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If you think there are only two parties then your observational skills are lacking. There are multiple factions within the parties that are ascendant/declining

by evgen 10y ago

If you think there are only two parties then your observational skills are lacking. There are multiple factions within the parties that are ascendant/declining due to support on specific issues and the candidates of these factions compete among each other for the party nomination at all levels of government. This is why third-parties in the US are only found at the extremes and tend to burn-out quickly, the factions and interest groups which have a nominal chance of actually governing are within one of the two major parties. Free-trade proponents in the Republican party get trade deals done, Libertarian party voters whine from the sidelines. Environmentalists within the Democratic party pass pollution control laws, Green party voters speak earnestly to each other about how more should be done.

millstone 10y ago
Right! The two major parties in the USA are quite flexible. We saw this when Bill Clinton broke from 70s era liberalism (i.e. "Third Way"), we saw it with the Hillary-Sanders struggle, and we're seeing it now with Trump, who has quite a different platform from Bush or even Romney. What would be a minority party run elsewhere can be accommodated by the major parties in the USA. This is a strength of American politics, not a weakness.
vacri 10y ago
Oh, cool! So, how do I vote for a green-faction president? How do I vote for a federal republican faction that won't bloc-vote to strangle legislation? You know, for those conservatives out there who want actual conservative governance, not fearmongering?
- evgen 10y ago
  You vote for the one closest to your views in the primaries. They didn't win you say? Too bad. Your faction is too small to actually win all the marbles. OTOH, you can work at the legislative level where a smaller, dedicated interest group can actually get someone elected. It does not have the ego stroking that comes with top of the ticket wins, but it actually does manage to accomplish something and while you may be forced to compromise your principles and actually work with other people who do not share your views once elected it is better to be on the inside than on the outside complaining.

by evgen 10y ago

millstone 10y ago

Right! The two major parties in the USA are quite flexible. We saw this when Bill Clinton broke from 70s era liberalism (i.e. "Third Way"), we saw it with the Hillary-Sanders struggle, and we're seeing it now with Trump, who has quite a different platform from Bush or even Romney. What would be a minority party run elsewhere can be accommodated by the major parties in the USA. This is a strength of American politics, not a weakness.

vacri 10y ago

Oh, cool! So, how do I vote for a green-faction president? How do I vote for a federal republican faction that won't bloc-vote to strangle legislation? You know, for those conservatives out there who want actual conservative governance, not fearmongering?

evgen 10y ago
You vote for the one closest to your views in the primaries. They didn't win you say? Too bad. Your faction is too small to actually win all the marbles. OTOH, you can work at the legislative level where a smaller, dedicated interest group can actually get someone elected. It does not have the ego stroking that comes with top of the ticket wins, but it actually does manage to accomplish something and while you may be forced to compromise your principles and actually work with other people who do not share your views once elected it is better to be on the inside than on the outside complaining.