It Seems Most Americans Have Had It With Reps & Dems...Is There Any Way Out?

Question

Are there just too many uninformed Americans with the ability to vote to bring about any real change here in America ? Are we all locked up in a two party mindset ? What type of individual/movement could lead us from our current political stagnancy ? Remember, most of us have "had it".

Answer 1

Get mad enough to run yourself -- form your own party -- and enforce treason trials..

Answer 2

What we need is a complete change, and I modestly suggest the best and most viable alternative is to elect me as President-For-Life, and empower me with dictatorial privilege. Let's make Hugo Chavez's power grab look like small change compared to the extraordinary powers I will be granted. Hugo wants to be a dictator? Let's show that small fry what a REAL dictator can do!

With me as your leader, we will have no discordant whining, no jockeying for political power. It will all rest with me. My word will be law. I will be cruel, but fair.

To show my humble side, I will not make all decisions unilaterally, but trust in the considered and prudent wisdom of my two chief advisors: Condaleezza Rice and Newt Gingrich. If I feel like my ego is getting a little bit out of control, I'll permit that irascible, hot-tempered Irishman Bill O'Reilly to verbally smack me around a little, just to keep me from getting a swelled head.

We will no longer have the problem of an uniformed populace, because everyone will carry a small red book in which I will write my philosophy. Police officers will randomly stop people on the street and question them about it. If the person gives a wrong answer, they will be punished.

In gratitude for my faithful service to America, a second Mt. Rushmore will be created. My visage will go right next to Ronald Reagan's, though I will ask the sculptor to use a little bit of artistic license to improve my facial features; I'm not as handsome as the former President.... but at least my sculpture will be.

Answer 3

This is an interesting question, and I might have an interesting answer.

Yes, there is a way out. In my opinion, we are, where we are, because there are no term limits on Senators and Representatives in the congress of the United States.
Once Elected, you can concievably stay in office, until you die, and it's obvious that you can get away with murder (Senator Kennedy), and treason (Senator Kerry and Speaker Pelosoi) and not get thrown out.

It's a vicious cycle that starts when a person is elected, and never ends, as they sell their own souls and the future of our country down the crapper, for votes in the next election.

It happens on both sides of the aisle, so to speak, and even conservatives get caught.

I would theorize that the only way to put an end to it, is to create a moderate party, thus stealing the votes away from the far left liberals and the far right conservatives, and actually put a person in office, who has the country's best future in mind. I think this would have to start at the local level and go from there.
I think this party should run on the following platform.
1) More money in your paycheck. Which means the tax code has to be made easier, and everyone should pay taxes.

2) Immigration reform. We close our borders and deport any illegal that we find. This can be modified, if they pay a fine for breaking the law, and agree to go to the back of the line.

3) Crack down on Crime. We have to enforce all of our laws, and let the common person feel safe again.

4) The real ID act. Before you can vote, you must have a photo ID to show the election official. Come on, everyone has to have a photo ID to buy beer, to get on a plane, and to drive. A photo ID can be anything, including your work ID Badge. Most of them have photo's on them now.

5) No more lobbying. This is where the corruption comes from.

6) Institute an ethics Policy. If you are caught breaking the law, you get thrown out of congress.

and 7) Term Limits. For congressmen and senators, let's say 15 to 20 years of service. for the president, move the term from 8 years to 6 years. This would keep the president from just blowing his last two years, and would keep him from having to campaign again during the middle.

Answer 4

Well, there's always third parties. I personally like the libertarian party for many (not all) issues. At least third parties are built on principals. But there is no way to know if they'll stick to their principals, because they almost never get elected!

However, take heart... once in American history we did have a third party candidate get elected for president... it was Abe Lincoln, and his party was the Republican party. Not to mention, Ross Perot got 18.9% of the popular vote! That's huge. Had he not screwed up his candidacy by dropping out and then coming back he very well could have become president (for better or worse).

So it is possible to get a third party elected.

The only problem is that there is no guarantee that once a third party gets elected that it will behave any different than either of the main parties. Remember once one gains power, the thing they fear most is loosing that power, and to this end they will do anything to remain in power, even betraying their principals. Power corrupts absolutely, and absolut power corrupts absolutely.

Answer 5

There is a way out and it is very very simple.

People need to vote for the candidate they agree with and stop voting to keep another candidate from winning.

People vote now either for whoever their party tells them to or to keep someone else out of office......people need to vote for who they LIKE no matter the party.

I have been voting independent for years because they are the only candidates who don't speak "political" which is a long drawn out answer with NO information on what their actual stance is.

The other thing we can do to get out of this death cycle is stop voting for the "moral" choice. The last Presidential election in USA was decided for "values" and ignored all the big issues facing country such as economy, enviornment, social security, national security, etc. Instead we got issues of gay marriage, ID and Creationism in schools, flag burning on TV and debated. These are thrown up ONLY to distract people so no one asks the REAL questions...and even on these crap questions we get double talk...the people get up..speak for 5-10mins and say NOTHING.

We need to fix this..and fast



shakky_wakky> interesting but the orginal concept was to pay a salary so that everyone could obtain office...not just the aristocracy or wealthy...orginally offices did not have pay, just power but the poor could not take office since they had no money.
But if we could limit election spending..like you get $50,000 and that is it..total..but we have like 5-10 public tv debates..it could have the effect you are looking for.

Answer 6

The solution is may lie in the fact that the members of Congress and the Executive branch, including the President should not be paid a salary. This will weed out a lot of career politicians. I do not believe in term limits. However, I do think that there needs to be a constitutional amendment where the bicameral legislature needs to be of opposing parties. Divided government creates debate and issues are clarified.

Answer 7

True, most have hadit. False, uninformed. The term is indifferent. It is our only hope that someone emerges who can pull the two sides together from the middle. Just someone who is not politically indebted to their own party would be a start. But not until we fall much farther do I think it will ever happen. The current political system is just to overwhelmed by money and political lines.

Answer 8

I doubt Americans have ever been satisfied 100% with the 2 parties. Contrary to the opinions of some, we are not really getting better, just older.

Politics is what it is. Always has been.

The guaranteed best way to see Hillary elected is for Conservatives to vote 3rd party.

Answer 9

The real bottom line though is that the electorate are not truly holding politicians accountable. If there were a few more messages sent like there was in Nov 2006 then I think some real changes in behavior would occur. We are too disengaged and then we complain.

"We have no one to blame..." you know the rest.

Answer 10

This system is too sick to survive. We have to hope for a quick collapse, then repudiation of the debt, and start over with a freer and lower-tax country.

Toward this end, I support Hillary Clinton because she will greatly increase spending and increase taxes to the breaknig point, bringing about the collapse sooner.

Personally, I'm hoping that the Libertarians fill the gap after The Collapse, but the Russians did the same thing in 1914 and they got Lenin then Stalin (eek!), so we'll see.

Answer 11

I agree...the problem is the system is set up in such a way that making a legitimate third party run is difficult if not impossible. The only way things will change is if the public gets so fed up that they demand change, or if a third party can get enough backing to make a legitimate run.