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What would it take for you to vote for a 3rd party?

bamacre

bamacre

Lifer
Let's temporarily forget about 3rd party candidates and this year's election all together.

In reference to the two threads asking "how many lies would it take for you to stop voting for Republicans/Democrats?," after reading through them, it seems that most people responded by attacking their least favorite party rather than say anything bad about their own. Big surprise? Of course not.

Personally, I am already there. But what would it take for you to reject both of the major parties and vote for another? I think some would say that they wouldn't unless there was enough support for that particular 3rd party candidate. That really puts these candidates in a catch-22 position, they can't gain strong support because they don't already have it.
 
If the election system was changed to make third party support useful. Our system is designed for two parties to emerge, for better or worse.
 
Originally posted by: Farang
If the election system was changed to make third party support useful. Our system is designed for two parties to emerge, for better or worse.
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Pretty much says it all. That being said, I wonder how many parties we would have in this country if we had a proportional representation system.
 
Originally posted by: Balt
Originally posted by: Farang
If the election system was changed to make third party support useful. Our system is designed for two parties to emerge, for better or worse.
Click to expand...

Pretty much says it all. That being said, I wonder how many parties we would have in this country if we had a proportional representation system.
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Two questions, if the two parties are responsible for designing a system for only two parties, how can it be changed? And, as for "better or worse," how can we be better off with fewer choices?
 
All it would take for me is a viable third party with a viable candidate. I'm way past ready to toss both parties out on their asses and start over.
 
I would need to know that a conservative wouldn't stand a chance of getting elected. The third party would have to have a socialist and anti-religion agenda.
 
Originally posted by: bamacre
Personally, I am already there. But what would it take for you to reject both of the major parties and vote for another?
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The day BOTH parties campaign on a platform of raising taxes.

But since I only need to worry about Barack this time, I'll vote Republican like usual.
 
Unfortunately nothing, because its a two party system. The 3rd party is a bitch that Republicans use to waste Democrat votes.
 
While John McCain and Palin leave me retching in my toilet, Obama is not totally inspiring either. But in a two party system, its a clear choice for me, Obama is clearly the lesser of two evils by light years.

The fact is that neither Ron Paul or Bob Barr do anything for me but tickle my what nuts funny bone even though they do have some minimal good positions. And I was really similarly torn in 2000 over the Nader v Gore option. And I still blame Nader for my eight year GWB&co leave me gagging in my toilet on at least a bi daily basis. Just when I think GWB&co. can't get any worse, they exceed themselves again.

I do not consider the ideals of the GOP as my enemy, but the GOP of GWB and John McCain are proving they are public enemy #1.
 
1. Enlightened conservative foreign policy. We are the USA. While we certainly need friends, we cannot and should not let those friends (let alone our enemy) control our actions. Diplomacy is nice, but it's not the answer to everything. I seriously doubt "talking" to hamas will stop them from blowing themselves up.

2. Secular. Separation of church and state, as much as possible. Period. I don't care about "under God" and all that crap, but anyone who makes a decision (ie: abortion) based on religion alone has issues.

3. As non-political as possible. Cut the bullshit. Stop manipulating and act like you have balls (or ovaries).
 
If we did away with the EC and went with the popular vote then I wouldn't have to keep voting for the lesser of two evils. Since the 2 party system is in power I don't see that happening any time soon.
 
Originally posted by: woodie1
If we did away with the EC and went with the popular vote then I wouldn't have to keep voting for the lesser of two evils. Since the 2 party system is in power I don't see that happening any time soon.
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So you will continue to support it? 😕
 
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: woodie1
If we did away with the EC and went with the popular vote then I wouldn't have to keep voting for the lesser of two evils. Since the 2 party system is in power I don't see that happening any time soon.
Click to expand...

So you will continue to support it? 😕
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How can I not as long as the 2 party system is all powerful. Get rid of the EC. It's that simple.
 
Originally posted by: woodie1
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: woodie1
If we did away with the EC and went with the popular vote then I wouldn't have to keep voting for the lesser of two evils. Since the 2 party system is in power I don't see that happening any time soon.
Click to expand...

So you will continue to support it? 😕
Click to expand...

How can I not as long as the 2 party system is all powerful. Get rid of the EC. It's that simple.
Click to expand...

They will continue to use it if you continue to participate in it.
 
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: woodie1
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: woodie1
If we did away with the EC and went with the popular vote then I wouldn't have to keep voting for the lesser of two evils. Since the 2 party system is in power I don't see that happening any time soon.
Click to expand...

So you will continue to support it? 😕
Click to expand...

How can I not as long as the 2 party system is all powerful. Get rid of the EC. It's that simple.
Click to expand...

They will continue to use it if you continue to participate in it.
Click to expand...

Catch 22.
 
I'll answer two ways:

What it would take for me; and what I think it would take for enough people to for third parties to get elected.

What it would take for me is to feel that casting a vote for a third party candidate I liked was better for the world than choosing one of the two main parties.

or, the solution I put in the part below, and a third party candidate I preferred.

What I think it would take for third parties to be viable:

A change to the system to allow ranked voting, where your second and third choices count if your first choices don't get enough votes.

Then, you could vote for a third party as your first pick, and still have your second choice vote for a main party count when the election is between those two.

That would free people greatly to vote for third parties, and they could actually become viable.

Without that, it seems very unlikely as the only effect of a third party is to split off votes from the party it's closer to and let the other main party win.
 
Originally posted by: woodie1
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: woodie1
If we did away with the EC and went with the popular vote then I wouldn't have to keep voting for the lesser of two evils. Since the 2 party system is in power I don't see that happening any time soon.
Click to expand...

So you will continue to support it? 😕
Click to expand...

How can I not as long as the 2 party system is all powerful. Get rid of the EC. It's that simple.
Click to expand...

I don't think that the EC really has anything to do with it. It's been like what, 1 or 2 times in our history that the popular vote and the EC differed?

We'd need a parlimentary type system to get rid of the almost complete stanglehold of the two parties. But even so, when I've lived in countries with that system, seems to me that two parties usually dominated anyway.

Sometimes the (smaller) third parties got *extra* power if the two big ones were closely matched. Then they could bargin their support for control with concessions on an issue or two.

Fern

 
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: woodie1
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon


They will continue to use it if you continue to participate in it.
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Catch 22.
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Maybe for you.
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I'd say for the whole country. Until some 3rd party presents us with an outstanding candidate that the whole country supports we are stuck with choosing one from the 2 parties now in control. If it makes you feel good to vote for someone else that is your right. But until that someone else has a real chance at actually winning your statement gets lost IMHO.

We need to get rid of the electoral college and use the popular vote.

 
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