This Election Sucks....

[GB1]

Looking at all the political presidential candidates and their parties, does anyone else feel that it's time for a third party somewhere in the middle? It appears to me that both Repubs and Dems have their agendas and are going to push it though, country be damned.

Americans seem like they want a 'centralist', but rarely get one. Maybe it's time to just form a new party?

Comments......?

[JETA]

Now this is a great idea. I'm so sick of it all. This AM I was watching some of the democratic debate. I'm so tired of the mud slinging and sanctimonious attitudes all around. As it stands there is nobody that has my vote yet.

[Xia_Ke]

I'm reminded of a South Park Episode that pretty much sums it up...LOL

[Sushigaijin]

Looking at all the political presidential candidates and their parties, does anyone else feel that it's time for a third party somewhere in the middle? It appears to me that both Repubs and Dems have their agendas and are going to push it though, country be damned.

Americans seem like they want a 'centralist', but rarely get one. Maybe it's time to just form a new party?

Comments......?

That's interesting. I've actually had the opposite thought about every other election recently - WAY too many centrists. At one point in the '00 campaign, I couldn't even differentiate between the major parties. Of course, that was before the wars. I would argue that Al Gore was a pretty solid centrist (although ineffective in getting the vote) and that Kerry toed the center line also. There have been a few republicans that have done the exact same thing in recent elections, but since GW pretty much bulldozed that side, we didn't get to hear too much from them.

On the other hand, it looks like this election is going to split up on party lines; candidates are all over the board on all kinds of different issues, with dems holding traditional republican issues and vice-versa. I for one, am really glad that the parties are dichotomizing, it will make picking a candidate that much easier. I was getting sick of picking the lesser of two evils, it might be nice to find myself voting FOR someone instead of AGAINST someone this year.

There are plenty of third parties, but they will never gain power in america until the way that our elections work changes. The problems are winner take all, single member districts. What it means is exactly what it says - since we didn't set up the government as a proportional republic, where power is divided equally among parties based upon support of citizens, a third party could never win an important election because they could never afford to. Again my first and foremost issue this election is campaign finance reform, and full public funding of public campaigns. but who is still talking about that? it's all smoke and mirrors, as far as I am concerned.

It is definately nice to see some actual conservative republicans running under the republican banner; I'd file GW under the reactionary liberal heading if I were to classify him politically. In fact, I'd argue that the republicans have been MUCH more liberal than the dems in recent years.

In any case, I digress. We'll be able to hash it out much better in a few months.

[another view]

it might be nice to find myself voting FOR someone instead of AGAINST someone this year.

Agreed! It's a little hard to keep track of all the different intrepretations (or definitions) of "liberal" and "conservative".

I think a big problem that we have is that we (Americans) see this whole process as boring. So many people are more interested in what Britany Spears did yesterday and that's really sad. I've seen the name more times than I care to admit on CNN, and I don't know who she is or what she did to become famous (or care, frankly)... I think this is why Gov.'s Schwarzenegger and Ventura were elected. I also think this is why Obama is getting popular; "they're" turning him into a celebrity of sorts... I see it more with him than any of the others. He's missed three-fourths of the votes that Illinois residents put him in office to represent us on, chasing down votes to put him in the White House.

Third parties have been around for years, but so have fourths, fifths and sixths. In our (IL) most recent Governor's race the Republican and Democrat choices were so dismal that just over 10% of us voted for the Green party, making it an officially established party in the our state.

[SmartWombat]

Seems in the UK we have followed the US political model, the major parties following the focus groups to the centre ground and adapting their policies (and principoles) to suit.

[GB1]

Oh guys, these candidate are just weak. Babbling away about nothing, etc.

Some stuff from last night's Demo debate (and other places),

(Used and abused) Hillery: "A son of the South, an African American, a women, all running together .."

(Bag of cliches) Obama: "We need to come together. I don't see problems, I see solutions. The we need to change the way we do things in Washington. The only special interests we need in Washington are the American people." (And you though Ross Perot was too unspecific..?)

(Down home plain spoken good ol boy) Edwards: "All this time fightin', is that gonna to feed a hungry child, People sitting 'round the dinner table balancing their checkbooks..."

And then they have (NYC mayor till I die) Giuliani, (Gates of Hell) Huckabee, and (Irritable, crotchety, betray everything I really stand for) McCain. Romney, I don't know.

I think I'll vote for Pedro.

[another view]

I think I'll vote for Pedro.

At this point, I'm voting for Lewis Black...

[Xia_Ke]

At this point, I'm voting for Lewis Black...

Good call :thumbsup:

[Frog]

I'd vote for Collin Powell.
The first requirement for presidential candidates should be that they don't want to be president.

[Sushigaijin]

Agreed! It's a little hard to keep track of all the different intrepretations (or definitions) of "liberal" and "conservative".
.

This, and the rest of your post, are my sentiments exactly.

I actually could vote green. I worked for the nader campaign in 2000 when I was in college, only reason I haven't been active lately is that I quit politics because it drove me nuts. Funny how that hasn't changed. They were always a bit too liberal (pass lots of legislation) for me, but the stuff they were pushing made sense and would end if fewer restrictions and intervention in everyday life. Funny again how sometimes more is less. In the end I guess I fall closer to libertarian than anything else, but they always bugged the poop out of me.

[Greg McCary]

Looking at all the political presidential candidates and their parties, does anyone else feel that it's time for a third party somewhere in the middle? It appears to me that both Repubs and Dems have their agendas and are going to push it though, country be damned.

Americans seem like they want a 'centralist', but rarely get one. Maybe it's time to just form a new party?

Comments......?

I agree the two sides are just to polarized. GB1 for Pres...You got my vote.

[mwfanelli2]

Yep, all the candidates are really miserable this time around.

I certainly won't vote republican. The last thing we need is a Bush clone. I used to like McCain but he has proven himself to be as slimy and two-faced as the rest of them.

Third parties just don't work. Even popular Teddy and his Bull Moose party didn't come close. As someone else said, the way the system works in this country, a third party has no chance.

The 1st Bush? You've got to be kidding! It's amazing how time glosses over the truth! Sure, he is much, much smarter than dubya (but then, so are my backyard slugs) but he was ineffective as president.

I'll probably be forced to hold my nose and vote for whomever is the democratic candidate. The number one priority is to sweep the most corrupt administration in american history out the door. We need a new bozo and bozo-entourage in office, not a clone of the current brain-dead occupant.

[GB1]

I agree the two sides are just to polarized. GB1 for Pres...You got my vote.

Naaa. You don't want me.. you can see how negative I am about politics! I grew up in the Wash DC area and know what it's all about.

What's sad is that most enter office idealistic and wanting to do some good stuff, but after a few years in that system it all goes out the window. I also wonder what motivates a lot of presidential candidates to go through all that to try to win? Mental illness? (LOL)

[mwfanelli2]

The 1st Bush? You've got to be kidding! It's amazing how time glosses over the truth! Sure, he is much, much smarter than dubya (but then, so are my backyard slugs) but he was ineffective as president.

Hey it's too early for me! GB1=George Bush #1 when I'm still asleep!

[GB1]

Hey it's too early for me! GB1=George Bush #1 when I'm still asleep!

Ha ha..