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Well at one point the Republicans were a third party. Yes First past the post is terrible, but to say your candidate can’t win without getting the most votes is
by kemotep 3y ago
Well at one point the Republicans were a third party. Yes First past the post is terrible, but to say your candidate can’t win without getting the most votes is how nearly all election systems work.
A lot needs to be reformed with regards to voting and election systems in the US but to claim it is impossible for a third party to win is factually incorrect. How else would independent politicians like Bernie Sanders or third party candidates like Abraham Lincoln would have ever been elected?
- actionfromafar 3y agoThat's not how nearly all election systems work. Who wins is often not determined on election day, but in coalition making after the election. If you have 5 - 10 parties, it's often not immediately apparent on election night who can gather a majority behind them.
- _heimdall 3y agoAgreed that third parties are possible, though it is still worth noting that a third party win would almost certainly result in an existing party being replaced for a different two party system. The parties in the US have changed around something like 5 or 6 times. In the last 2 or 3 changes the party names didn't change but the parties did fundamentally change. After each shakeup, we've ended up with a two party system that's structurally unworkable for independents to win at the highest level.