tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:29:52 +0000independencestrategydiscontentideologyvotingcandidates 2010Libertariantwin evilsmediacollusionstatesdelusionprotestGreensexclusionbipartisanshipballot accesspollingthird party tea partypolice stateprimary folliesconvergencelesser evilismdemythificationinternational2012historicalinfiltrationmoderatesthird party blogosphereapologeticsNYCAsurveillancecartoonsNJ Gov 09NY's 23rdprogressivePiratecorporatismprofilesscandaltea partyargumentwake up callFLcampaign financeelection lawproportional representationConstitution PartyPAWhigsAZanarchismscholarshipadministrativedialecticsindoctrinationopen debatesopportunism2010ILRVguest postsviolenceMAMA 01/10localmessianismpredictionthird party dailyIRVanti-incumbencyCOSocialistUTcensorshipcontinuityterm limitsCTMEORaction alertbiascrisisone-party statepopulismpropagandareligionwar on drugsVAbailoutsconspiracy theorydemocracyfusionredistrictingturnoutUKWImandatory minimumsAKALGAMDMINCOHRITNTXWAsocialismviabilityC/R politics projectIDINKSKYMNNJNMOKReform PartySCSDUtahVTVermontWFPWVdigestindypediaThird Party and Independent Opposition to the Two-Party Statehttp://politeaparty.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (d.eris)Blogger1184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-2377481579711891832Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:13:00 +00002012-01-09T20:13:16.402-05:00independencepollingFrom Gallup: The percentage of Americans identifying as political independents increased in 2011, as is common in a non-election year, although the 40% who did so is the highest Gallup has measured, by one percentage point. More Americans continue to identify as Democrats than as Republicans, 31% to 27%. These results are based on more than 20,000 interviews conducted in 20 separate http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2012/01/record-high-independent-identification.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-7138843090541801655Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:01:00 +00002012-01-06T13:02:23.280-05:002012moderatesstrategyIn "The Foundation of Government," from 1776, John Adams wrote: Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates so stupid and miserable, that Americans will not be likely to approve of any political institution which is founded on it.  Today, fear is among the primary motivations for the continued http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2012/01/republican-democrat-party-politics-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-2853924529209981151Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:39:00 +00002012-01-04T15:39:28.589-05:00AZGreensLibertarianFrom today's column at IVN: On December 29th, the Arizona Green and Libertarian parties filed a lawsuit in the US District Court of Arizona charging that the state’s new voter registration forms violate their First Amendment right to freedom of association and their Fourteenth Amendment right of equal protection under the law. The state’s former voter registration forms included a box http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2012/01/az-greens-and-libertarians-file-suit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-8012884125692626015Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:34:00 +00002012-01-06T12:55:27.433-05:00argumentmoderatesstrategyHappy New Year!  As noted last week, the New York Times held a readers' dialogue on the issue of third party politics that began with a letter to the editor by Robert Levine calling for a centrist alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties.  Over the weekend they published nine responses to the original piece plus a response from Levine himself.  It may be interesting to http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2012/01/third-party-dialogue-how-can-centrists.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-6985145523606234642Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:22:00 +00002011-12-29T14:23:10.621-05:00ballot accessLibertarianVAAs you may have heard, only two candidates for the Republican presidential election have qualified to appear on Virginia's primary ballot: Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.  Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman did not even attempt to gather the over 10,000 valid signatures that would have assured their place on the ballot.  Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich did, but failed to obtain http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/free-and-fair-elections-are-impossible.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-5519749451926133213Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:31:00 +00002011-12-28T15:31:40.191-05:00action alertYesterday, the New York Times published a letter to the editor arguing for a centrist, third party alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties, and invited readers to respond for publication on Sunday.  The letter is from one Robert Levine, a neurologist and author of a book entitled, Resurrecting Democracy: A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party.  The letter: Why does http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/action-alert-nyt-calls-for-dialogue-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-3370961000556722379Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:42:00 +00002011-12-27T15:42:27.165-05:00independenceThe exodus from the Democratic and Republican parties continues apace. According to a new analysis by USA Today, 2.5 million voters have left the ruling parties an registered as Independents since 2008: More than 2.5 million voters have left the Democratic and Republican parties since the 2008 elections, while the number of independent voters continues to grow. . . . The trend is acute in http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/exodus-from-major-parties-continues.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-1071420927285560450Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:28:00 +00002011-12-26T17:28:47.624-05:00strategyThe campaign for a national popular vote for president has been quietly gaining steam in recent years.  From today's column at IVN: As many Americans discovered for the first time following the contested presidential election of 2000, the way in which Electoral College votes are currently awarded allows for the possibility that a candidate for president can win election to the nation’s http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/campaign-for-national-popular-vote.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-5786942732431139442Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:07:00 +00002011-12-22T18:07:21.214-05:00independenceNationally, Independents outnumber both Democrats and Republicans by significant margins.  In some states, the majority of voters are Independents, outnumbering Democrats and Republicans combined.  So why are Independents treated as second class citizens.  Independent Voting is calling for Congressional hearings on the matter.  From an opinion piece in The Gazette, out of http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/it-is-time-to-investigate-suppression.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-6954736288403595474Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:40:00 +00002011-12-21T12:40:09.702-05:002012LibertarianIt is all but confirmed that former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson will seek the Libertarian Party's nomination for president in 2012.  Johnson is now the second GOP presidential hopeful who will seek a third party nomination.  Buddy Roemer announced a number of weeks ago that he will seek the Americans Elect nomination.  From USA Today: Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/gary-johnson-will-seek-libertarian.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-8715088494485319472Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:01:00 +00002011-12-19T20:01:38.359-05:00police stateIn their ongoing war against the Constitution and people of the United States, the Democratic and Republican parties have amply demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice fundamental rights and liberties for the empty promise of security over the last ten years.  As the Occupy movement spread across the country over the last three months, we have witnessed the violence and brutality of the http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/united-police-states-of-america.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-3129755291791456879Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:56:00 +00002011-12-19T15:56:18.579-05:00Some news items from around the web.  Anyone found any alternatives to Google Reader yet since they disabled their embedded news clip sharing function? • Pollster Says Third Party Presidential Candidate Inevitable • The Platform of The Ascendancy Party • Tennessee Occupy Group Denounces Local Democratic Party Endorsement • Big Government and the Two-Party System • The Justice Party: Rocky http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/third-party-and-independent-news-and_19.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-3413295762999398001Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:31:00 +00002011-12-15T12:32:31.482-05:00proportional representationAmong those of us who support independent and third party alternatives to the Republican and Democratic parties, there are many who advocate for the implementation of structural reforms that would aid in opening up our political system and provide for more adequate representation in government.  One such structural reform is proportional representation.  Under the current http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-party-state-and-proportional.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-1171791790072205711Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:22:00 +00002011-12-13T18:48:29.618-05:00strategyIf you hear someone talking about the need for a third party or independent candidate for office, in most cases it is likely a safe bet that they are talking about the presidency.  Presidential fetishism and the cult of the executive in the public at large and the media in particular are two major hurdles to effective  independent activism and advocacy.  Independent and third partyhttp://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/redistribution-of-power-and-third-party.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-7628153011151425946Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:21:00 +00002011-12-12T16:21:34.856-05:00pollingOne of the enduring paradoxes of American public opinion is that even though voters veritably despise the US Congress as a whole, they nonetheless give their own congressional representatives the benefit of the doubt.  It is time for American voters to face the obvious truth that their own representatives are part of the problem and to cease returning these scoundrels to office election http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/earth-to-americans-your-representative.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-3170602750473492706Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:33:00 +00002011-12-08T17:02:06.594-05:002012moderatesIn an opinion piece for the Huffington Post, Tina Marie Labruzzo argues that "we need a "middle child" in American politics," and calls for a moderate alternative to the bipolar deadlock between the Republican and Democratic parties.  Excerpt: The fact that the Republicans and Democrats in our Congress can't and won't work together to tackle extreme challenges that threaten the welfare ofhttp://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-party-system-is-not-constitutional.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-3223657980269147748Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:01:00 +00002011-12-07T19:17:40.812-05:002012primary folliesOne contradiction that often goes unnoticed in our politics today, even though it is apparent across a wide variety of polls and surveys, reveals a tension between partisan affiliation and ideological identification.  Though self-identified conservatives consistently outnumber moderates and liberals, Republicans are consistently outnumbered by Independents and Democrats.  Given the http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/is-republican-primary-breeding-ground.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-6894155732730242954Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:20:00 +00002011-12-06T16:27:31.967-05:00Some interesting items from around the web in recent days.  I'm still looking for a good replacement for the old Google Reader News Share feeds that can be embedded in third party (no pun intended) sites.  Anyone know of any alternative? Instant Runoff Could Make a Third Party More Viable End Allegiance to Political Parties Dissatisfaction Could Lead to Third Party Candidate for http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/third-party-and-independent-news-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-728226508342019511Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:07:00 +00002011-12-04T12:17:45.640-05:00progressivestrategyVermontThe Vermont Progressive Party is one of the most successful third party groups in the county.  It currently has two elected officials the State Senate, five in the State House and three in local office across the state.   What is the secret of their success?  In a new piece for Third Party Independent, Liberal Arts Dude interviews the party's director, Morgan Daybell, to find http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/americas-best-kept-secret-vermont.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-4615924575383571381Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:34:00 +00002011-12-03T16:36:35.011-05:002012Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson has announced that he is launching a third party campaign for president under the banner of a new party: the Justice Party.  From the Deseret News: Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson has formed a new political party and plans to run for president.  To be known as the Justice Party, Anderson sees it as a grassroots movement that overhttp://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/justice-throw-bums-out.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-2127087359111522536Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:03:00 +00002011-12-01T14:39:18.293-05:00police stateprotestPresident Obama was in New York City yesterday to schmooze with the nation's upper upper class at three different fundraisers, including – I heard – a $35,000 per plate dinner earlier in the evening and a $1,000 per plate dinner at the Sheraton Hotel at around 9pm.  Occupy Wall Street protesters marched through midtown Manhattan on their way to demonstrate outside the Sheraton.  Shortlyhttp://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/12/obama-fundraiser-nypd-illegally-detain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-3851643331542754519Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:00:00 +00002011-11-30T15:48:33.577-05:00bipartisanshipcensorshipcollusionOver the weekend, an acquaintance was telling me about a conversation he had with a friend of his, a Czech immigrant, over the Thanksgiving holiday.  My acquaintance told me he's not really a political person, but the two, both in their mid-twenties, somehow ended up talking about politics at length and the discussion eventually turned to what life was like in Czechoslovakia before the fall http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/11/twilight-of-party-idols-how-real-world.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-858670975051545565Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:52:00 +00002011-11-29T17:12:36.883-05:002012Libertarianmoderatesprimary folliesAs the corporate-sponsored clown and puppet show known as the Republican presidential primary race lumbers forward, perhaps we can take comfort in the fact that we will not be subjected to a comparable spectacle by the Democrats.  Moreover, the exclusionary character of the contest may well produce a number of worthwhile third party and independent candidates for the presidency.  The http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/11/republican-presidential-primary-and-its.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-25695217212053831Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:14:00 +00002011-11-28T18:46:20.733-05:00CAprimary folliesA new lawsuit is challenging the constitutionality of the top two open primary system in California.  From today's column at CAIVN: On November 21st, the Libertarian Party of California, the Peace and Freedom Party of California, and the Green Party of Alameda County joined a handful of voters and third party candidates for elected office to file a lawsuit alleging that California’s http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/11/ca-top-two-lawsuit-reveals-glaring.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016245466912407364.post-4590196355014138595Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:26:00 +00002011-11-25T16:29:36.797-05:00pollingFrom UPI: Almost one-quarter of U.S. voters say they might vote for a third-party presidential candidate, with young voters and independents more likely.  More than four in 10 of voters between the ages of 18 and 29, and 36 percent of those who identify themselves as independents told the Zogby Poll they might for an alternative to Republicans and Democrats. Twenty-four percent of http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2011/11/24-would-vote-for-third-party-candidate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (d.eris)1