So...
 

Yes

Cheney http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/angry.gif

Other Parties

Independants

Edit: I'm not sure why both links are being crappy. Probably has to do with how Poly deals with certain combos of symbols in html or whatever.

Why are they all so horrible?

The Greens and the Socialists should combine. No commies though http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/angry.gif

Really, the liberal democrats should break off, combine with the Greens, and form the Progressive party.

Originally posted by EPW
Why are they all so horrible? One-trick pony parties suck universally, and most people realize that Libertarian parties (there are several, they just go by different names) are cute in theory, but suck at governance. See: US Articles of Confederation. We've been there, we've done that, we moved on to the US Constitution and representative democracy after a few years of that nonsense. I'm sorry, but Libertarian government isn't democracy, it's ineffectual rule-by-committee. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/happyno.gif

As for the Commie/Socialist and Green parties (but I repeat myself http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/wink.gif ), I've little to add. I wish the Greens were a little more effective and frankly, alongside the Libertarian Party proper, they stand the best chance of being larger players. But I doubt that will happen anytime in the next few decades. The Democratic and Republican Parties shall continue. Though, I imagine the Republicans will be crippled for the next few years thanks to the valiant efforts of the Bush WH and its enablers to completely corrupt the party from within. Go Team Bush! http://www.discussworldissues.com/im...ons/icon14.gif

I think the elections should be held a la American/British/Whatever Idol slash Big Brother, complete with Simon Scowl and Paula Abhor critiquing the candidates and food challenges!

You take the top 12 ppl who, for some reason, want to be president. You lock them in a house, cut off from outside media and influence (very important) and hook up a live 24 hour video feed to this house. Then you give them food challenges (just for fun) and a list of questions and/or debates they will be expected to speak to on live TV before our panel of judges. There will be competitions each week to determine who gets what question/debate.

Each week Americans, or anyone with a phone, can call in and vote up to 5 times (or 10 times by internet) for their favorite candidate. Those with the lowest two scores will be forced to play a random Japanese game show game, and the one who loses goes home.

This, my friends, is the best and only way presidents should be elected.

The parties and how they should be, in my mind:

Progressives: Socialist democrats, greens, etc.; support more nationalized industries (like healthcare), stringent environmental and fiscal controls over business/industry, increased corporate/CG taxes. Against using our military power overseas. Supports the federal government dictating to the states on social issues, such as pro-evolution, pro-choice, etc.

Christian Democrats: Southern republicans and democrats, primarily, and central US republicans. Social issues like anti-abortion, anti-immigration, support more local control of schooling; mixed bag on taxation, probably. For using our military power to protect our interests overseas.

Federalists: Urban republicans, libertarians, some moderate democrats who are democrats because of social issues. This party primarily focuses on free-market economics, for a lower (or better managed...) CG tax, overall lowering federal spending (and thus taxes, eventually), increasing control over issues at the state and city level; against federal involvement on social issues. Against military imperialism, but not as against it as the Progressives.

I have a feeling there is still a fourth party there, the Democrats, which is all of the dems who wouldn't be progressives and wouldn't be Christian 'democrats'; but as I can't think of their platform other than 'more moderate than either party', I don't describe it here. Three or four would be fine, and would have a much more reasonable balance of governance in my mind. The biggest risk is that the places where the parties overlap is ... interesting, and could cause some significant shifts in policy.

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Other Parties

Independants

Edit: I'm not sure why both links are being crappy. Probably has to do with how Poly deals with certain combos of symbols in html or whatever.
Indicative of the fact that voting for these 3rd party candidates would be a crappy idea? http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/idea.gif

Vote, but vote for someone you know will lose, so you're assured of being able to whine. Why take chances? Implicate yourself? No way.