Bring me on my third political party!
September 13th, 2006 by Atomictumor
I pride myself on my independent political status.  I think one of the big problems today (not that its a recent thing) is that people tend to get together in teams, subscribing to a one-size-fits-all mentality, and not really paying much attention to what the team stands for. This kinda thinking REALLY happens in presidential elections, which is fully the reason that I think big dubya’s band of jackals got voted in (well, that, and the Democrats really promoted a dead fish as a president).
Its idiotic. Blind subservience to a political entity should be looked on as a fringe behavior in society, like these weird f—ers who picket military funerals because their spiritual leader tells them that gays are bad. If you’re going to adhere to a political party, you’d damn well best make sure that party agrees with what you’re saying.
Thing is, when push comes to shove, folks don’t agree with their parties. Theres a lot of folks I know who root for the GOP because they stand against abortion, but have a problem because they also stand for the death penalty, and tend to be more hawkish regarding wars. They’re the pro-life party part time. On top of that, their social and economic programs seem to hint that they don’t care about the quality of the life, just as long as its being lived.
Then, I know a lot of people who are for the Democrats because they tend to stick up for the little guy, with regard to more assistance for the ‘economically challenged’, civil rights, gay rights, etc, but at the same time they’re the party commonly trying to take rights away (guns; free speech online, on records, in movies, in software). Who wants to support a party so intent on telling you what not to do?
No, neither of these will work, thanks. I haven’t seen the world in black and white terms since I was a toddler, and I’m disappointed in our country that those (well, red and blue) are the choices I’m stuck with politically.
Sure, there are third parties, but they’re laughing stocks. People will commonly go around calling themselves libertarian, but when it comes to voting time, they pick A or B. Why? Because nobody wants to be on the losing team.
Which is an idiotic way to make a govenment. If you don’t vote your values, what good is your vote.
Anyway, rant off. This is an unfixable problem, at least until the mind control rays are finished.
September 13th, 2006 at 9:56 am
Yeah bring on the mind control rays. But wouldn’t that mean there would be only one party? Yeah I would be all for third party candidates but that ain’t happening in my life time so instead how about a “non of the above” options until the two parties get it right? Seriously that is why there are ticket splitters and than makes me a “non” true believer to party diehards.
September 13th, 2006 at 9:59 am
There’s a guy (in TN, I believe) who (tried?) to legally changed his name to “None of the Above” and ran for office of some sort.
But seriously, if people keep saying “It’ll never happen in my lifetime, so I’m just going to go ahead and vote A or B” then it’ll never happen in anyone’s lifetime. If we remain complacent, then complacency will rule out.
Having said that, I will admit that AT and I both voted Nader in 2000.
September 13th, 2006 at 10:15 am
Damn right. We kept Gore from getting elected and saving us. That said, I wish I had voted for Nader in 2004 instead of …ugg… Kerry.
September 13th, 2006 at 10:25 am
I wrote about this some time ago:
http://appalachistan.blogspot.com/2005/08/middle-of-road.html
September 13th, 2006 at 10:34 am
And a damn good job you did of it, Stormare, that was a great read. Yes, frankly, I envy if not the political system in Finland (and most other European countries), then the amount of valid choices. Sure, there are third (and even fourth or fifth) parties here, but Americans are so set in their dualistic view of politics, that, like the lovely and talented GAC was saying up above, they invalidate the other options.
Hell, I’d love the chance to vote for an American socialist party. I wouldn’t necessarily vote for em, but just to have those kind of choices would be bitchin.
September 13th, 2006 at 11:39 am
Money also Atomictumor. We can vote one way or another, but money is what defines a political person today, for most. All the good intentions by a candidate are there at the voting booths, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions and voting booths in Anderson County. I think nobody really knows anybody political anymore. Only the historians will say who was good and who was bad. Oh, Santa Claus has that job also.
Great Piece Atomictumor.