Alternative Political Parties

[johenz]

Is anyone else investigating any of the third party possibilities (ie, Libertarian, Constitution, etc)?

Having come to the realization that the Democratic party is bent on establishing socialism and that the GOP doesn't have the guts to seriously oppose them, I'm looking hard at the Constitution Party myself.

 

[mrjarrell]

Is anyone else investigating any of the third party possibilities (ie, Libertarian, Constitution, etc)?

Having come to the realization that the Democratic party is bent on establishing socialism and that the GOP doesn't have the guts to seriously oppose them, I'm looking hard at the Constitution Party myself.

The Constitution party doesn't have ballot access in Indiana. You can look at them all you want, you just can't vote for them here. Only the Libertarian Party, the gop and the dems have ballot access in Indiana.

 

[johenz]

Yeah, I know. I'm gonna attend their organizational meeting on the 14th of May. In the meantime, I think Libertarians may be getting my vote. This whole budget fiasco has soured me on the GOP.

 

[dross]

Yeah, I know. I'm gonna attend their organizational meeting on the 14th of May. In the meantime, I think Libertarians may be getting my vote. This whole budget fiasco has soured me on the GOP.

Just know that unless the Libertarian candidate can actually win, a vote for a Libertarian is the same as a vote for a Democrat in practical effect.

 

[rjstew317]

Just know that unless the Libertarian candidate can actually win, a vote for a Libertarian is the same as a vote for a Democrat in practical effect.

the unfortunate thing is with this kind of thinking the Libertarian party with never gain ground and we will be stuck with the same old BS

 

[dross]

the unfortunate thing is with this kind of thinking the Libertarian party with never gain ground and we will be stuck with the same old BS

That's only true if your premise is that there are enough voters for Libertarians that are lost to Republicans or Democrats. I don't think that's true.

 

[cbseniour]

he Tea Party seems like a good bet because they try to strenthen the spines of republican lawmakers and have a national following. The others eeem to run good candidates who have only one issue or who couldn't win a national election.
As a tea Party member you can vote for the Tea Party candidate if there is one but don't have to back away entirely from the more established and electable candidates.

Just my though

 

[firehawk1]

the unfortunate thing is with this kind of thinking the Libertarian party with never gain ground and we will be stuck with the same old BS

I'm with dross on this one. You cannot get any farther left than the current Demcratic Party so no TRUE Democrat will switch and vote Libratarian. As things stand right now a vote for a Libratarian candiate (unless they can actually win) is a net loss for any Republican. Not that they are anything to write home about either.

 

[Lex Concord]

Just remember that alternative parties are only good for siphoning votes from the Repukelickin or Demoncrap in the race, depending upon your chosen alternative.

This is alright, as the two main parties are the only ones worthy to be our masters.

 

[firehawk1]

Just remember that alternative parties are only good for siphoning votes from the Repukelickin or Demoncrap in the race, depending upon your chosen alternative.

This is alright, as the two main parties are the only ones worthy to be our masters.

IMO it has nothing to do with who is "worthy to be our masters". It is about dealing in reality. The reality right now, like it or not is the Libratarian Party is not a viable party and a vote for them is a vote taken from the Republican party.

Again IMO while I'm not impressed with EITHER party, I will have to say the Republican party is MUCH closer to my values than the socialist values the Democratic Party has.

 

[dross]

It's about poison.

1. Choice one - take a dose of poison.
2. Choice two - take a smaller dose of poison.
3. Choice three - opt to take no poison, but if you don't win, you have to take a larger dose, rather than a smaller one.

The choices suck. I wish I had the choice to take no poison.

This is like the great book by William Styron, which was made into a great movie, Sophie's Choice. Sorry to ruin it for those who havent' read/seen it, but when Sophie enters Auschwitz, the SS officer gives her a choice. She has two babies. She can choose which one lives and which one dies. If she refuses the choice, they will send both to their deaths.

The pure, accept-no-compromises-in-the-face-of-tyranny choice is that you refuse to choose and the deaths of your children are certainly not on your own hands, but on your oppressors. And that is true.

Yet, as humans, we must live with our choices here on earth, not in the rarified air where there are no real world consequences.

 

[Rob377]

Just remember that alternative parties are only good for siphoning votes from the Repukelickin or Demoncrap in the race, depending upon your chosen alternative.

This is alright, as the two main parties are the only ones worthy to be our masters.

Whether they're worthy or not, one or the other is going to be your master. You've got a choice of "crappy," or "somewhat less crappy." If you choose neither, you end up get getting "crappy."

It stinks, but life doesn't always hand you "great vs. horrible" choices.

I'm sure there's probably a neat game theory way to quantify potential upside and potential downside on this.

100% of what you want x .01% of actually getting it vs.
50% of what you want x 50% chance of actually getting it
or something like that.

 

[jsgolfman]

It's a disgusting ritual that makes my skin crawl to participate in it. Yet, every year I am hard at it trying to influence, cajole and guilt people into choosing freedom and liberty. Interesting position for an anarchist, no? Deep down I still believe in the ability of man to change and make the right choice, though I am sorely disappointed each time. Like the eternal Cubs fan, I wait until next year.

 

[rugertoter]

I have been a registered Republican since I first voted for Reagan back in 1984. I know my party has had some problems lately, but I still have some faith that they will ultimately get it together. Besides, I am not a "party" only voter. I vote conservative, period. I always do my homework and make sure who I vote for is pro-gun also.

 

[88GT]

the unfortunate thing is with this kind of thinking the Libertarian party with never gain ground and we will be stuck with the same old BS

The LP calls that "job security."

he Tea Party seems like a good bet because they try to strenthen the spines of republican lawmakers and have a national following. The others eeem to run good candidates who have only one issue or who couldn't win a national election.
As a tea Party member you can vote for the Tea Party candidate if there is one but don't have to back away entirely from the more established and electable candidates.

Just my though

The Tea Party has been infinitely more successful than the LP because they do what the LP staunchly refuses to do: infiltrate. They've properly used the machinery and political clout of the Republican Party to MAKE PROGRESS in helping truly Constitutional representatives get elected. For all my agreement with the LP platform, I can never support a party who refuses to WIN.

 

[Magneto]

On my fb page I list myself as Constitution Party. Some of the online test I have taken recently have shown me to be more Libertarian than I thought. I vote conservative plain and simple. I put Constitution Party because I like them, and alot of people probably have never heard of them, so maybe they will take a look at what they stand for.

 

[Eric J]

I'm backing Constitution Party as well. They don't have ballot access, but they could. Libertarians just recently got ballot access. You have to push for it. I can still vote however I want in the meantime.
Ballot access in Indiana requires petition signatures until the party gets access. Party access in Indian requires running a canidate for Indiana Secretary of State and recieving 2% or 6% or the vote (I forget at the moment). It's kind of stupid really. Ballot access in Indiana makes no sense.

edit...one other thought. The current method of voting gives the two party system alot of power. If that could be changed things could change significantly.

 

[mrjarrell]

The Indiana Libertarian Party has had ballot access since 1994, that's not "recently". The reason none of the other 3rd parties have gained ballot access is that they haven't tried. The LPIN makes a concerted effort to get out the vote every election. Other parties just don't have the kind of support or message. Greens? Never going to happen in Indiana. Constitution Party? Unlikely. Their message is just the same one they had when they were called the Moral Majority, before they imploded. Most Hoosiers don't want theocrats in office.

 

[edporch]

Just know that unless the Libertarian candidate can actually win, a vote for a Libertarian is the same as a vote for a Democrat in practical effect.

The problem is, all too many members of the Republican Party are not (small "r") republicans in the Article 4 section IV sense, but are instead (small "d") democrats.

I refuse to vote for ANYBODY who doesn't believe in the unalienable rights of a true republic.

Voting Libertarian, and also telling the Republican Party WHY (which I have) you voted Libertarian will maybe one day wake them up to all the votes they could get IF they governed like (small "r") republicans.

 

[Expat]

I understand some of you being of the opinion that a vote for the Libertarian is a vote lost for the GOP. As I have read recently, many Libertarians actually voted for Obama this past time. They thought he was going to straighten out the wars, patriot act, gitmo, etc. Of course it didn't work out that way and now none of them will admit to voting for Obama. But if you read some contemporaneous reporting they did in droves (whatever in droves means when you only represent a percent or two.).