The problem of the two-party system in the current US political state and the effects thereof. by Richard Dasher
(libertarian)
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The 2008 Presidential Election was a boring election by all means. It was obvious that a Democrat was going to win; the demographics prove it.
After the Democratic president Lyndon B. Johnson left the public sector and chose not to run for a second term, Republican candidate Richard Nixon was voted in. After Nixon's successor Gerald Ford finished his only presidential term, Democrat Jimmy Carter was voted in. After Carter's only term, Republican Ronald Reagan was voted in. The pattern continues for the next couple decades. The only exception was with George Bush the elder being voted in after Reagan's second term.
As my eleventh grade history teacher put it, "History repeats itself."
The notion that history repeats itself has been proven in US politics since the 60's. Once a Republican holds the presidency, Democrats are voted into power in the mid-term elections to hold majority of Congress if the Republican president's approval ratings are low, or if the state of the Republic is in bad shape. Visa-versa for the Democrat presidents.
I think the mentality of the average American voter on presidential elections is that the president's party holding power is to blame for the state of the Republic. Therefore, when the average American voter goes to cast their vote for president in November, and if the state of the Replublic is bad shape, then the average voter casts their vote for the candidate representing the party not holding the presidency, hoping the candidate from the opposing party can turn the state of the Republic around. After a new president from the opposing party is voted in, and if the state of the Republic has not improved, then the new president's party is to blame. This results in a loss of congressional members representing the new president's party, which then results in the other party holding majority of Congress. The pattern continues in the next presidential election and mid-term elections thereafter.
The political demographics of the past shows power changes from one party to the other, yet the results stay the same. When the Republicans do a poor job of governing, average voters vote Democrats in, and visa-versa.
I reported on a Tea Party rally in my county on Thursday, April 15. I administered a non-scientific poll at the rally. Out of the eighty-five protestors attending the rally, I polled fifty protestors. The poll consisted of four questions: Tea Party affiliation, political leaning, age, and income range. The results of the poll and full story can be read here: Tea Party, Tax Day
Two politicians spoke at the rally, one County Supervisor candidate, and one US Representative candidate running under the Republican party. The local Tea Party later hosted a luncheon on Saturday, April 17, with a Republican candidate running for Governor as their speaker.
I do not have a problem with people peacefully assembling to petiton their grievances to the government. The right to do so is clearly protected by the First Amendment in the US Constitution. The problem I do have is the fact that all major candidates the local Tea Party and other Tea Parties throughout the country are backing are Republican candidates running for office.
When the Tea Party first started backing Republicans, I thought it made the movement look like a Republican-backed project. The Replublicans have had their chance time after time to govern, and have failed multiple times in the past to deliver satisfied governing for the American people. The Democrats are currently showcasing their failures.
The problem with backing the Republican party to fix the state of the Republic, just with backing the Democratic party, is the same thing as fighting cancer with cancer.
I don't think the majority of Americans would go to a doctor who tells them that the only way to fight off a deadly cancer is with another, less lethal form of cancer, as a way to divert from the original problem. The same metaphor can be used to explain the current politics in the US.
If there is one thing I hope the average American voter will learn from the past decade, is that there really is not a difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. Politicians from both sides have been called out on corruption, driven up the national debt, and have passed laws limiting American's freedom.
The only way to stop the current pattern of constantly switching sides in hope of a better government is for the average American to stop buying into the two-party system. To stop buying into the notion of voting for the best of two evils, instead of voting for who truly represents the voter's ideals.
There are more than two political parties in this country. I encourage the average voter to do research on politicians running for office in all parties and affiliations to find out who best suits the voter. There are more than two choices on the ballot, or at least there should be.
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The views expressed
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do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates.
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"The problem I do have is the fact that all major candidates the local Tea Party and other Tea Parties throughout the country are backing are Republican candidates running for office."
Uh, lol. After all democrats in the Senate voted for HC and all republicans in both chambers voted against it.....you have to be kidding me. This has got to be the grandest Republican resistance against Socialism that I have ever seen in my 22 years of a miserable life.
OF COURSE THEY ARE GOING TO VOTE REPUBLICAN! ONLY HARDCORE SOCIALISTS WOULD VOTE DEMOCRATS IN AGAIN AFTER THE SHIT THEY SMEARED ALL OVER THE CONSTITUTION!
