Instead of trying to pick our nominee for us, why don't "Independents" form their own party?

[Cali_Democrat]

That way they can have the nominee they want and we don't have to hear whining and crying about how they can't pick the Democratic nominee for us.

Independents are like an indecisive shopper in a shopping mall who tries to pick clothes for other people.

Why should I listen to someone give me advice when they can't even decide what's right for themselves?

[ContinentalOp]

1. LOL

Reminds me of a friend of mine who won't give any restaurant suggestions but then vetoes every suggestion everyone else makes!

[TheBlackAdder]

64. Primaries should be closed, but party declaration should be right up to the casting of a vote.

.


How better to attract people into the party?

It doesn't leave a bitter taste with undeclared/Indys wanting to switch affiliations and being denied at the polls.


Unfortunately, the institutional designs of the DNC and many states want to act as gatekeepers, for not only the candidates chosen, but to control what they deem as 'faction' by those wishing to realign the party. The Democratic Party is no longer dynamic.

The Democratic Party has always been described as a BOTTOM-UP political party, while the Republicans are TOP-DOWN. Over the past several election cycles, the Democratic Party is becoming structured like the Republican Party... TOP-DOWN.


.

[Ash_F]

2. A third party might be good for the country but you can kiss easy Dem Presidencies goodbye forever.

[Cheese Sandwich]

3. You want more Nader type challenges I guess.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

What's more annoying? Democratic Party hacks whining about third party challengers like Nader? Or when they whine about independents "invading" their private primaries.

Make up your mind already.

[hootinholler]

13. After Hillary gians the Nom and Rump beats her like a drum

We will hear all about how it is somehow Bernie's fault.

[Cheese Sandwich]

66. These will be selling well as bumper stickers

[hootinholler]

67. No shit

Hmmm, maybe I should print some of those.

[Autumn]

4. You shouldn't and you shouldn't have to tolerate them.

Neither should Independents be allowed to vote for any democrat running for any office unless they have been registered as a democrat for at least 4 years, that will teach those stupid whiners

Feel better?

[HooptieWagon]

5. It'll happen, Bernie has lit the fire.

Registered Democrats could shrink to 20% or less.

[DrDan]

17. it will never happen - it would require too much work

kinda like registering to vote or joining a party.

[Adrahil]

25. Hey, if you want to ensure permanent Republican rule, go for it.

The electoral ignorance of "third party" advocates is pretty stunning, IMO.

[seabeyond]

42. A sizzle that will amount to less than smoke. Follow thru is not a big one for the Revolution.

[braddy]

6. Because Independent doesn't tell you anything about an individual's politics, some independents are

too right for the GOP, and some are too left for the Democratic Party, and others are middle of the road people, and some just aren't joiners.

Where is a party in that kind of mix? Instead they lean toward one party or another.

[snowy owl]

7. I take it you don't want us in GE?

[seabeyond]

43. Hey, if you need other people to get you to the booth, you probably aren't gonna anyway.

[stone space]

8. Are you advocating a 3rd party run? (nt)

[Barack_America]

21. Sure sounds like that to me.

[Wilms]

9. That's what the I wish the Third Way had done.

Ya know, Third Way - Third Party.

But no. They took over the Democratic Party with their Repub-Lite policies...and then called themselves "Progressives".

[me b zola]

39. Thats right. The poster should be asking why the DLC/Third Way didn't form their own party

The Third Way took over OUR party and now are mad that Dems want our party back.

[betsuni]

10. I agree. Like agnostics. Pick a side already. Make up your mind. Take a stand.

How hard can it be? It's not like you must choose from an extensive menu in a restaurant and no idea what to order; you ask the waitperson what's good and they recite a list of specials -- it's all too much, your mind reels, you go into a trance and someone else has to order for you before it gets embarrassing.

[whatchamacallit]

22. We don't all fit in republican or republican lite

[betsuni]

26. Who said anything about Republicans?

Sanders and Clinton -- 93% same votes in Senate.

[whatchamacallit]

28. 96% of our DNA is the same as chimpanzees

That crappy stat you toss around obscures the important contrasts. Especially, over the history of their political lives.

[LanternWaste]

30. I don't think accuracy obscures... convenient to claim as such, though.

I don't think accuracy obscures... convenient to claim as such, though.

[whatchamacallit]

32. Maybe it's accurate to a sample of votes taken in a narrow time frame

but it does not make them politically equivalent. If you contrast their positions over their political histories, they might as well be on different planets.

[betsuni]

36. Here is a nice planet for you, enjoy!

[betsuni]

31. Blah, blah, blah, OLIGARCHY, blah, blah, blah, 1%

Over the history of whose political lives, the chimps?

[whatchamacallit]

33. Lol

Dim.

[betsuni]

34. Heh. Anthropology major here. Bet your fave primates are bonobos.

Dimmer. You can't win.

[neverforget]

11. Dems lost independents in 2010 and 2014 but helped Dems win in 2008 and 2012

Cast them aside if you wish but you can't win without them.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

20. Which Indies, however?

Left-leaning or right-leaning? Dems always have a hard time with the right leaners because usually they're just embarrassed Republicans but will usually come back to the fold at election time. As for the left-leaners........?????

[w4rma]

12. Why don't the New Democrats go form their own "Third Way" Party, instead?

We were here first. You leave.

[B Calm]

14. Why don't conservative dems form their own party? Thanks to

Conservative dems over 50% of registered voters are now registered as independents. They feel their party no longer represents them anymore.

[mmonk]

15. Draconian ballot access laws.

[DrDan]

16. and whining about the rules that keeps their candidate from being chosen

[pampango]

18. Are they like someone who works at a union shop, enjoys the pay and benefits but

does not want to join the union and pay dues? They get the benefits without the costs.

I realize many registered Democrats and republicans don't do much for their parties other than register as members and vote on Election Day. Independents can vote in either primary then disconnect for another 4 years.

[peace13]

29. Beware, Sanders supporters are Dems and have been big Dem contributors.

If they don't come back, or you can't agree to get along, you will be stuck with your corporate owners for donations. It's like the wife who walks out. You don't miss her until you can't pay the mortgage! Side effects have side effects.

[pampango]

56. I know. I am one of those Sanders supporters and a Dem (perhaps not 'big') contributor.

I will come back. I agree that those that don't will be sorely missed.

[Vinca]

19. Be careful what you wish for.

[hellofromreddit]

23. How does it make any sense for a political party to immediately push out a wave of new members?

I mean, if you'd ALSO stop complaining about losing or possibly elections, I suppose it would make some sense. But pushing out new members while demanding their support seems kinda stupid.

[whatchamacallit]

24. I'm a democrat who thinks your preferred candidate sucks

Now what?

[peace13]

27. Take it up with the DNC,

They let Sanders in so they could control him! And they have done their darnedest. Funny comments. Thanks for the chuckle. I do hear whining and crying. Can you hear where it is coming from?

[Vote2016]

35. You have it backwards. Independents don't want to pick either nominee. Democrats want a nominee

independents will pick and Republicans want the same thing.

To win independents whose support is necessary, Democrats should want a process that nominates a candidate who is not unacceptable to independents.

[asuhornets]

37. Agreed!!! n/t

[workinclasszero]

38. Too much work

[CrowCityDem]

40. Independents agree even less than Dems do.

There are indy's who are basically Dems, indy's who are basically Republicans, and a bunch that don't fit into any category. There is no way they could form a party, because they are mostly people on either side of the aisle who just don't like the idea of being in a party. The only thing that binds them together is the fact that they like being able to say they're independent.

That's what makes Bernie's argument ring hollow. Yes, he's been winning indy's over Hillary, but looking at the polling between her and Trump, it's clear that the people Bernie is winning would lean towards the Democrat no matter who it is, if they were to go vote.

[seabeyond]

41. 2016, The year Democrats are told "others" should be allowed to pick our candidate.

Can you believe? Lol. I would have never imagined people would have the audacity to argue that Dems should not be the ones picking our own candidate. Yet, 2016 we have decided that this is a valid argument.

Let them start their own party. Party of Baggers, Libertarians, Anarchists.... All to defeat those pesky blacks, women, Latinos and gays.

[Goblinmonger]

46. The Dem candidate HAS to appeal to independents

or we will lose. And the "hold your nose and vote for Clinton because SCOTUS" isn't going to work so well on Independents.

[seabeyond]

47. Clinton will pick up plenty of Independents. What is being suggested her is allowing people outside

our party pick our candidate. No.

[Goblinmonger]

48. What is being suggested is that nobody new come into the party.

Lots of people wanted to vote Dem and were denied because they didn't make that decision 6 months ago in some states. How is that a way to build a party? How is that going to make them think about how much a party wants them?

[seabeyond]

51. Bogus and you know it. This is all about baggers and libertarians voting in dem primary.

[Goblinmonger]

53. The amount of pissing on millennials that is going on is hilarious.

I bet the LOVE being called baggers and libertarians. I'm sure they'll stick with the Dems and vote Clinton in the GE.

for the impaired (hint: they just won't vote)

[seabeyond]

59. Our youth has had to follow the same rules over and over. I do not know the kind of parent

you are, but I do not make excuses for my kids and coddle my kids as they step into the real world. There are rules. Learn them, follow them, and you have nothing to gripe about. The want to be treated as adults, then they can act like adults without the collective tantrum because they could not be bothered by rules.

But, It is not the kids we are addressing. It is the grown, Republicans, Libertarians and baggers we are addressing that have played in our open primary, that you turn a blind eye to in this discussion.

[justiceischeap]

62. "(hint: they just won't vote)"

This is the problem with all younger voters and has been for some time, which is why they often get a bad rap. It's one thing to demand change but it's another to actually participate in making that change happen.

[Goblinmonger]

63. Sure. I get that.

But when they are basically being told that they can't come in and play, what do we expect from them? Shouldn't we be TRYING to get them in to our brand?

[justiceischeap]

65. I think we should welcome anyone that wants to participate in democracy

even crazy right wingers or extreme leftists (whatever "bad" labels we want to give people).

We have what we have in politics and at the moment we can only work within that given system. You can't complain about that system and then sit out of the process. That changes nothing and only makes the problem worse. This is what the younger generations don't seem to understand...participation is key, and more than just the general election cycle. Younger people really hurt our democracy in mid-term elections. If they (and more people) were this involved during mid-terms, our body politic would probably look a lot different these days.

[sandyshoes17]

58. I am a life long Dem

And I don't like the candidate they have picked and don't like the direction they have been moving. So I guess I will be an independent soon.

[joshcryer]

44. Ind. lean Rep or Dem.

They are just people who want to feel special not ascribing for a particular party. I've done hundreds of political and demographic surveys. That's how they always break it down. "Are you Dem, Rep, Indy?" "If you are Indy, do you lean Rep or Dem?" "Are you a liberal or conservative?"

[Goblinmonger]

45. The Electoral College makes a 3-party system virtually impossible nationally.

That being said, how do you think we are going to win the election without independents? Seems like a lot of people are pissing on Independents when they need them come November.

[Blue_Tires]

49. Because that takes money and years of effort

and it's much easier to just bitch and moan online instead...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

50. Because every state, bar none,

Has fixed the rules to prevent third parties from existing, or create such role blocks that getting someone on the ballot is ungodly expensive and a huge chore.

in some states, it takes a D or R candidate around 2,000 signatures to get on a ballot. Indies are required to provide 10,000. Even in Illinois, where you can register for a party on voting day, indies face a virtual blockade.

[morningfog]

52. You clearly don't understand independent and unaffiliated voters.

Hilarious.

[randr]

54. Because they got their own way the last time Hillary ran?

[bkkyosemite]

55. ALL CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES VOTE IN THE GE in case you don't know that.

And Independent is very smart. They pick the person for their issues, qualities and principles, not because they belong to a party and can be corrupt and the party still votes for them. I think they are very intelligent people. One vote One person.

[WhiteTara]

57. You would have to do a lot of work

to form your own party. Look at the Greens.

[The_Commonist]

60. We have.

It's called the Working Families Party.

http://workingfamilies.org/about-us/

This small, but growing, progressive party now has a presence in 9 states and the District of Columbia. It focuses on local issues, and has gotten a few candidates elected to local office. It also endorses Democratic candidates who meet their standards. New York State recently passed the $15/hour minimum wage and Family Leave Act, largely because of work done by WFP. Funny how Gov. Cuomo and Mrs. Clinton liked to take credit for that, but it wouldn't have happened without the WFP pushing for it. Millennials, who everyone loves to hate, are joining and volunteering for the WFP in droves. WFP is what the Democratic Party used to be, and still would be if it wasn't taken over by Wall Street and the donor class.

Does this answer your question?

[Cali_Democrat]

68. Cool

Then stop complaining that you can vote in Democratic primaries in certain states.

[silvershadow]

61. If they ever did you'd never heard of the Democrats or Republicans ever again. nt