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What does it take to sink a political party?

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Exploder Pretending to be human Since: Jan, 2001
Pretending to be human
#1: Jan 19th 2011 at 6:01:42 AM

Many political parties across the world easily remain in existence despite decades of not having power or gaining seats in Parliamant/Congress. What does it take for one to be totally dissolved short of outright banning it?

BobbyG vigilantly taxonomish from England Since: Jan, 2001
vigilantly taxonomish
BlackWolfe Viewer Gender Confusion? from Lost in Austin Since: Jun, 2010
#3: Jan 19th 2011 at 6:05:46 AM

Doesn't have to be total. If the party gets enough bad/weird press, they can become a joke and be effectively sunk to the point that no amount of good press will make anyone take them seriously.

I'm looking at you, Green Party.

But soft! What rock through yonder window breaks? It is a brick! And Juliet is out cold.
MajorTom Eye'm the cutest! Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Eye'm the cutest!
#4: Jan 19th 2011 at 6:20:17 AM

Shifting political opinions and parties who refuse to adapt. Case in point for the US, the Whig Party.

Fun fact: if the Republican Party in the US stuck exactly to the principles it had in 1861, they would never reach power again owing to some very unsavory stuff. (Chiefly, the used abolition as a tool rather than a value and a lot of them were unashamed racists despite not liking slavery.)

That and they would come across as clones of the modern Democratic Party instead of a more Libertarian type who are unfortunately having to stick with the religious element of the country.

Same deal with the Democratic Party. Did you know they were the ones who put up things like segregation and the Jim Crow laws?

edited 19th Jan '11 6:20:41 AM by MajorTom

"Allah may guide their bullets, but Jesus helps those who aim down the sights."
Michael So that's what this does Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
So that's what this does
#5: Jan 19th 2011 at 6:23:28 AM

In the UK, after the SDP merged with the Liberals there were still a few politicians who remained separate as the SDP. They finally closed after polling below the Monster Raving Loony party.

Filby Some Guy from Western Massachusetts Since: Jan, 2001
Some Guy
#6: Jan 19th 2011 at 7:28:46 AM

Same deal with the Democratic Party. Did you know they were the ones who put up things like segregation and the Jim Crow laws?

Yes, as the party of rural whites. What is today the religious right was originally a socially conservative faction within the Democratic Party who split off when Democrats like Kennedy and Johnson took up the work started by principled conservatives (ie, Eisenhower) to end segregation. The "Dixiecrats" tried to make it on their own as a separate political party but couldn't match the Dems or GOP, but propelled Nixon to the presidency when he recruited them en masse to the GOP with his Southern Strategy. This is when the GOP the party of choice for evangelical Protestants.

Incidentally, I consider the Dixiecrats the spiritual predecessor to the Tea Party.

edited 19th Jan '11 7:29:09 AM by Filby

Groovy.
jewelleddragon Also known as Katz from Pasadena, CA Since: Apr, 2009
Also known as Katz
#7: Jan 19th 2011 at 11:13:53 AM

Green Party doesn't count. They never were a real party. The Whigs are a much better example (the only real example in the US, actually).

Tangent128 from Virginia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
#8: Jan 19th 2011 at 1:21:20 PM

Incidentally, I consider the Dixiecrats the spiritual predecessor to the Tea Party.

If the Tea Party is absorbed into the Democratic Party a decade from now... weirder things have happened, I guess.

Anyways, a party that maintains a particular ideal can last a while, I'd think. I don't see Libertarians going anywhere.

Fuzzy-platform bandwagon parties like the Republicans and Democrats depend on their size to propagate; people will keep with them if they don't like anyone else in the "has a chance to win" category. But if they drop out of significance, then getting new blood is only really likely to come from family tradition. At which point I assume they'd slowly evaporate, though even then their name might persist for a generation at the local level.

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UnabashedFornicator Since: Oct, 2010
#9: Jan 19th 2011 at 1:30:48 PM

I would imagine it varies according to the political system utilized. In locations where coalition governments are formed (ex: Israel) you are likely to see parties hang around far longer than they would in, for example, the US. Mind you, complete oblivion for a political party is relatively unusual, so I think an arbitrary threshold (ex: <1%) has to suffice. I haven't been following the Green party too closely, but I would guess since their heyday (when exactly was it?) they have been slowly leveling off. It doesn't help that poor Ralph Nader has become a complete joke, even in terms of political discourse (e.g. claiming Obama wasn't "black enough," etc.). I think it's fair to say the party will probably die with him.

myrdschaem Since: Dec, 2010
#10: Jan 19th 2011 at 3:22:06 PM

Germany has a banning option if the party is seen as a threat to the democratic system. Has been utilized against NSDAP and the Communist Party up till now.

SandJosieph Bigonkers! is Magic from Grand Galloping Galaday Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Brony
Bigonkers! is Magic
#11: Jan 19th 2011 at 3:27:27 PM

Slanderous rumors is pretty much all it takes to ruin a party's reputation.

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lordGacek KVLFON from Kansas of Europe Since: Jan, 2001
KVLFON
#12: Jan 19th 2011 at 4:10:34 PM

Have another, bigger party sharing some of the other's views assimilate its electorate.

"Atheism is the religion whose followers are easiest to troll"
Erock Proud Canadian from Toronto Since: Jul, 2009
Proud Canadian
#13: Jan 19th 2011 at 5:36:55 PM

America need a third party, or at least ruin the Republicans.

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BlackWolfe Viewer Gender Confusion? from Lost in Austin Since: Jun, 2010
#14: Jan 19th 2011 at 5:43:20 PM

America has more than three parties. Libertarian, Green, Independent...

But soft! What rock through yonder window breaks? It is a brick! And Juliet is out cold.
storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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Ultrayellow Unchanging Avatar. Since: Dec, 2010
Unchanging Avatar.
#16: Jan 19th 2011 at 6:23:56 PM

...Constitution, much as it shames me to admit it exists.

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.
Rottweiler Dog and Pony Show from Portland, Oregon Since: Dec, 2009
Dog and Pony Show
#17: Jan 19th 2011 at 7:10:19 PM

America need a third party, or at least ruin the Republicans.

If you just ruin the Republicans, there's a one-party system.

“Love is the eternal law whereby the universe was created and is ruled.” — St. Bernard
GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#18: Jan 19th 2011 at 7:58:13 PM

If you want a multi-party system in the United States, then change first-past-the-post voting.

FPTP voting intrinsically produces a two-party system.

MajorTom Eye'm the cutest! Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Eye'm the cutest!
#19: Jan 19th 2011 at 8:09:46 PM

^ At the same time, you don't want more political parties for the sake of more political parties. We're not parliamentarian, we don't have absolute control over legislature if you can a majority. More parties simply means even less gets done than the normally incompetent Congress already does.

"Allah may guide their bullets, but Jesus helps those who aim down the sights."
WoolieWool Heading for tomorrow Since: Jan, 2001
Heading for tomorrow
#20: Jan 19th 2011 at 8:14:43 PM


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MajorTom Eye'm the cutest! Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Eye'm the cutest!
#21: Jan 19th 2011 at 8:20:31 PM


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GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#22: Jan 19th 2011 at 8:28:45 PM


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#23: Jan 19th 2011 at 9:44:23 PM


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EnglishIvy Since: Aug, 2011
#24: Jan 19th 2011 at 9:51:39 PM


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#25: Jan 19th 2011 at 9:53:21 PM


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