tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post8728243408392717290..comments2023-09-11T08:58:24.710-06:00Comments on Reach Upward: A Nation of PartisansScott Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11831447472339880148noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-88276254431440716692009-09-10T17:03:38.854-06:002009-09-10T17:03:38.854-06:00RD: I love your suggestions.
d.eris: I have also ...RD: I love your suggestions.<br /><br />d.eris: I have also thought about the possibility that independents may act partisan because of the limited choices offered due to the extremely high barriers erected by the establishment parties. I can sort of imagine a shake-up of the current limited political duopoly coming about over a period of time as margins of independents gain a foothold against and newer voters become comfortable bucking the existing system.<br /><br />I note the pretty much every independent politician mentioned in your post has a pretty specific ideology that is generally claimed as the domain of one or the other big party. Some of them are actually de facto members of one of these parties, even receiving donations, support, and official endorsements. So, I think we've still got a very long way to go.Scott Hinrichshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11831447472339880148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-8175235444171489182009-09-10T12:12:35.774-06:002009-09-10T12:12:35.774-06:00Good post Reach. I think the flaw in the "my...Good post Reach. I think the flaw in the "myth of the independent voter" thesis is that they basically argue that independents are "leaners" or "weak partisans" because in elections, self-described independents tend to vote either Republican or Democrat. But this does not tell us much, because often that is the only "choice" one has, if one even has that choice at all, i.e. if both major parties are running a candidate. I would like to see the results of a poll which asked all self-described partisans if they actually "lean" independent or toward a third party. I've been thinking through this issue a bit recently, and have been arguing that we can <a href="http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/2009/08/dispel-myth-of-myth-of-independent.html" rel="nofollow">dispel the myth of the "myth of the independent voter"</a>, by imposing terms limits on Democrats and Republicans ourselves, by no longer voting for them.d.erishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09186054212519025557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-63469306569271218202009-09-10T02:53:19.643-06:002009-09-10T02:53:19.643-06:00The biggest reform I ever here anyone talk about i...The biggest reform I ever here anyone talk about is term limits.<br /><br />I would love to see that, of course I would like to see proportional voting, grand restrictions placed on lobbying, the control of tax's removed from congress, And perphaps electro-shock therapy for the wing nuts on both sides.RDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05610383135758813124noreply@blogger.com