If You Had a Third Choice in Elections Would You Take it - Poll

Voted, "yes," though it really depends upon what the third choice is.

All thats needed is One person with the common sense to do whats right, and the guts to take everyone else on. Ross Perot could've done it, but he got spooked by threats and got out before jumping back in again after he lost all momentum. You can have a large movement like the tea party, but without a credible leader, it just becomes a chaotic joke.

If a third party would be a consensus-maker: a party that promoted and was able to force (via their mandates) mid-seeking policies across party lines, where moderates could discuss real politics with long term benefits for America without the constant noise of the two, fringe elements (tea and lib) barking on each their side line - then I would definitely say yes.

If it's just another ideological flavor adding to the noise I'd say to hell with it.

I think they ought to just eliminte the "parties" all together...I vote based on issues that are important to me definately not all Rep or Dem and anyone who votes straight party is just ignorant.

It cant be any more screwed up than it already is.

Yes we tend to be ruled by Two partys, but it hasnt always been that way. Usually a new party comes along that bumps off the lesser of the Three evils that cant seem to come to grips with what the people want. We're way past due for something like that.

Yes it can be screwed up more than it already is and that is usually the case when there is a third party sucking votes out of a close race, often costing the likely winner to actually lose. Two terrible words sums this up: Al Franken.

People need to bone up on their history - the US political system has always been a two party system. Describe when a party was 'bumped off'.

Joe - independents outnumber Republicans and outnumber Democrats - but they are not Independents as in a party - they are independents as in unaffiliated or uncommitted and these wonderful folks are the ones that propelled Barack Obama into office so excuse me if I don't hold them in as high regard as you do.

If you want to fix politics then we need to start empowering local governments where you can participate in meetings with elected leaders, often you can even call them at their homes/cells or have e-mail conversations with them. The problem with politics is too big and powerful of a federal government and no amount of parties are going to change that. Electing the more conservative viable candidates is the only way to combat that and then reducing the size and scope of the feds and handing some of it over to cities and states is the way to empower voters.

Supporting election spoilers and fringe parties does nothing for our democracy by make a mockery of it. We vote to change the direction of the country and third parties don't change the direction of the country except in the way their supporters don't want it to change.

I havent seen the whigs lately, or Federalist party. Granted, thats a stretch, but the fact remains, the Two partys representing the citizens of this country have ruined our economy and spent us into oblivion. Our Grandkids will be paying their bills for Gods sake. We're at War, I think, at least our kids are getting killed in several Country's. Healthcareis pathetic, unless youre independently wealthy. Schools are a sad joke. Crime is rampant. We're fighting a war on terror but our borders only stop the legal. Now, its bad to wear a flag on Cinco de Mayo, and illegal Aliens are in our streets protesting their rights. We cant seem to pump our own oil, so we have British Petroleum do it, and what a fine job theyre doing. No, I dont buy your line about independents sucking anything out of any race. This Country is ripe for a real change. It happens. So if youre happy with the direction these clowns have taken us, stay the course, but the reality is that we cant keep going the direction theyve taking us. Its not sustainable. I intend to vote for anything but the incumbent.

Can you show a prominent race where there was a genuine three party contest between Whigs, Republicans and Democrats? I don't think so but even if you could, could you find one where the Democrat didn't win handily?

Republicans were never a third party - they became the second major party right out of the gate as leaders and others left the Whig party (and Democrats did very well during this transition). Various factions of the Whig party hung on for a while as failed third party's but sorry, there is no example in American history supporting what you propose.

The two parties have done damage but they should also get credit for leading us into the position of having the greatest standard of living in the history of the world. Again, the problem isn't with the party system, it's with the size and scope of government. Conservative Republicans are the only viable means of addressing that, even if they fail or do it imperfectly. Third party conservatives only split the vote and get Democrats elected.

It's not independents sucking things out of races - independents decide races but they do so within the two-party framework. It's third party fringies (like the Libertarian Party, the Constitution Party etc.) that suck the winds out of democracy.

You do realize that people have been spouting your logic since the beginning of time, don't you? Think after generation after generation, someone might have figured out a way to 'fix it' by now? Maybe there's a sound reason why the system is set up so these fruitcakes can't take control of things...

It seems to me that by your logic, the Roman empire would be ruling today. Sorry Otto. Dont wanna sound like a lib, but it wasnt long ago that the Republicans controlled our government, and for the majority of Americans, nothing good came from it other than a giant redistribution of wealth. Nope, both of the partys that are supposedly representing us are really representing the highest bidder, and I think people like you just want to keep sucking the life out of the middle class. We need a serious change.