POLL link; Is America ready for a 3rd party?

[upi402]

http://msnbc.newsvine.com/_question/2010/03/18/4034545-is-america-ready-for-a-legitimate-third-political-party-
If you like the current Democratic Party I guess you'd vote 'no'. But it's more difficult if, like me, you're frustrated about the Democratic Party as it is.
This is an MSNBC poll.

[Oceansaway]

1. they need this poll after the vote...n/t

[LynneSin]

2. I'm a realist - 3rd Parties will never exist with the current election setup in the USA

I know someone will post "Well with that attitude of course they won't stand a chance" but seriously - it's too big of a risk voting 3rd party because essentially it is a vote for the party that you DON'T want in office.

I'd love to have some sort of 'run-off' elect where if no candidate gets 50% of the votes we hold a 2nd election in 30 days. That way we could vote how we really feel the first election without fear that you're putting even WORSE candidates in office.

[Jennicut]

7. It will only work with 4 major parties, not 3. We either want coalition type govt.

or what we have now.

[FrenchieCat]

3. dividing and conquering works!

That's all that ever does.

I saw that "entertainer" Penn and Teller Guy just now on MSNBC
lying to his teeth about when the Tea Partier were formed.

Schuster, our MSNBC "friend", didn't bother to counter him.

So the lies continue.

meanwhile Corporations, after Citizen's United decision, are in the market for
a couple of third parties, just not for the reasons that would actually
help anyone of us.

[upi402]

4. Penn thought it was terrible that some think there are racist Teabaggers

:rofl:

[FrenchieCat]

15. He called it "Unfair".

Yep....said those teabaggers were there during Bush.

Weird, cause the only ones I ever saw who remind me of the teabaggers,
were the ones screaming "Kill him" during those McCain-Palin rallies...

but no, they didn't demonstrate against Bush, ever.

He's a liar like his Republican brethens,
and I've stored this into my memory bank.

[SoCalDem]

5. Nope..because the media & corporate america won't "allow" it.

Media loves 3rd parties as spoilers and to rub a little salt into the eyes of the two-party candidates, but all the money is in the hands of the owners of the two established parties..

[upi402]

8. At what point is the difference between parties minimal enough

for Democrats to see the parties as one corporatist party? - That's the key question for us.
77% so far voted for a 3rd party, and that's a 'media' poll. I'm secretly hoping Americans will buck the TV propaganda machine some day. But not at any cost.

[SoCalDem]

14. Most people vote every 4 years (the ones who even bother to vote at all)

they vote for the "cute one"..the one with "great hair".. the one their "husband/mother/father/wife/boss/etc" tells the to.

Most people are too busy trying to keep the wolves from the doorstep , to bother much much with ideas/policy/agendas..

they "tune in" around Labor day of election years, and the one who they "like" most gets their vote...if the weather's good and they remember to vote..

[upi402]

20. So very true

We are so easy to fool that I have little hope. We'll get what we deserve I guess. Yet the fact that 3rd parties and Teabaggers are getting attention makes me wonder if Baby Huey is waking up. If a Bernie Sanders ran against my Clinton-Democrats, I'd vote for him even if he was in the 'Star Trek Party'.

[Jennicut]

6. Depends on what the 3rd Party represents. More liberal then the Dems? More conservative then the

Rethugs? Libertarian? Centrists? That is the problem with 3rd parties here. Many people are pissed at govt. but there is not convergent way of thinking to put all those people in one party. Liberals who hate the Dem party have little in common with teaparty types.

[arthritisR_US]

9. excellent point! A truly progressive party would be a dream. n/t

[Jennicut]

10. We may break apart the big parties into smaller parties but one big 3rd party is not happening

any time soon in my opinion because of that.

[arthritisR_US]

22. ya, I'd have to concur. n/t

[Political Heretic]

11. An alternative would be fighting to restore the Democratic Party, back to a time of different values

...a time when the party nominated a man who stood up in front of the world at his party's convention and called out "economic royalist" for their greed and reckless corruption and declared "I welcome their hatred."

[Mari333]

13. now that corporations are 'people', I sincerely doubt change will ever occur

[OhioChick]

12. 78.6% say "Yes." I'm not surprised.. n/t

[Echo In Light]

16. Apropos comment: "the public is ready for a third party. The system is not."

[upi402]

17. That's a fact

I wonder if it's more possible to change the party than to make a changed system for the party to have to deal with it.

[Echo In Light]

21. It likely can't happen since the two party ruse owns the media - w/o a national platform, coupled w/

... a rigged system intended to stave off what Power considers democratic interference, a third party would only have a snowball's chance in hell in the wake of some sort of massive national crisis. That would be my guess

[cbdo2007]

18. No party is going to go for a third party because that will ensure their defeat.

Both sides - Dems and Repubes aren't going to go third party anymore because recent history has shown elections lost due to votes shifting uselessly over to third party candidates.

[treestar]

19. Ready is irrelevant. It just has to be. There has to be a significant

number of people supporting the third party. That comes first.

[upi402]

23. 3/4 of people voting want it, maybe pressure would help

"Democrats" get replaced with real Democrats in primaries.