What would it take to break out of the Two Party System lockdown?

It was an example, Tom. And I kind of had Savage Heathen in mind when I thought up that example, though I doubt he'd compromise on anything.

You know, it really speaks to TR's charisma and determination that he was able to create and sustain a third party platform that he could get elected on. We could use some people with that kind of drive these days.

Statesmen like him are a special breed that seem to have gone extinct in the modern age, or at least, in the US.

~looks at Russia~

Dammit, I want Putin! He'd punch our two-party system in the face, and it would work because it would be afraid of Putin's bear punch.

I guess those kinds of men come and go in cycles. Plus, even if we did someone like that now he might be painted as a crazy and be unelectable, which is sad.

Even still, I'd start pushing for electoral fusion which would make the smaller parties more relevant and influential. (Politicians would have to more seriously court those votes or they'd go to the other party.) And the smaller parties could band together and vote their own independent candidate in.

Actually, I think they should start doing that now.

Reformation of the Electoral College would help a lot, too, in relation to the Presidency.

Nobody should be able to win an office while losing the popular vote. Period.

I'm not even sure why our voting works that way, really. It seems really confusing to me. Well, I suppose cronyism would explain it.

Question that I swear is on topic; if you could start a party today, what would it be?

It was originally intended, as I understand it, to equalize voting between large and small States.

It... obviously didn't work like they'd hoped it would. Or at least, doesn't anymore.

If I could start a party, what would it be... hm.

Probably a center-left-ish party. Don't know what the name would be...

@Ace of Spades: Considering that the War on Drugs causes more erosion of civil liberties than any other thing done in the US, and that it destroys young people's lives to make sure middle-aged church-going creeps can feel self-righteous, I'd probably compromise on mostly anything (except free speech, the right to unionize and sexual freedom) to get rid of it and have the drug cops who enforce it sacked.

Now back on topic: Obviously neither the Dems nor the GOP are going to sabotage their own power in the interest of democracy... They need to be forced to.

edited 8th Oct '11 6:32:35 AM by SavageHeathen