tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50162454669124073642024-03-14T08:46:53.537-04:00Poli-TeaThird Party and Independent Opposition to the Two-Party Stated.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.comBlogger1184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-23774815797118918322012-01-09T20:13:00.001-05:002012-01-09T20:13:16.402-05:00Record High Independent Identification: 40%From Gallup:
The percentage of Americans identifying as political independents
increased in 2011, as is common in a non-election year, although the 40%
who did so is the highest Gallup has measured, by one percentage point.
More Americans continue to identify as Democrats than as Republicans,
31% to 27%.
These results are based on more than 20,000 interviews conducted in
20 separate d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-71388430905418016552012-01-06T13:01:00.002-05:002012-01-06T13:02:23.280-05:00Republican-Democrat Party Politics Is the Politics of FearIn "The Foundation of Government," from 1776, John Adams wrote:
Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates so stupid and miserable, that Americans will not be likely to approve of any political institution which is founded on it.
Today, fear is among the primary motivations for the continued d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-28539245292099811512012-01-04T15:39:00.001-05:002012-01-04T15:39:28.589-05:00AZ: Greens and Libertarians File Suit Against New Voter Registration FormFrom today's column at IVN:
On December 29th, the Arizona Green and Libertarian parties
filed a lawsuit in the US District Court of Arizona charging that the
state’s new voter registration forms violate their First Amendment right
to freedom of association and their Fourteenth Amendment right of equal
protection under the law.
The state’s former voter registration forms included a box d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-80128841256926260152012-01-02T14:34:00.001-05:002012-01-06T12:55:27.433-05:00The Third Party Dialogue: How Can Centrists Reach the Democrats?Happy New Year! As noted last week, the New York Times held a readers' dialogue on the issue of third party politics that began with a letter to the editor by Robert Levine calling for a centrist alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties. Over the weekend they published nine responses to the original piece plus a response from Levine himself. It may be interesting to d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-69851455236062346422011-12-29T14:22:00.001-05:002011-12-29T14:23:10.621-05:00Free and Fair Elections Are Impossible with an Unfree and Unfair Ballot Access RegimeAs you may have heard, only two candidates for the Republican presidential election have qualified to appear on Virginia's primary ballot: Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman did not even attempt to gather the over 10,000 valid signatures that would have assured their place on the ballot. Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich did, but failed to obtain d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-55197494519261332132011-12-28T15:31:00.002-05:002011-12-28T15:31:40.191-05:00Action Alert: NYT Calls for Dialogue on Third Party AlternativesYesterday, the New York Times published a letter to the editor arguing for a centrist, third party alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties, and invited readers to respond for publication on Sunday. The letter is from one Robert Levine, a neurologist and author of a book entitled, Resurrecting Democracy: A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party. The letter:
Why does d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-33709610005567223792011-12-27T15:42:00.001-05:002011-12-27T15:42:27.165-05:00Exodus from the Major Parties Continues: Declare Your IndependenceThe exodus from the Democratic and Republican parties continues apace. According to a new analysis by USA Today, 2.5 million voters have left the ruling parties an registered as Independents since 2008:
More than 2.5 million voters have left the Democratic and Republican
parties since the 2008 elections, while the number of independent voters
continues to grow. . . . The trend is acute in d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-10714209272855604502011-12-26T17:28:00.001-05:002011-12-26T17:28:47.624-05:00The Campaign for a National Popular VoteThe campaign for a national popular vote for president has been quietly gaining steam in recent years. From today's column at IVN:
As many Americans discovered for the first time following the
contested presidential election of 2000, the way in which Electoral
College votes are currently awarded allows for the possibility that a
candidate for president can win election to the nation’s d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-57869427324311394422011-12-22T18:07:00.002-05:002011-12-22T18:07:21.214-05:00It is Time to Investigate the Suppression of the Independent VoteNationally, Independents outnumber both Democrats and Republicans by significant margins. In some states, the majority of voters are Independents, outnumbering Democrats and Republicans combined. So why are Independents treated as second class citizens. Independent Voting is calling for Congressional hearings on the matter. From an opinion piece in The Gazette, out of d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-69547362884035954742011-12-21T12:40:00.000-05:002011-12-21T12:40:09.702-05:00Gary Johnson Will Seek Libertarian Nomination for PresidentIt is all but confirmed that former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson will seek the Libertarian Party's nomination for president in 2012. Johnson is now the second GOP presidential hopeful who will seek a third party nomination. Buddy Roemer announced a number of weeks ago that he will seek the Americans Elect nomination. From USA Today:
Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-87150884944853194722011-12-19T20:01:00.001-05:002011-12-19T20:01:38.359-05:00The United Police States of America: the Criminalization of Living in the United StatesIn their ongoing war against the Constitution and people of the United States, the Democratic and Republican parties have amply demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice fundamental rights and liberties for the empty promise of security over the last ten years. As the Occupy movement spread across the country over the last three months, we have witnessed the violence and brutality of the d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-31297552917914568792011-12-19T15:56:00.001-05:002011-12-19T15:56:18.579-05:00Third Party and Independent News and Views from Around the WebSome news items from around the web. Anyone found any alternatives to Google Reader yet since they disabled their embedded news clip sharing function?
• Pollster Says Third Party Presidential Candidate Inevitable
• The Platform of The Ascendancy Party
• Tennessee Occupy Group Denounces Local Democratic Party Endorsement
• Big Government and the Two-Party System
• The Justice Party: Rocky d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-34132957629993980012011-12-15T12:31:00.002-05:002011-12-15T12:32:31.482-05:00The Two-Party State and Proportional RepresentationAmong those of us who support independent and third party alternatives to the Republican and Democratic parties, there are many who advocate for the implementation of structural reforms that would aid in opening up our political system and provide for more adequate representation in government. One such structural reform is proportional representation. Under the current d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-11717917900722057112011-12-13T13:22:00.000-05:002011-12-13T18:48:29.618-05:00The Redistribution of Power and the Third Party ThreatIf you hear someone talking about the need for a third party or independent candidate for office, in most cases it is likely a safe bet that they are talking about the presidency. Presidential fetishism and the cult of the executive in the public at large and the media in particular are two major hurdles to effective independent activism and advocacy. Independent and third partyd.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-76281530111514259462011-12-12T16:21:00.003-05:002011-12-12T16:21:34.856-05:00Earth to Americans: Your Representative Is the ProblemOne of the enduring paradoxes of American public opinion is that even though voters veritably despise the US Congress as a whole, they nonetheless give their own congressional representatives the benefit of the doubt. It is time for American voters to face the obvious truth that their own representatives are part of the problem and to cease returning these scoundrels to office election d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-31706027504734927062011-12-08T16:33:00.001-05:002011-12-08T17:02:06.594-05:00The Two-Party System is Not ConstitutionalIn an opinion piece for the Huffington Post, Tina Marie Labruzzo argues that "we need a "middle child" in American politics," and calls for a moderate alternative to the bipolar deadlock between the Republican and Democratic parties. Excerpt:
The fact that the Republicans and Democrats in our Congress can't and
won't work together to tackle extreme challenges that threaten the
welfare ofd.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-32236579802691477482011-12-07T19:01:00.001-05:002011-12-07T19:17:40.812-05:00Is the Republican Primary a Breeding Ground for Third Party and Independent Candidates for President?One contradiction that often goes unnoticed in our politics today, even though it is apparent across a wide variety of polls and surveys, reveals a tension between partisan affiliation and ideological identification. Though self-identified conservatives consistently outnumber moderates and liberals, Republicans are consistently outnumbered by Independents and Democrats. Given the d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-68941557327302429542011-12-06T16:20:00.001-05:002011-12-06T16:27:31.967-05:00Third Party and Independent News and Views from Around the WebSome interesting items from around the web in recent days. I'm still looking for a good replacement for the old Google Reader News Share feeds that can be embedded in third party (no pun intended) sites. Anyone know of any alternative?
Instant Runoff Could Make a Third Party More Viable
End Allegiance to Political Parties
Dissatisfaction Could Lead to Third Party Candidate for d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-7282265083420195112011-12-04T12:07:00.001-05:002011-12-04T12:17:45.640-05:00America's Best Kept Secret: The Vermont Progressive PartyThe Vermont Progressive Party is one of the most successful third party groups in the county. It currently has two elected officials the State Senate, five in the State House and three in local office across the state. What is the secret of their success? In a new piece for Third Party Independent, Liberal Arts Dude interviews the party's director, Morgan Daybell, to find d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-46159245753835713812011-12-03T16:34:00.001-05:002011-12-03T16:36:35.011-05:00The Justice Party: Throw the Bums OutFormer Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson has announced that he is launching a third party campaign for president under the banner of a new party: the Justice Party. From the Deseret News:
Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson has formed a new political party and plans to run for president. To be known as the Justice Party, Anderson sees it as
a grassroots movement that overd.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-21270873591115225362011-12-01T13:03:00.001-05:002011-12-01T14:39:18.293-05:00Obama Fundraiser: NYPD Illegally Detain Around 100 Protesters in "Frozen Zone" for Three HoursPresident Obama was in New York City yesterday to schmooze with the nation's upper upper class at three different fundraisers, including – I heard – a $35,000 per plate dinner earlier in the evening and a $1,000 per plate dinner at the Sheraton Hotel at around 9pm. Occupy Wall Street protesters marched through midtown Manhattan on their way to demonstrate outside the Sheraton. Shortlyd.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-38516433315427545192011-11-30T14:00:00.001-05:002011-11-30T15:48:33.577-05:00Twilight of the Party Idols: How the Real World Became a FableOver the weekend, an acquaintance was telling me about a conversation he had with a friend of his, a Czech immigrant, over the Thanksgiving holiday. My acquaintance told me he's not really a political person, but the two, both in their mid-twenties, somehow ended up talking about politics at length and the discussion eventually turned to what life was like in Czechoslovakia before the fall d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-8586709750515455652011-11-29T16:52:00.001-05:002011-11-29T17:12:36.883-05:00The Republican Presidential Primary and Its DiscontentsAs the corporate-sponsored clown and puppet show known as the Republican presidential primary race lumbers forward, perhaps we can take comfort in the fact that we will not be subjected to a comparable spectacle by the Democrats. Moreover, the exclusionary character of the contest may well produce a number of worthwhile third party and independent candidates for the presidency. The d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-256952172120538312011-11-28T18:14:00.001-05:002011-11-28T18:46:20.733-05:00CA: Top Two Lawsuit Reveals Glaring Ignorance of the Law in the Mainstream PressA new lawsuit is challenging the constitutionality of the top two open primary system in California. From today's column at CAIVN:
On November 21st, the Libertarian Party of California, the Peace and
Freedom Party of California, and the Green Party of Alameda County
joined a handful of voters and third party candidates for elected office
to file a lawsuit alleging that California’s d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-45901963550141385952011-11-25T16:26:00.001-05:002011-11-25T16:29:36.797-05:0024% Would Vote for Third Party Candidate for PresidentFrom UPI:
Almost one-quarter of U.S. voters say they might vote for a
third-party presidential candidate, with young voters and independents
more likely. More than four in 10 of voters between the ages of 18 and 29, and 36
percent of those who identify themselves as independents told the Zogby
Poll they might for an alternative to Republicans and Democrats.
Twenty-four percent of d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1