Discontent and Third Party Strategy

In a post on the entertainment value of Glenn Beck's rants, tirades and other assorted monologues, Gun Toting Liberal states as an aside something that is likely on the minds of many Americans:

I’m “sick up and fed” with this ridiculous, never ONCE mentioned in the Constitution, two-party system cartel. They’re (both of them) nothing but a bunch of Police-Stater and Nanny-Stater (again, respectively), stinking authoritarians whose only real gripe amongst each other over whether or not twelve or thirteen bucks a week is the right amount of money to take from American workers.

The recognition that the two-party state does not represent the interests of the American people but rather those of powerful corporations, global capital, and entrenched special interests is not confined to newly disenfranchised conservatives, but the implosion of the GOP coalition over the last two election cycles has led many on the right to renew calls for third party activism against the two-party system. The Static Noise Journal sees the need for a new party:

The Democrats will have nearly destroyed the US economy with their multi-trillion dollar social programs by the time the next few election cycles roll around, however the GOP will still be like a bitter poison to the electorate. The people should be ripe for something new. A new party should focus on constitutionally sound principals and not flowery social justice rhetoric on one hand or moralistic dogma on the other.

Though a welcome development, the proliferation of new parties runs the risk of further fracturing that portion of the electorate which is already plagued by political Balkanization, namely, the third front opposition to the two party system. Third party activists must work in concert to overcome the obstacles raised by duopolists in the major parties. In this regard, the recent meeting of representatives from numerous third party campaigns in Minneapolis is a step in the right direction.