Blue State Blues

[OrdinaryTa]

I would find it discouraging to live in a red state, especially one that Bush will carry easily in 2004. Unfortunately, blue states like New York have their own issues as well. There's no way New York will vote for a Republican, so politicians ignore us. The way we know there's an election going on is that politicians come to town looking for money.

Bush has no reason to court New York voters because he lost the state by a 60-35 margin in the last election. If he spends money here he might improve that to 59-36, but even that is questionable. He made fancy promises to New York after the World Trade Center attack and has broken them all.

We are looking forward to hounding and harassing the Republicans when they hold their convention here in 2004. A half a million of us marched against the war in February's bitter cold. If half that number show up to protest the Bush coronation, even the whore media won't be able to ignore us.

[TennesseeWalker]

1. That's why we need more than 2 parties.

In areas where it is solidly R or D, those who don't share the ideas of those in power are marginalized. If they had to worry about making coalitions to share power, they would be more responsive to ALL the poeple. Now, you don't have a prayer if you're not a neocon repuke, and all the Pat Buchanan "true conservatives" don't have anyone to really stick up for their interests. Same is true with the extreme left and the DLC...the DLC was thumbing their noses at leftist causes, and so Greens popped up, and the Dems (and the rest of the country) are paying for it.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. I agree that more than two parties...

would be a good idea. There are too many differing views for only two parties. I would like to see coalitions made with Greens, Right-to-Lifers, Socialists, Libertarians, etc. It would better reflect the population.

But, we don't have the kind of parliamentary system that allows that sort of thing.

We have never had a viable third party in our history, and there's no reason to think we'll have one soon. We're all pretty much stuck with trying to make the two parties we have respond to us. The best we could hope for is for the Republicans to continue to include the rightwing, us to include more of the the leftwing.

I would say the biggest challenge we have is to bring back respectiblity to the left wing. I think most people tend to discount the wingnuts on both sides, but there is a distinct tendency for people to avoid being labelled as even slightly leftist now, and that really has to be stopped.

[Gore1FL]

3. I hold the opposite view but share your observations

The difference between the two party system and the multi-party system boils down to when the coalistion is built. I'd ratrher know the platform I am voting for before the elction, rather than gamble on what a coalition of parties is able to cobble together afterwards.

I also contend that for a party to compete, it must be viable at all levels. Currently, the U.S Constitution's mathamatical limitiations on presidential elections precludes more than two party viability.

I would agree that hte current system is having difficulties. In my opinion, that is because we are not working within the system to create a true coalition prior to the election.

If the left (all of the left) played by the rules, or selection and support, we'd be undefeatable.