A commenter to yesterday's post cited an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer observing that the League of Women Voters requires a 15% showing in public opinion polls before including a third-party or independent candidate in a debate. This is a standard that is used by most debate organizers. On its face, this seems to be a reasonable requirement; but in reality it perpetuates a vicious cycle against third-party and independent candidates, because such candidates must mount several times the amount of effort to get noticed by the voter that Democrats and Republicans do.
If we are to effect change through our existing political system, how do we break this cycle?
2 comments:
The so-called "Fourth Estate" is a joke, and that's a big part of the problem. Thankfully, Americans don't trust the media much anymore, as the lamestream media (network TV news, NYT, WaPo, et. al.) is more or less an extension of that govt, in other words, complete shills for the parties. Other than those creatures of habit who still subscribe to print newspapers and watch the network news program as a routine, people are waking up to a whole new world of information available via the Internet. I see the Internet as being a key to breaking through the two-party stranglehold. The lamestream media is dying a well-deserved death, and so too, I hope, will our bloated, crummy government.
Other than that, person-to-person interaction is another key. Word of mouth among family and friends can make a difference over time.
I'll tell you how you break it. Start voting for third party candidates, even if you have not even heard of them! Chances are you won't have [see The System for details]. If there is a candidate from the Constitution Party, vote for him/her. Libertarian - ditto.
I look at it this way. Could they do worse than the Republican/Democrat?
Like my old man used to quip:
What did the guy say when he quit hitting himself in the head with a hammer?
It feels SOOOOOOO good when you stop!
- Dutchy
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