Good news for MODU and myself, and several others...

[Joe Republic]

Link: Rasmussen

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[??????????]

I wonder if this actually means anything long term. Hopefully the winds of change (against the major parties) is occuring.

[WalterMitty]

modu is a republican.  not that its a bad thing.

[Joe Republic]

I wonder if this actually means anything long term. Hopefully the winds of change (against the major parties) is occuring.

I believe that as the two parties become more and more polarized, they'll also continue to shrink.

[Joe Republic]

modu is was a republican.  not that its a bad thing.

Corrected that for you.  He saw sense several years ago.

[CPT MikeyMike]

I'm glad to see more people distancing themselves from the two parties but realistically, I still can't see a huge third party coming about.

What would it stand for? What would be the message?

[Keystone Phil]

Only 31% are Republicans? 36% are Dems? The next President better be a Republican and he better be very popular.  

[Joe Republic]

I'm glad to see more people distancing themselves from the two parties but realistically, I still can't see a huge third party coming about.

I don't particularly want a third party to come about, to be honest.  Look how well Ross Perot did in 1992 (better still if he hadn't dropped out and then re-entered) without any party banner at all.

[CPT MikeyMike]

I'm glad to see more people distancing themselves from the two parties but realistically, I still can't see a huge third party coming about.

I don't particularly want a third party to come about, to be honest.  Look how well Ross Perot did in 1992 (better still if he hadn't dropped out and then re-entered) without any party banner at all.

IMO - he would have won in '92 had he not dropped out and I would have voted for him but today, I don't think you'll find another Ross Perot for another generation.

The sad thing is that, the time is right for one but who can be the Ross Perot of 2008?

[Joe Republic]

The sad thing is that, the time is right for one but who can be the Ross Perot of 2008?

Hmmm, I certainly can't think of anybody like that.  Nope, no billionaire businessmen who don't fit comfortably in either party, who have already been making several hints about a possible run.....

[Speed of Sound]

I'm glad to see more people distancing themselves from the two parties but realistically, I still can't see a huge third party coming about.

I don't particularly want a third party to come about, to be honest.  Look how well Ross Perot did in 1992 (better still if he hadn't dropped out and then re-entered) without any party banner at all.

But.....but.....but without parties, we cant assume views of candidates! We have to..........learn about them and form opinions!

[memphis]

If either party had any sense, they would commence advertising for the party rather than just for individual candidates. They really need to get out there, brand themselves, and highlight their accomplishments.

[Alcon]

If either party had any sense, they would commence advertising for the party rather than just for individual candidates. They really need to get out there, brand themselves, and highlight their accomplishments.

I've always wondered why that's not done, at least at the state level.  It would make great sense for state legislative races, especially.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I see this as generally good news for the nation.  If anything, it shows that Americans are paying attention and aren't happy with what's going on.

I doubt that we'll see a third party emerge.  More likely, the two main parties will align themselves back again to be catch all parties.  I, of course, believe that teh Republicans have strayed further towards the extreme than the Democrats, who seem to have ventured towards the middle.

I am still very much a "DFLer" on the local and state level.  I'm not overly pleased with the national Democratic party.

[opebo]

Pshaw.  Most of these new independents lean Democrat, for the moment.  Anyway, these tiny marginal shifts do nothing to threaten the paradigm of two parties, which is built into the pretense that americans call 'democracy'.

[MasterJedi]

I wonder if this actually means anything long term. Hopefully the winds of change (against the major parties) is occuring.

I believe that as the two parties become more and more polarized, they'll also continue to shrink.

But that doesn't mean they'll vote for a third party. Being an Independent and voting for third parties will be two different things.

[Joe Republic]

I wonder if this actually means anything long term. Hopefully the winds of change (against the major parties) is occuring.

I believe that as the two parties become more and more polarized, they'll also continue to shrink.

But that doesn't mean they'll vote for a third party. Being an Independent and voting for third parties will be two different things.

That's true to an extent, like in my own case, for example.  I obviously have absolutely no loyalty to or identification with either of the main parties, but will still vote for one or the other if there are no viable alternatives.  Yet if a major independent or third party candidate did emerge - who did have a chance of winning (such as Perot in '92 or Bloomberg in '08 for example) - I'd happily vote for them, as I'm sure would millions of others.

What this poll is illustrating is that more and more people are apparently thinking the way I do.

[MODU]

WOOHOO!!!  Gotta love it.  Now we just need a good "common sense" party to form and kill off the two dinosaurs. 

[Joe Republic]

WOOHOO!!!  Gotta love it.  Now we just need a good "common sense" party to form and kill off the two dinosaurs. 

Oh.  I thought you'd probably agree with me that a third party wouldn't be necessary.

[MODU]

WOOHOO!!!  Gotta love it.  Now we just need a good "common sense" party to form and kill off the two dinosaurs. 

Oh.  I thought you'd probably agree with me that a third party wouldn't be necessary.

Well, they're not, but it is the best option we have to really break up the two-party domination of politics.  Once a third party can come on the field and compete equally, then it opens the door for a flood of parties which could lead to an abandonment of the party system all together.  (Or at least one could hope.)

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

What's the surprise? The Republicans are destroying this country, and the Democrats are Republican-lite.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I'm glad to see more people distancing themselves from the two parties but realistically, I still can't see a huge third party coming about.

What would it stand for? What would be the message?

It would have to be a progressive party, because right now there is none.