness of the FBI and puts $100K in a freezer get elected 8 times? And then the Senate leaders yell and scream about separation of powers. Yes they are right, it is about their power and even if it is against the law, you will not thwart their power.

You have career politicians running the government, not citizen legislators. Many accuse the career corporate CEO of only working for themselves, not the stockholders. Career politicians are NO different and they seem to think they are above the law and expect preferential treatment. If the only issue to remaining in power is to obtain cash, buy some votes with special interests and have the media spotlight, then the incumbent has it easy, all at your expense.

In the Senate there are:
44 Dems averaging 20.8 years in Congress
55 Reps averaging 16.1 years in Congress

these numbers begin to make it look like career politicians are in control, who have lost touch with you the citizen and are more entrenched in their own careers.

For the Senate, if you were to use two terms or 12 years in Congress as a term limit
25 Dems would need to leave and 25 Reps would need to leave.
Those Dems are averaging 27.1 years in Congress
Those Reps averaging 24.0 years.

80% of Dems in the Senate have been there more than 12 years
58% of Repubs have.

46% of Dems in the House have been there more than 12 years
32% of Repubs have.

Ben Franklin said of congress, "They are of the People, and return again to mix with the People, having no more durable preeminence than the different Grains of Sand in an Hourglass. Such an Assembly cannot easily become dangerous to Liberty. They are the Servants of the People, sent together to do the People's Business, and promote the public Welfare; their Powers must be sufficient, or their Duties cannot be performed. They have no profitable Appointments, but a mere Payment of daily Wages, such as are scarcely equivalent to their Expences; so that, having no Chance for great Places, and enormous Salaries or Pensions, as in some Countries, there is no triguing or bribing for Elections"

If you like the current political system continue voting along partisan lines. If however you are tired of the corrupt ways of elections and would like to see Franklins words be true again, vote for change.

Our country is being run by career politicians who for the most part appear to have lost touch with what you want, and are focused on what they want.

You can change this NOW.
1. Quit your partisan sniping, it is childish and only serves to remove the focus from the real problem in America.
2. Enlist your friends and family in the fight and ask them, if they agree about Congress to do the same.
3. Vote against the person who has 12 or more combined years in Congress
4. This will require in many instances you having to vote for someone outside of your normal party, but you are a patriot and you can do what is right.

Show congress in this next election that we the people are running things in this country, not career politicians. And we are going to do what is right.

I will end now with a favorite quote of mine.

“If a legislator is "safe" from competition, or if he represents groups with the same economic and political beliefs, he does not have to change his ideas or respond to the needs of the broader population. He can rest content with a mediocre, absentee performance knowing he will be returned to office. And as he is returned year after year the seniority system gives him immense control over people from other parts of the country whose views he need not heed at all.” -Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Decisions for a Decade

Answer 2

Where were you in 2000 when Ralph Nader made a deal with the government for funding for general elections for the green party if he receiving 5% of the popular vote. He got 2%, which was not much more than the margin of error, if I remember correctly.

Your point is well taken because the two-party system is so institutionalized that the american people only have two real choices each election (any other vote today is a throw away and cop out - no better than not voting). I promote the destruction of the two-party system. But short of a radical revolution and another deal with the government, we are stuck with a two-party system for time to come.

Answer 3

I think your two traditional parties have gotten such a head start there's no way to break through from the top down, which they do now, get a leader field candidates in key areas and so on, what they need is to build a party from the ground up, a grassroots level start. A way this might start would be if there was a group of democrats and republicans who formed a coalition of representatives who were fed up with the two main parts and splintered off.

Answer 4

Primarily, we have to work within the system and get candidates who are willing to switch after they are elected. I'm disappointed in both parties. As a (Anti-Bush) Progressive Republican, I see Bush and Chaney as tools of the Banking and Oil industry elite using the Religious Right to bear their arms... i.e. Blackwater and our Military to initiate their new world order. While they wage war, kill our young, destroy our environment and waste our tax $$ on mercenaries and controlling the world's oil fields, they continue to ignor the very fools that elected them. The Dems on the other hand wants the war to continue at least past the next election cycle so they can cash in on the discuss of the American public. Talk is cheap but not as cheap as passing useless resolutions while giving $Billions to continue the conflict.

Answer 5

if you take notice to the Declaration Of Independence, it notes that it is our duty as citizens to affect change whenever it is needed. In short, we must create a national referandum to amend the United States Consitution. To make this happen, everyone were disinterested with taking part in politics will be forced to do so. Amending the Constitution will require 80 percent to affirm, reform and to recreate these new sets of amendments. So for those who find the Bill of Rights an important issue, they will have to in their whole heart and take part in politics and vote to secure what will shape their future and their future generations.

Answer 6

The two party system is the political system. There is no stranglehold to break.

Answer 7

A viable independent.