Vote 3rd Party

[Charles_Main]

The party of any presidential candidate that gets more than 5% of the popular vote in the previous election is eligible for federal funding. That makes the party viable.

Thats why the dems litigate and legislate the Green party out of viability. In 2004 they sued Nader some 30 times to force him to use his money to fight the lawsuits. Don't think the Repubs will do the same if Barr starts gaining traction.

Thats why you vote third party. For a long term goal. Everyone needs to get out of the microwave mindset.

Here Here, This is what I have been saying. Not only can a 3rd party gain funding if they do well enough. They gain access to Debates, and access to Ballots. Barr will not even be on all 50 state ballots this time around. Give him 5% and he might be next time.

That and the pressure of voters leaving one party to vote for another is an effective way to force the established parties to change to bring them back into the fold.

This is why I am voting for Barr. I know he wont win, he does not have to. I hope wise Democrats will do the same. (vote for Nader or who ever it does not have to be Barr)

All I ask is that you VOTE. Do not stay home, but DO NOT support either major party.

just image if Barr and Nader both got like 10% each. Imagine the message that sends to both parties. Change or lose even more support!!

however I have to admit, after the Supreme Court Ruling on the DC Gun Ban. I am worried about Obama winning. It was only a 5 to 4 split, so if Obama wins and appoints 2 justices we may just lose our right to bear arms, with out a proper constitutional Amendment, which will just pave the way for more legislating away of our rights from the Bench. As a conservative this is the only reason I can see to vote for McCain. His justice selection people are the same ones who gave us Roberts and scalia so on that one front he reflects my values.

Still I have to think that changing the over all broken system we have is even more important than supreme court appointments.

who knows, but I just can not bring myself to vote for McCain. he simple is not a conservative on enough issues to get my vote. If I did not feel like the Republicans were treating Conservatives, like the Dems have always treated the poor and minorities (like they do not exist because they know they have no other party to go to) I might vote for McCain just because he is republican, but in my mind Republican does not = Conservative anymore at all, so why should I, a life long conservative support them?

Charles

 

[editec]

less than 5% of the vote? what kind of a party is that?

name the administrative mechanism and why you disagree with them. should any nitwit get onto ballots with a party name? imagine if 500,000 people decided they were each a party wanting to be on the ballot?

how can the state not recognize a party? all a party has to do is register as a nonprofit or something like that, no?

The administrative mechanism?

The state government of Maine of course.

Understand one cannot even register as being a member of a party unless that party got 5% of the overall voting last election.

Now please explain to me how it would hurt anyone if the registar had to write down GREEN OR LIBERTARIAN instead of UNDECIDED or UNENROLLED.

So in other words the state gets to set a threshold to even acknowldge that a party EXISTS.

The ballot threshold (of 5%) is set too high.

1% might be more reasonable.

But as to re3gistering in a party?

ONe person should be enough.

After all, if I want to start the EDITEC party and register as such, what skin is off the public nose if I do so?

 

[BrianH]

BrianH wrote:
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Out of 300 million people, Obama and McCain are the best the U.S. has to offer?
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Paulitics wrote:
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No, most voters knew they weren't but voted for them anyway.
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Says quite a bit about the voters, doesn't it...

Well, don't the parties nominate their candidate? If so, voters have nothing to do with it correct? I must have missed the vote where OBama, Hillary, and McCain actually got to where they were.

 

[jillian]

Well, don't the parties nominate their candidate? If so, voters have nothing to do with it correct? I must have missed the vote where OBama, Hillary, and McCain actually got to where they were.

He thought RP was going to have a groundswell of support. I suspect his finger isn't on the pulse of the country in that regard.

 

[Paulie]

Well, don't the parties nominate their candidate? If so, voters have nothing to do with it correct? I must have missed the vote where OBama, Hillary, and McCain actually got to where they were.

Yes, the "party" nominates its candidate. Meaning, voters of that party choose their candidate in the primary, and delegates are divied up according to how each state chooses delegates. So the voters had their say.

Although, simply just voting is not enough. If you truely care about your candidate, you will become a delegate locally and work your way up the ranks.

McCain doesn't officially have all the delegates he needs to secure the nomination. In the states where that state is winner-take-all, he has THOSE delegates. But in caucus states, and others as well, the delegates are chosen via conventions starting at county level, and working up to the state convention. There, the delegates are chosen to go to the National. At national, the delegates choose their candidate and when the required amount of delegates is obtained, you have your nominee.

Regardless of jillian's statement about RP, you can not ignore the fact that a significant amount of people decided that simply voting is not enough, and took their fights all the way to their states' conventions. In Nevada, the RP supporters won. In many others, the establishment was simply too powerful to defeat. McCain even admitted as such the other day.

It's not just as simple as showing up at the poll and pulling a lever. We were supposed to have a lot more responsibility in the political process in this country as citizens, but we chose to ignore it over time for the sake of distraction and entertainment, and downright apathy.

The political activist used to comprise the majority of this country's population, not to mention its FOUNDING, and now I bet most people can not even say they know one.

 

[btopping]

that you have to vote or its a criminal offence. I have always thought that it would be a good idea in this case to have a VOTE for "NONE OF THE ABOVE". At least this way we could see that some folks don't believe in the candidates or the proposed.

Whats your thoughts ?

 

[BrianH]

that you have to vote or its a criminal offence. I have always thought that it would be a good idea in this case to have a VOTE for "NONE OF THE ABOVE". At least this way we could see that some folks don't believe in the candidates or the proposed.

Whats your thoughts ?

I like that....

 

[btopping]

I would like to hear from folks how we could improve voting in the US. I've set up a poll that people can add to :

Lets see what ideas we can come up with.

Bob

 

[watermark]

Hello all,

I am a moderate conservative who has in the past supported the Republican party. When I was younger I was more liberal and voted for Clinton both times.

Today I have finally seen the light. The answer to Americas problems. This answer can not come from Either major party. Neither a Dem or Rep can bring the real reform and change we need.

Now I know we all have been told to think a vote for a 3rd party is a wasted vote. That it just muddies the waters and helps one of the 2 big parties win. I have in the past believed this and never voted 3rd party.

However I now believe that voting 3rd party is the only way to real change. Keep in mind here, the 3rd party does not need to win the election. What they need to do is have a very strong showing in the election. Say 20 to 25% of the vote.

This will cause many things to happen. First in the next election said 3rd party would have a much better chance. Access to funding, access to debates and ballots.

Also it will force the big 2 parties, to address the reasons why people left their party to go 3rd party. For instance in a bunch of conservatives decide to vote libertarian this time. It should help Push the Republicans to do something to bring Conservatives back to the party.

I for one believe Both Major parties have lost their way, and do not reflect the values of their constituents.

So I will be casting my vote down the line for the Libertarian party. Not because I agree with most of what they say, or even a lot of it, but because we need to break this cabal of power sharing by Both are inept political parties. We need more choice and more parties.

The only way that will ever happen, is if we vote for them!

CHarles

I am not a strict partisan. I support the Democrats more out of necessity than anything else. But the 3rd parties in America themselves don't give me much choice. They only represent a very luny 1% of extremists. Our voting system discourages third parties a lot, and we can't pretend like that's not a huge factor. Throwing your vote at someone who can't win in a closely contested election is simply retarded.

 

[watermark]

that you have to vote or its a criminal offence. I have always thought that it would be a good idea in this case to have a VOTE for "NONE OF THE ABOVE". At least this way we could see that some folks don't believe in the candidates or the proposed.

Whats your thoughts ?

In some countries there is a fine for not voting, like in Australia. I don't know of any that literally criminalize it.

 

[watermark]

The administrative mechanism?

The state government of Maine of course.

Understand one cannot even register as being a member of a party unless that party got 5% of the overall voting last election.

Now please explain to me how it would hurt anyone if the registar had to write down GREEN OR LIBERTARIAN instead of UNDECIDED or UNENROLLED.

So in other words the state gets to set a threshold to even acknowldge that a party EXISTS.

The ballot threshold (of 5%) is set too high.

1% might be more reasonable.

But as to re3gistering in a party?

ONe person should be enough.

After all, if I want to start the EDITEC party and register as such, what skin is off the public nose if I do so?

It's pretty pitiful if you can't even manage 5%.

 

[watermark]

Voting 3rd party is throwing a vote down the shitter. What are you going to change?

Just suppose by some miracle of miracles, a 3rd party candidate was to actually win the Presidency. He'd be a lame duck. You think Democrats and Republicans can't get bipartisan? Threaten their status quo of monopolizing the political power in this country.

Any third party, IMHO, should just skip even competing in the presidential election. They should only compete in legislative elections and only in the districts where they are strong. They should only run for president if they've actually exceeded one of the other two parties in power, or if it would be a close three way race and they had adequate legislative representation to back themselves up. Independents that have won the state governerships without bothering to build up any legislative base have always become lame ducks.

IMHO, we should switch to a proportional system. But that's extremely dry subject matter.

 

[editec]

I think we should start by having a second party.

Abso-forking-lutely right, William.

 

[editec]

It's pretty pitiful if you can't even manage 5%.

Then by all means take pity, but one should STILL be able to REGISTER in that party.

Or do you still not get my point?