Another Reason Why We Need Viable Third Parties

I hate those lines on the ballot where there is no choice (0.00 / 0)

Only one name for too many offices -- some places it's a Democrat, some a Republican.  Let's look beyond the political parties and try to understand what causes this.

I think at the bedrock level it has to be related to voter attitudes: complacency; apathy; distrust of government or the system; outright fear of getting involved.  What we know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that in many, many places there is no one interested enough in being the alternative choice for school board, commissioner, etc. to pay a small fee and sign up to run.  Where there's only one name on the ballot, challengers don't even need to worry about barriers to alternative parties -- all they have to do is sign up as a candidate of the "other party."  But they don't do it.  

Does it mean they're satisfied with the status quo?  I don't know, but it distresses me that Alabamians have so few choices for so many offices.  How can more people be encouraged to get involved?

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Fri Nov 09, 2012 at 14:12:53 PM UTC

It was really disappointing (4.00 / 1)

to see that Boehner ran completely unopposed.

I understand the political real world, but still do we just concede elections in a democracy?

 

"This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. This is about the whole system being against us." - an Occupy protester at Obama's Des Moines office.

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by: Dardango @ Fri Nov 09, 2012 at 16:40:10 PM UTC

ADC (4.00 / 1)

I am extremely disappointed with the Alabama Democratic party. If there is no improvement there then a third party is a must, imo. No opposition to the cons on the ballot in many cases. I have emailed our county person twice wanting to get involved, and have not received a response. No recruiting, no advertising, not much there. DC party in Alabama needs "fixing".

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by: Blue_Sky @ Fri Nov 09, 2012 at 17:42:39 PM UTC

ADP (4.00 / 2)

I'm inferring that Blue_Sky was expressing disappointment in the state Democratic party - the ADP. ADC is the African-American caucus in the Democratic Party, usually personified by Dr. Joe Reed.

I'm not thrilled with Tuesday's outcome in Alabama but do see some positive signs, notably how well Judge Vance did after only being in the race for 3 months.

Not sure most progressives in AL realize how deeply dysfunctional the ADP has been in the past and how flawed a party Judge Kennedy took over. Not saying he or the party is perfect now - far from it - but he's trying to change and rebuild at the same time.

If you have ideological differences that cause you to choose a 3rd party, I can respect that. But choosing to abandon the ADP based on failure to perform - well, show me a 3rd party in Alabama that fields viable candidates, and we'll talk.

"If guns kept America safe, then America would surely be the safest country in the whole world." - Rep. Carolyn Maloney

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by: mpmarus @ Sat Nov 10, 2012 at 00:28:06 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sorry for the mistake (0.00 / 0)

I meant the ADP which is a third party already. It is pathetic that the party has fallen as low as it has. If it can not lead, then we need another party to compete with the republiCons -and yes I did mean that.

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by: Blue_Sky @ Sat Nov 10, 2012 at 04:06:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Maybe a third party would be needed but... (4.00 / 2)

There are major consequences to be considered if one does becomes a major viable option.  In Florida, the 2010 gubernatorial election was decided by a handful of votes.  Democratic candidate Alex Sink lost to the idiot extraordinaire, Rick Scott, whom is also the cause of the ending early vote by 7 days and the extraordinarily slow voter returns this year, by 61,550 votes.  Ironically, 123,831 votes went to the Independent Party gubernatorial candidate.  

Now if those votes had went to Alex Sink instead then we could have possibly prevented this idiocy Florida has suffered through once again caused by Scott.  Third parties only work in Democrats favor if they are Libertarian because they will hurt Republicans on the ballot, but anything like Green or Independent party candidates will only hurt Democrats in the long run.

Now if you were to formula a Libertarian movement in Alabama then the state would become more competitive because they would pull some voters from the AL GOP. 

"Hypocrites are those whom pick and choose prejudices while giving accolades for their own..."

"It is what it is."  

http://blkindependent.blogspot...

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by: kayman @ Sat Nov 10, 2012 at 23:44:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

there's an unwritten rule (4.00 / 2)

that you don't run against a sitting judge, at least in Huntsville, if that judge was elected and not appointed to fill a vacancy. I know that from a family source-- it is just frowned on.  Won't say it never happened-- we had Demos make a run for Tommy Ragland's seat (emboldened by the Republican tide?), but you won't see it too often. Mainly it is lawyers running for those seats, and they don't want to incur the wrath of the judiciary where they must bring the cases of their clients.  So that explains some of the unopposed candidates but of course not the non-judicial ones.

In Mobile, where we lived when I was in med school, the unwritten rule was that if you did run against an elected sitting judge and lost you were expected to leave town. Don't know about the rest of the state.

I am in favor of third party candidates at the local level, but most attorneys would no more shoot themselves in the foot as a third party candidate than they would for one of the main two.  Not sure how you solve that problem.

Really makes no sense to me why certain positions should be with a party at all-- judges, school board, etc.

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by: DrAbston @ Sat Nov 10, 2012 at 04:05:43 AM UTC

Local and county races (4.00 / 1)

I was gobsmacked when I moved to Alabama and found that sherriffs, school superintendents and even coroners are often elected.  I consider those to be professional positions, not popularity contests.

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by: Doggone @ Sat Nov 10, 2012 at 07:29:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The reason is... (4.00 / 1)

Social conservatives have wanted to make such position political because they can then manipulate and get somebody in that will retrograde social progress.

"Hypocrites are those whom pick and choose prejudices while giving accolades for their own..."

"It is what it is."  

http://blkindependent.blogspot...

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by: kayman @ Sat Nov 10, 2012 at 23:50:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The Popular Vote.... (4.00 / 1)

is the best reason not to vote for an un-electable third party candidate...Even though Alabama's electoral votes didn't really count, the media is touting Obama's popular vote win...My vote for the President counts!

 

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by: Gayla @ Sun Nov 11, 2012 at 18:33:01 PM UTC

State Dem. (4.00 / 2)

Really talking about the state democratic party. The national democratic party is very viable. The state democratic party is pretty much a disater.

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by: Blue_Sky @ Mon Nov 12, 2012 at 12:28:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Green Party (0.00 / 0)

Maybe I'll run as a Green :) just to give people something besides boring old GOP and Democrats who are also GOP.

 

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. -Churchill

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by: julie @ Mon Nov 26, 2012 at 06:25:36 AM UTC