A CBS News Poll finds that 54% of Americans say the U.S. needs a new political party, whereas 42% say two parties is enough. See this story. Read down toward the bottom.
Also, the Wall Street Journal has this article by Rhodes Cook, who mulls over the possibility that 2012 will bring a strong general election presidential candidate who is not the nominee of either the Democratic nor Republican Parties. Ironically, Cook refers to a poll earlier this year on whether the U.S. needs a new major party, when the percentage of people who said “yes” was somewhere between 40% and 50%. As the top paragraph in this post shows, that statistic is now out of date. Thanks to ThirdPartyDaily for the link.
The Eighth US Parliament
8/6/2008 to 8/5/2012
Prime Ministers:
Gail Lightfoot [Libertarian], Ralph Hoffmann [Democratic-Republican], and Mary J. Ruwart [Libertarian]
Secretaries:
James Ogle [Free Parliamentary] and David Olkkola [Democratic]
100 Elected Members of the Parliament (MPs)
Libertarian Party – 22 Members of Parliament (MPs)
Gail Lightfoot, Michael Badnarik, Mary J. Ruwart, Starchild, Ned Roscoe, Richard Winger, Gary Nolan, Cory Nott, Lawrence Samuels, Kristi Stone, Doug Tuma, Aaron Starr, Gabriella Douglas, Mark Hinkle, William J. Wagoner, Dwight Bailey, Richard Vinable, Aarde Atheian, Alex Plewniak, Howard Stern, Bob Barr, Zachary Scott Gordon [American Libertarian]
Parties with One Seat – 16 MPs
Vanessa Morley [Defender of the Republic], Darryl W. Perry [Boston Tea], Pat Buchanan [Reform], Orion Karl Daley [Balanced], Noam Chomsky [New], Mike Bogatirev [Environmentalist], Michale Treeplanter [Co-Operative], Michael Davis [Natural Law], David Frey [Socialist USA/California], Mark P. Steele [Discordian], Eric Charles [Orwellian], Michael Looney [Houseless], Eric Stevenson [Pizza], Lloyd Llewellen [Flying Saucer], John Coffey [Unity08] and Mike Banon [Skateboard]
Green Party – 14 MPs
Winona Laduke, David Cobb, Medea Benjamin, Mike Nelson, Susan Estes, Kevin Clark [Green/Libertarian], Patrick Purcell, Thomas Leavitt, Mike Rogers, Tad Robinson, Michael Grazian, Gary Swing, Brett Johnsen, Dinah Coffman
Democratic Party – 9 MPs
Dennis Kucinich, PRAVDA McCroskey, David Olkkola, Al Gore, Barbara Boxer, John Edwards, Jerry Brown, Victor Cantu, Ralph Hoffmann [Democratic-Republican]
Independent – 8 MPs
Arianna Huffington, Rob Elliott, Dale Gieringer, John Anderson, Kat Penisten, Michael Moore, Casper Leitch, Ralph Nader
Republican Party – 8 MPs
Ron Paul, Jim Doyle, Colin Powell, John McCain, Lani Guinier, Arnold Swarzenegger, Rush Limbaugh, Dennis Peron
Pot Party – 5 MPs
Nate Brown, Myra Fourwinds, Sister Somayah [Pot / Nigritian Kief], Brandon Garcia, Scott Comings
Free Parliamentary Party – 4 MPs
Laura Booth, Marcellius Smith [Parliament], Daniel Penisten [Free Parliament] and James Ogle
Marijuana Party – 3 MPs
Sabrina Melicia, Kelly Russell, J. Roach
Peace and Freedom Party – 3 MPs
Jan Tucker, Maureen Smith, Stewart Alexander
Comedy Central – 2 MPs
Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart Info.
Not Avail. – 2 MPs
Clint Eastwood, Woody Harrelson
Radical Revolutionary Party – 2 MPs
Annie Garner, Jennifer Perkins
Radical Revolutionary Party – 2 MPs
Annie Garner, Jennifer Perkins
Constitution Party – 2 MPs
Michael Peroutka and Don J. Grundmann
Total: 100 Members of Parliament (MPs)
President Ron Paul [Republican]
Vice President Gail Lightfoot [Libertarian]
yeah, right, sure ……….. don’t quit thinking ’bout to morrow ………
MORE or LESS control freak statism [i.e. TWO choices] —
Democracy — majority rule (now basically ONLY when the voters directly vote on issues) and in some defective at large legislative body elections.
monarchy/oligarchy — minority rule — think the gerrymander MONSTERS in the U.S.A. Congress and in all 50 State legislatures — along with monarch U.S.A. Prezs and State Guvs.
— nothing new in about 6,000 plus years of recorded political history.
P.R. and App.V.
I wonder how many of the 54% know how many Presidential candidates were on the ballot in at least 1 State in 2008??
Or even better, I wonder how many people know how many candidates were on the ballot in enough States to theoretically become President??
What the poll really says is that 54% of Americans want the Republicans and Democrats to become minor parties like the rest of us. Five minor parties would be about right.
:))
I interpret this poll as saying “we’re mad as hell and we don’t know what to do about it!”
Many people when asked will give lip service to supporting a “third party” yet when election day rolls around will slip into the same old routine they’re accustomed to and support the “lesser evil” instead of voting for the (sometimes) ballot listed “third” choice.
http://tinyurl.com/23asyc6