tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50162454669124073642012-01-26T03:10:11.497-05:00Third Party and Independent Opposition to the Two-Party Stated.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.comBlogger11841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-23774815797118918322012-01-09T20:13:00.001-05:002012-01-09T20:13:16.402-05:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-71388430905418016552012-01-06T13:01:00.002-05:002012-01-06T13:02:23.280-05:00

In "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 support of

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-28539245292099811512012-01-04T15:39:00.001-05:002012-01-04T15:39:28.589-05:00

From 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-80128841256926260152012-01-02T14:34:00.001-05:002012-01-06T12:55:27.433-05:00

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 simply layout

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-69851455236062346422011-12-29T14:22:00.001-05:002011-12-29T14:23:10.621-05:00

As 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 enough valid

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-55197494519261332132011-12-28T15:31:00.002-05:002011-12-28T15:31:40.191-05:00

Yesterday, 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 America have

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-33709610005567223792011-12-27T15:42:00.001-05:002011-12-27T15:42:27.165-05:00

The 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-10714209272855604502011-12-26T17:28:00.001-05:002011-12-26T17:28:47.624-05:00

The 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-57869427324311394422011-12-22T18:07:00.002-05:002011-12-22T18:07:21.214-05:00

Nationally, 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 Maryland: Remarkably,

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-69547362884035954742011-12-21T12:40:00.000-05:002011-12-21T12:40:09.702-05:00

It 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 will abandon his

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-87150884944853194722011-12-19T20:01:00.001-05:002011-12-19T20:01:38.359-05:00

In 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-31297552917914568792011-12-19T15:56:00.001-05:002011-12-19T15:56:18.579-05:00

Some 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-34132957629993980012011-12-15T12:31:00.002-05:002011-12-15T12:32:31.482-05:00

Among 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 winner-take-all system,

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-11717917900722057112011-12-13T13:22:00.000-05:002011-12-13T18:48:29.618-05:00

If 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 party activists

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-76281530111514259462011-12-12T16:21:00.003-05:002011-12-12T16:21:34.856-05:00

One 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 after

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-31706027504734927062011-12-08T16:33:00.001-05:002011-12-08T17:02:06.594-05:00

In 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 of our

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-32236579802691477482011-12-07T19:01:00.001-05:002011-12-07T19:17:40.812-05:00

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 fact that so

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-68941557327302429542011-12-06T16:20:00.001-05:002011-12-06T16:27:31.967-05:00

Some 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 President Are

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-7282265083420195112011-12-04T12:07:00.001-05:002011-12-04T12:17:45.640-05:00

The 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 out.  Excerpt: I

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-46159245753835713812011-12-03T16:34:00.001-05:002011-12-03T16:36:35.011-05:00

Former 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 over the long

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-21270873591115225362011-12-01T13:03:00.001-05:002011-12-01T14:39:18.293-05:00

President 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.  Shortly after the

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-38516433315427545192011-11-30T14:00:00.001-05:002011-11-30T15:48:33.577-05:00

Over 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 of

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-8586709750515455652011-11-29T16:52:00.001-05:002011-11-29T17:12:36.883-05:00

As 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 Daily Caller

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-256952172120538312011-11-28T18:14:00.001-05:002011-11-28T18:46:20.733-05:00

A 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 top-two

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-45901963550141385952011-11-25T16:26:00.001-05:002011-11-25T16:29:36.797-05:00

From 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 all

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-77680439879196644582011-11-23T15:48:00.001-05:002011-11-23T15:52:55.335-05:00

From last week's column at the Independent Voter Network: Ralph Nader has put out a call for a “grand series” of twenty-one nationwide presidential debates in 2012, arguing that control over topics and format should be wrested from the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates and placed in the hands of local communities all over the country. “True debates, rather than parallel

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-30730041852011551812011-11-22T16:54:00.001-05:002011-11-22T17:09:51.327-05:00

Arguably, Tea Party and #Occupy activists have much more in common than either side would like to admit.  Whatever the differences between the two may be, the Tea Party's opposition to big government and the Occupy movement's opposition to big business are complimentary grievances.  Big business is among the biggest supports for big government and big government is among the biggest supports for

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-61641990638209376822011-11-21T14:47:00.001-05:002011-11-21T15:17:33.107-05:00

Fundamentally, the Democrat-Republican political class and ruling establishment are opposed to free, fair and competitive elections in the United States.  The reason is simple: free, fair and competitive elections would threaten their monopoly on elected office at all levels of government.  Consider the response to the San Francisco mayoral election, which took place earlier this month.  San

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-34866247904920032982011-11-19T15:30:00.001-05:002011-11-19T16:14:43.956-05:00

It's been a crazy week at Occupy Wall Street in New York City.  Indeed, it seems to have been a crazy week at Occupy protests across the country.  A number of people have written to me asking whether I'm okay, as there hasn't been a new post here for a couple of days.  Thank you, I'm fine, and avoided both injury and arrest in all the chaos, though it's been exhausting commuting back and forth

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-35381710195183243122011-11-16T13:25:00.001-05:002011-11-16T14:33:37.552-05:00

As you've probably heard, the Occupy Wall Street encampment in downtown Manhattan was raided by  NYPD riot police wielding truncheons and armed with chemical agents at 1am the other night.  The police raid was apparently part of a coordinated attack against the protest movement in at least eighteen other cities, mediated with the help of the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. Everyone and

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-49907050646080904352011-11-14T15:53:00.001-05:002011-11-14T16:18:28.023-05:00

Judging from their commentaries and quotes in the corporate media, American political scientists are among the most reactionary supporters of the Republican-Democrat two-party state and duopoly system of government.  Yet, despite their decades long advocacy for the dictatorship of the Republican and Democratic parties – as evidenced by the many studies that followed from the American Political

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-58806503363725939162011-11-12T16:37:00.001-05:002011-11-12T16:38:30.532-05:00

From Sunshine State News: Former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana, currently making a dark-horse bid for the Republican presidential nomination, is looking to reach out to the Occupy Wall Street movement while speculation increases that he will launch a third party bid for the White House. "Money in politics has created institutional corruption,” Roemer said in a statement released on

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-82947855680063105322011-11-10T12:11:00.001-05:002011-11-10T12:14:29.286-05:00

In a commentary for Associated Content, Floyd Saunders argues that it is time to break the two-party duopoly.  Excerpt: With the major parties so unpopular, there is a growing interest in having a third-party candidate run for president. Indeed, a group called Americans Elect has made some headway at getting an alternative presidential candidate on the ballot in all states, and a panel of

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-14072335438832756832011-11-09T16:38:00.000-05:002011-11-09T16:38:48.392-05:00

Two weeks ago, I relayed a number of recommendations for electoral reform being considered by the Politics and Electoral Reform group at Occupy Wall Street in NYC, in which I have been active.  This past Sunday, the group came to full consensus on the proposal, which has now been posted in full on the group forum at NYCGA.net.  That document is published here in its entirety.  Please

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-91221286205260769902011-11-09T14:24:00.000-05:002011-11-09T14:24:41.297-05:00

It is widely understood that Republicans and Democrats elevate the interests of party above those of the people.  A new documentary by James Jaeger, entitled "SPOILER – How a Third Political Party Could Win,” argues that they also place party before God and country, and makes the Christian case for third party and independent political activism.  From Alex Murashko at The Christian Post: In the

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-49614226679443801972011-11-08T13:20:00.001-05:002011-11-08T13:21:44.662-05:00

There is an ongoing class war in the United States.  But it is not a war of the poor against the rich.  It is the war being waged by the political class against the rest of us.  The unholy alliance between big business and big government represented by the joint misrule of the Republican and Democratic parties is a direct threat to the general welfare of the American people and to constitutional

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-11690796401203782912011-11-07T15:58:00.003-05:002011-11-07T16:34:50.528-05:00

It was only a matter of time before activists engaged in the Occupation protests spreading across the country formed a political party to advocate for their interests and goals.  It appears the first occupation protest party organization in the country has been formed in Ohio as an outgrowth of Occupy Cincinnati.  Organizers with the group have joined Third Party Independent and published their

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-1422939589523506552011-11-07T15:40:00.002-05:002011-11-07T15:42:25.759-05:00

Among the majority of Americans who are fed up with the Republican-Democrat two-party state, there are many who remain skeptical of Independent and third party alternatives.  Rather than  build political opposition against the major parties outside of the two-party system, they argue that it is more expedient to work within the major parties, and advocate for the infiltration of the Republican

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-90778099646739047582011-11-03T13:34:00.001-04:002011-11-03T13:36:30.432-04:00

Many readers here at Politea check in on a regular basis to click through the headlines in the site's various News Share feeds.  The custom feeds and widgets, created with tools from the Google Reader application, provided a simple and efficient way to share a large number of news and editorial items from across the web.  Unfortunately, in revamping its user interface, Google has now removed much

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-39366831687271282962011-11-02T15:07:00.005-04:002011-11-02T15:08:05.626-04:00

It appears that the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protests has begun to awaken the spirit of political independence among Tea Party supporters who were uncomfortable with the way in which that movement sold its soul to the Republican party and ruling political establishment.  A disgruntled Tea Party supporter writes to the editor of the Topeka Capital Journal: I have stated in earlier

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-84999914726373918102011-11-01T13:04:00.000-04:002011-11-01T13:07:43.747-04:00

As stated here late last week, much of the organizing work being accomplished at Occupy Wall Street is being done within autonomous working groups and caucuses.  There are working groups devoted to everything from media and internet to outreach, direct action and reform.  And there are a number of groups, of which I'm aware, that should be of special interest to independents, third party

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-36794258019145265082011-10-27T17:22:00.000-04:002011-10-27T17:24:51.271-04:00

Since the Occupy Wall Street protests began in downtown Manhattan on September 17th, I have noted on a number of occasions that there is an inspiring amount of independent and third party activity and organizing taking place at the demonstrations.  Members of the Green, Libertarian, Socialist and Reform parties, among others, have been involved in the movement from the very beginning, in addition

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-18749013287566888782011-10-26T14:41:00.000-04:002011-10-26T15:06:26.191-04:00

Since the Occupy Wall Street protest began in downtown New York over a month ago, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the NYPD have received a fair amount of criticism for the use of heavy handed tactics in dealing with certain actions organized by the OWS demonstrators.  Police have pepper sprayed contained crowds, charged horses into crowds, wantonly swung batons, thrown punches, tackled protesters and

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-851627735841526192011-10-25T15:15:00.002-04:002011-10-25T15:16:01.876-04:00

From Green party Watch: Jill Stein, a physician and former Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate, announced today she is running for President of the United States to provide an alternative to the “Wall Street parties” on issues such as jobs, universal health care, peace and climate change. She is seeking the nomination of the Green Party of the United States. Speaking to a gathering at the

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-37309028914081820932011-10-24T14:52:00.001-04:002011-10-24T14:58:10.094-04:00

The first and second print issues of Third Party Independent are online, the third is in the works, and the website is up and running.  The site is set up as an open community blogging platform like those that are common in the Republican and Democratic blogosphere.  My hope is that creating a space and forum where Independents and third party supporters from across the political spectrum can

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-91234750284447635242011-10-22T19:13:00.000-04:002011-10-23T00:08:44.165-04:00

Hundreds of protesters rallied at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building in Harlem New York yesterday before marching to the NYPD's 28th Precinct, where dozens were arrested after blocking the entrance to the building in an act of non-violent civil disobedience.  Among those arrested were Professor Cornel West, Carl Davis of the Revolutionary Communist Party, and Rev. Stephen Phelps from

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-59342308298145965932011-10-22T15:54:00.003-04:002011-10-22T15:55:04.088-04:00

There is no question that the people of the United States are indoctrinated into the intellectually and politically debilitating ideology of the two-party state from an early age.  But it remains an open question just when that ideology really takes hold in the minds of Americans since there are so many independent variables in play.  Whatever the case may be in that regard, younger Americans are

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-89743693240817249842011-10-21T16:16:00.001-04:002011-10-21T16:16:37.443-04:00

Hundreds gathered today at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building on 125th Street in Harlem, NYC, to voice their opposition to the "stop and frisk" practices of the NYPD.  From the NYCLU: An analysis by the NYCLU revealed that about 3 million innocent New Yorkers were subjected to police stops and street interrogations from 2004 through 2010, and that black and Latino communities

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-34755615549558863032011-10-21T15:42:00.003-04:002011-10-21T15:44:30.511-04:00

From Randy Miller at The Hankster: Not to be confused with the party of no, the first bloc of Utah voters to amass 1 million voters will be the unaffiliated or as we prefer independent voters--no party or party of no thanks. On May 31 the independent voter total was 987,244. Today, October 21, 2011 the total is 998,069. Harold Camping may be predicting that the end of the world is today,

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-3896748834911733822011-10-20T16:57:00.000-04:002011-10-20T16:57:27.067-04:00

Karl Denninger was an early founder and organizer of the Tea Party movement in January and February 2009.  Throughout 2010, he was outspoken in his opposition to the hijacking of the movement by the Republican party and has now begun speaking adamantly in favor of the Occupy Everything protests spreading across the country, identifying significant points of convergence between the goals of Occupy

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-58328845298775609762011-10-19T12:22:00.004-04:002011-10-19T12:23:08.047-04:00

A letter to the editor of The Aquarian Weekly: “Two party system. Yeah!” After all these years, I finally get what you’ve been going on and on about, Mr. Campion (GOP VACUUM – Issue: 10/5/11). The choices are always the same. The ideas are always the same. The people are basically the same. We are stuck on a political merry-go-round and in a very real way it is fixed! The two party system

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-43945261170969729972011-10-18T12:52:00.002-04:002011-10-18T12:52:38.131-04:00

One point that I've returned to again and again in these pages is the idea that to break the duopoly lock on our political process, we must work from the bottom up, beginning at the most intimate local levels, and resist the temptation to run before we can walk.  In The Daily Caller, James Poulos argues that it is by means of the national temptation that the ruling parties co-opt nascent

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-73168922936782769442011-10-17T14:06:00.001-04:002011-10-17T14:06:36.282-04:00

It is not often that one can find Rush Limbaugh singing the praises of the New York Times.  Yet, a transcript of a segment from the radio entertainer's talk show from late last week finds El Rushbo doing just that.  Excerpt: Ladies and gentlemen, there's a big piece in the New York Times Magazine coming this weekend.  It is entitled:  "Does Anyone Have a Grip on the GOP?"  The subhead:  "The

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-62615168173312470552011-10-14T03:35:00.000-04:002011-10-14T03:53:46.277-04:00

In an opinion piece for the New York Times earlier this week, columnist David Brooks took issue with what he called "The Milquetoast Radicals" engaged in the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protest in downtown Manhattan, arguing that "the moderates in suits are much more radical than the pierced anarchists camping out on Wall Street or the Tea Party-types."  The funny thing though is that the

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-15800332363971947312011-10-13T14:28:00.002-04:002011-10-13T14:28:36.478-04:00

A letter to the editor of the Florida Times Union from the chairman of the Reform Party of Florida: With unemployment over 9 percent, corporations outsourcing jobs and the federal government operating trillion dollar deficits, we should not wait until the elections in 2012 to determine our next steps as voters. We need to field candidates for office who are not associated with either the

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-21461700163154660082011-10-12T11:19:00.002-04:002011-10-12T11:19:40.641-04:00

It is both a strength and a weakness of the Occupy Wall Street protest that the movement has yet to develop a concrete list of proposals and demands.  On the one hand, it is arguably because there are no such demands that the movement has spread as quickly as it has.  Rather than dictating an agenda, the process has left open the space for the articulation of grievances and demands.  It is this

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-69864090968361441722011-10-11T16:18:00.001-04:002011-10-11T16:22:52.331-04:00

There is an inspiring amount of third party and independent political activity happening at the occupation protests in New York and Washington DC.  Consider, for example, the case of the Greens.  In New York, Green party activists have been involved at Occupy Wall Street from the very first days of the protest.  A number of weeks ago a liaison from the party made an announcement at a general

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-52566121149819203872011-10-10T13:43:00.000-04:002011-10-10T14:34:19.190-04:00

So I'm back in NYC from DC.  Reports indicate that over the weekend hundreds of protests inspired by the ongoing Occupy Wall Street demonstration were held in cities and towns across the country.  On Saturday, Occupy Wall Street entered its fourth week. It was difficult to keep track of all the demonstrations and actions that were taking place in DC over the last five days.  On Thursday,

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-84705443980005457012011-10-09T00:23:00.001-04:002011-10-09T04:26:02.120-04:00

Demonstrations inspired by the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protest took place in cities across the country on Saturday.  In Washington DC, the Air and Space Museum was shut down after demonstrators were maced when trying to enter the building to protest an exhibition devoted to military drones.  The mainstream media are reporting that one person was pepper sprayed by museum security.  However,

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-9024076949152732132011-10-07T22:49:00.000-04:002011-10-07T22:50:47.666-04:00

As you might have noticed, it's been a couple days since the last post here at Politea. I'm down in DC to cover the Occupy DC convergence that began on Thursday. Thousands of people participated in various events yesterday and today. It is expected that more will likely arrive on Saturday and Sunday.  There are a lot of Greens from all over the east coast here and there is a significant

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-73265030299506910722011-10-05T03:32:00.000-04:002011-10-05T03:40:17.383-04:00

In recent days, protesters at the Occupy Wall Street demonstration in lower Manhattan have begun distributing the first issue of The Occupied Wall Street Journal, a four page broadsheet with articles on the development and character of the protest since it began three weeks ago, and its implicit relation to similar movements around the world.  It also contains calls to action, information

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-35438663519439650472011-10-04T14:55:00.001-04:002011-10-04T14:55:34.552-04:00

In local, state and national level newspapers, it may be the case that you are most likely to see calls for alternatives and opposition to the Republican-Democrat two-party state and duopoly system of government in the letters to the editor section.  One can find letters from advocates for individual third parties or for a third party alternative in general, from Independents proposing reforms to

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-8355202505777827762011-10-03T15:52:00.001-04:002011-10-03T15:53:16.333-04:00

Since the Occupy Wall Street protests began on September 17th, I have spent a fair amount of time down at the protest site.  I have spent much of that time observing the assemblies and interviewing participants, while handing out print copies of Third Party Independent, but I have also participated in a number of rallies, marches and discussions.  The protesters are a pretty diverse lot, with

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-87317956912328642192011-10-02T04:56:00.001-04:002011-10-02T14:20:18.527-04:00

Well over 700 people were arrested in downtown Manhattan on Saturday as demonstrators from the Occupy Wall Street protest attempted to march over the Brooklyn Bridge (see update below).  Shortly after 3pm, thousands of demonstrators stepped off from the protest's encampment at Liberty Plaza to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge for a planned picnic.  Hundreds remained behind at the encampment.  The

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-62666242818627432082011-09-30T11:49:00.003-04:002011-09-30T11:49:52.974-04:00

A majority of Americans continue to say that the Democrats and Republicans do such a poor job of representing the people of the United States that a third party is necessary.  From Gallup: Americans are highly dissatisfied with the way things are going in the nation and have low economic confidence, creating an environment in which a third-party challenger could find significant backing from

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-34057453134693760732011-09-29T12:50:00.001-04:002011-09-30T03:20:53.737-04:00

From Rich Tafel at the Huffington Post: 2012 is emerging as another anti-incumbent election year. However, swinging back and forth between two parties won't bring the change voters seek.  Instead, it's time for the frustrated American electorate to dump our two-party system. . . . multi-party democracies are the norm, not the exception, around the world.  In fact, there are only five

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-57449908835588394702011-09-28T14:54:00.001-04:002011-09-28T14:54:42.248-04:00

Republicans and Democrats do not represent the American people, the  constituents they are allegedly elected to represent, but rather the narrow factional interests of the parties and their corporate sponsors.  In other words, the Republican and Democratic parties represent a direct threat to democratic, republican government in the United States.  Consider the uproar in the GOP in response to

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-35577192013620039302011-09-27T14:55:00.002-04:002011-09-27T14:56:28.379-04:00

When calls for third party and independent activism break through the mainstream media's duopolist filter, the response from the dead-enders of the Democratic and Republican parties in the pundit class is fairly predictable.  A third party candidate can't win, they say.  It's too difficult, they say.  It is more expedient to work within the confines of the two-party state, they say.  Among the

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-74116789955525957042011-09-26T13:45:00.001-04:002011-09-26T13:45:10.521-04:00

A new Gallup poll finds historic levels of negativity toward the US government among Americans.  Excerpt: 82% of Americans disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job. 69% say they have little or no confidence in the legislative branch of government, an all-time high and up from 63% in 2010. 57% have little or no confidence in the federal government to solve domestic problems,

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-62106263273384223302011-09-25T13:43:00.002-04:002011-09-25T13:43:47.296-04:00

Cross-posted from Third Party Independent: The Occupy Wall Street protest that began on September 17th in New York's financial district has entered its second week.  Yesterday, scores of demonstrators were arrested during a march from the group's encampment at Liberty Plaza to Union Square, and more arrived from around the city and across the country.  Similar protests and assemblies are

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-37142492007285845672011-09-23T16:47:00.000-04:002011-09-23T16:49:15.242-04:00

From an opinion piece in the Post Crescent: We all know too well that our two-party system isn't working. The leaders in Congress, from both parties, are focused more on party ideology and how to finagle the election in 2012 than trying to solve problems. . . . The idea that the richest 2 percent of Americans will rush out and create jobs if only they can have another tax break has been

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-41212782215081376752011-09-22T16:03:00.000-04:002011-09-22T16:04:09.074-04:00

The Democratic and Republican parties have so distorted our politics and government that many Americans are likely incapable of imagining that self-government is possible without the interference of the party apparatus.  At The Think 3 Institute, Sam Wilson reflects on the character of the "party state": In every case, perhaps, a party-state exists, not only when one party monopolizes

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-44976413130178937542011-09-22T13:50:00.000-04:002011-09-22T13:50:11.252-04:00

From a letter to the editor of the Mansfield News Journal in Ohio: Ohio is represented by 18 congressional districts. As of 2010, five districts were Democrats and 13, Republican. According to Wikipedia, as of 2008, an estimated 2,408,178 Ohioans were registered to vote as Democrats, while 1,471,465 Ohioans are registered to vote as Republican. That accounts for 3,879,643 of the 8.1 million

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-51689556083485408932011-09-21T16:48:00.002-04:002011-09-21T16:48:48.898-04:00

Another new low for the Democrats and Republicans, this time in a CBS News poll: Just 12 percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing - the same as the lowest percentage recorded in this poll, reached in October 2008, right before the November elections. Dissatisfaction with Congress cuts across party lines. Republicans, Democrats, and independents all overwhelmingly disapprove

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-38922242543379919812011-09-20T16:24:00.001-04:002011-09-20T16:43:16.979-04:00

Some interesting numbers from Rasmussen: Voters are more convinced than ever that neither major political party in Washington, DC is on their side.  Now roughly one-out-of-two Likely U.S. Voters (49%) think it’s fair to say neither party in Congress is the party of the American people, up six points from a year ago. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 32% say it’s

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-21205365819556465662011-09-19T16:54:00.001-04:002011-09-19T17:36:39.483-04:00

From today's column at CAIVN: Since their initial rally and march from Bowling Green to Zuccotti Park on Saturday, demonstrators have continuously occupied the site, which they have begun to refer to by its original name, Liberty Plaza, leaving in large numbers only for impromptu or planned marches snaking through the financial district.  Hundreds have been camped out in the park for the

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-25149903225542212352011-09-18T03:27:00.000-04:002011-09-18T06:06:57.202-04:00

Thousands of people converged on the financial district in downtown Manhattan on Saturday to protest the influence of Wall St. on our nation's politics.  Billed as the US Day of Rage by organizers, the protesters' united being one single, simple demand: free and fair elections.  An excerpt from the original call to action: Legitimate government is born of the self-interest and will of the

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-18017327189532533712011-09-15T14:26:00.000-04:002011-09-15T14:26:28.590-04:00

Next month, there will be a special election for governor of West Virginia.  The office became vacant when the sitting governor was appointed to the US Senate seat formerly held by Robert Byrd.  There are at least five candidates in the race: a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Mountain Party candidate (state affiliate of the Green party) and a candidate from a party called America's

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-91315894921101786822011-09-14T17:04:00.001-04:002011-09-14T17:05:00.189-04:00

It is no secret that third party activists are some of the most outspoken opponents of the top two style primary system.  One of the most frequent objections is that top two will result in the exclusion of third party and independent candidates from the general election, needlessly robbing voters of an array of candidates to choose from when it really counts.  But what are third party advocates

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-53191485775981322562011-09-13T17:21:00.003-04:002011-09-13T17:21:59.419-04:00

It has become commonplace that when people speak about Frankenstein, they often appear to forget that 'Frankenstein' was the name of the mad scientist who created the monster in Mary Shelly's novel, not the monster itself.  Just as Victor Frankenstein lost control of the monster he created, and eventually came to regret his megalomaniacal project, it appears that at least one of the architects

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-7163541876933374252011-09-13T14:45:00.002-04:002011-09-13T14:45:42.480-04:00

From yesterday's column at AZIVN: Following the city's August 30th primary election, a three-way race for mayor is taking shape in Tucson.  Democrat Jonathan Rothchild, Republican Rick Grinnell, and Green Mary Decamp will face off in the mayoral general election this November. In June, as I reported here at AZIVN, Democratic party activists purged Rothchild's Republican and Independent

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-39582109802536810832011-09-12T16:31:00.000-04:002011-09-12T16:31:34.948-04:00

Tomorrow, voters in New York's 9th Congressional District will head to the polls in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Democrat Anthony Weiner.  There are three individuals running for the seat, the stooges of the Democratic and Republican parties, and a Socialist Workers Party candidate who petitioned his way onto the ballot.  At the Battleground Blog, Darcy Richardson has an

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-28528878214820416142011-09-11T15:51:00.003-04:002011-09-11T15:51:32.381-04:00

On September 10, 2001, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced that the Pentagon was unable to account for over $2.3 trillion in tax payer dollars.  Over the last ten years, the people of the United States have nonetheless continued to shovel more and more of their hard earned money into the black hole known as the Pentagon budget.  From CBS News in 2009: On Sept. 10, Secretary of Defense

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-65482860248664692952011-09-09T15:36:00.002-04:002011-09-09T15:37:31.333-04:00

There are some reports circulating that GOP presidential candidate Gary Johnson may seek the Libertarian Party's nomination for president in 2012 if he continues to be blacklisted by both the Republican party and the mainstream media.  From paulie at Independent Political Report: George Phillies at Gold Mass Group confirms a story IPR previously reported, which quoted a claim previously posted

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-56297516607860462872011-09-08T13:30:00.001-04:002011-09-08T13:31:16.634-04:00

Ranked choice, or instant-runoff voting, is probably the best-known alternative method to the plurality voting system.  It is supported by reform groups like Fair Vote, Independents, third party advocates – Greens in particular –, and even independently-minded Democrats and Republicans.  Ranked choice has already been implemented in a number of cities across the country, from Maine to Minnesota

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-62252110842287481542011-09-07T16:41:00.000-04:002011-09-08T13:31:34.315-04:00

One lesser-noted aspect of the top two open primary system is that it requires the prohibition of write-in candidates in the general election run-off.  If anyone could wage an upstart write-in campaign following the primary, it would completely undermine the apparent goal of the top two system as such, namely, restricting the number of candidates up for election to just two.  The hasty manner in

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-59187067639081834012011-09-06T18:11:00.000-04:002011-09-08T13:31:03.690-04:00

Hello dear readers and friends!  I hope you all had a relaxing or exciting holiday weekend, as the case may be.  I took a much needed blog break myself, which you might have noticed, and am still catching up on the news from the last few days.  Did you see John Anderson's op-ed in the Christian Science Monitor last Thursday?  He touches on one of the big points of discussion in the comments here

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-6106007717977918502011-09-01T13:50:00.001-04:002011-09-01T13:50:41.486-04:00

From Miles Townes at The Violence of Nations: The problem is that our electoral system is biased towards a two-party system. Plurality voting and single-member districts are as much of a guarantee of bipolarity as you’ll get from an electoral system . . .  a national-level fix to national institutions would be rather difficult. However, one of the quirks of our system is that lots of

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-26203576519983639682011-08-31T12:53:00.001-04:002011-08-31T12:53:57.975-04:00

From a new poll by Reason-Rupe: The latest Reason-Rupe poll results reveal a potential opportunity for a third-party presidential candidate. Seventy two percent of Americans say they would or might consider voting for a third-party presidential candidate, while 48 percent of Americans say they would support a presidential candidate who was “conservative on economic issues and liberal on social

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-91047959759414318942011-08-30T13:36:00.001-04:002011-08-30T13:36:23.294-04:00

An op-ed from LZ Granderson at CNN bemoans the forced choice between the Democrats and Republicans, and argues that John Huntsman should run as an Independent candidate for president in 2012: Primaries have an assortment of personalities to sort through early on, but at the end of the day, the general election often forces us into a this-or-that, the lesser-of-two-evils scenario. . . .

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-24454606605515754772011-08-29T16:42:00.000-04:002011-08-29T16:42:48.987-04:00

The National Security Police State is a threat to constitutional government.  From the Los Angeles Times: A decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, federal and state governments are spending about $75 billion a year on domestic security, setting up sophisticated radio networks, upgrading emergency medical response equipment, installing surveillance

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-62124091440946831682011-08-27T16:34:00.002-04:002011-08-27T18:44:14.541-04:00

Goaded by the professional hysterics in the corporate media, New York City is in full crisis mode ahead of hurricane Irene.  But if there is any group of people who are less reliable than political prognosticators, it is weather forecasters. 

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-59679042873914470102011-08-26T16:31:00.001-04:002011-08-26T16:31:48.040-04:00

Public Policy Polling has released the results of a survey gauging support for particular third party Independent candidates in next year's presidential election.   Excerpt: we took a look at seven possible independent candidates against Obama and his strongest GOP challenger, Mitt Romney, and found that the chances of defection by GOP-inclined voters are stronger than are cracks in the

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-6521654549169463102011-08-25T11:42:00.001-04:002011-08-25T11:42:17.389-04:00

From an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Douglas Schoen and Patrick Caddell.  Excerpt: The United States is in the midst of what we would both call a prerevolutionary moment, and there is widespread support for fundamental change in the system. An increasing number of Americans are now searching beyond the two parties for bold and effective leadership. . . . What's more, a poll of 1,000

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-25043487540719802022011-08-24T17:12:00.001-04:002011-08-24T17:12:53.443-04:00

From today's column at CAIVN: Four contenders for the GOP's presidential nomination are polling competitively with President Obama among registered voters, according to a new Gallup poll.  How do potential Independent or third party presidential hopefuls match up against the candidates of the major parties?  We don't know, because the pollsters never ask. The new survey, published on

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-34623714552641004402011-08-23T15:35:00.004-04:002011-08-23T15:45:18.561-04:00

'Stasiology' is likely one of the least known terms in contemporary political science.  Indeed, the term does not appear anywhere on Wikipedia, and a Google web search returns less than 6,000 hits.  And no, it does not refer to the study of the old East German Ministry of State Security.  Stasiology is the study of political parties.  According to an article in the Journal of Politics from 1957,

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-25131728233687923792011-08-22T16:09:00.001-04:002011-08-22T16:12:30.840-04:00

When the apologists of the two-party state and duopoly system of government confront advocates of third party and independent politics, one of their most common strategies is to set up a third party straw man.  The straw man fallacy is one of the most common rhetorical sleights of hand employed in our political discourse.  Instead of confronting an argument head on, and directly refuting it point

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-88194463112553879252011-08-22T14:12:00.000-04:002011-08-22T14:12:10.637-04:00

Via Rise of the Center, the Daily Show correspondents explain the two-party system: The Daily ShowGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-35074194814146287682011-08-20T13:47:00.001-04:002011-08-20T13:47:25.047-04:00

If you call yourself an Independent, yet continue to vote for Democrats and Republicans, in what sense are you an Independent?  From a letter to the editor of the DesMoines Register: If there’s blame to be placed for the polarization of American politics, it lies squarely with the independent voters. Like it or not, we have a two-party system, and independents either have to deal with that

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-75433100510747110862011-08-19T13:47:00.001-04:002011-08-19T13:47:37.902-04:00

In the wake of the debt ceiling debacle, the S&P downgrade and continuing volatility in the markets, there seems to have been a sharp uptick in criticism of the two-party state and duopoly system of government.  Here's a small sampling from the Politea News Share in recent days: • The Globalist: "For the longest time, it was all those other nations, particularly those of the "old world," that

d.erishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.com0