Want to really CHANGE the Two-Party System? The Answer is NOT Nader 04

[jackstraw45]

I have a piece of advice for folks wanting to shake up the 2 party system. Here's a hint: it has NOTHING to do with presidential elections.

If a serious 3rd party wants to get going, you NEED to get HOUSE SEATS first. Get a few seats in the House...then maybe get one or two in the Senate. The legislative body is the way to really build a new party.

THAT is a much more responsible and realistic way to build a viable 3rd party.

Why is it, in 2004, that the reform party hasn't concentrated on winning some House seats in liberal districts?

Why is it that the Green party hasn't done the same?

I'm not saying it's easy but it's damn more realistic that Ralph Nader WINNING the presidency right now.

Or is it easier just to be the spoiler in a presidential election than to target a liberal district, win a seat and LEAD?

[taxidriver]

1. i hear you. i wish they'd started doing that back in the early 1990's.

[DaveSZ]

2. I agree completely

The Greens can probably take a few House seats in some of the more liberal areas.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. It's not as easy as it sounds. We have one,

ONE green in a house seat, and that is just at the state level in a state that has voluntary publicly funded elections.

He ran against a dem, no Repub running, in an extremely liberal district. (Mind you, the dems gerrymandered his district out of existence shortly after that and he has since had to move into a new district in order to be able to run again.)

[chimpy the poopthrower]

11. Of course it's not easy.

The important things never are, are they?

Get-rich-quick schemes don't work. Eat-all-you-want-and-lose-weight schemes don't work. And vote-3rd-party-in-the-presidential-race schemes don't work either.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Too bad we have to do it ito keep our parties alive, eh?

[JHBowden]

3. If Nader wanted to do some good,

he should do us all a favor and run against Lieberman in his home state of Connecticut.

Sabotaging one of the most liberal people in the Senate (who is coincidentally running for president) will not move the needle to the left. Of course, we're talking about the same clowns that tried to make Paul Wellstone lose for not being pure enough.

[jackstraw45]

4. I know people who worked with Nader in the 70s....

They are NOT supporting his presidential run.

It's ALL about Ralph.

[Old and In the Way]

5. Gotta havepour the foundation before you build the house.

[jackstraw45]

6. Any Nader supporters care to comment? NT

NT

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. We DO run at every level (see website)

but the system is terrific at locking us out. And we have to run people at the top of the ticket to keep our party alive. We didn't ask for the rules of this game, they were forced on us.

http://greens.org/elections

[jackstraw45]

10. Kudos...seriously

I think that's a VERY positive sign that there are so many people running.

Parties aren't built in a few elections - it takes time to wrestle power. But, like someone else here said, a house must be built from the foundation up.

Ralph Nader running for president this year, with a Green as VP, only alienates potential Green converts from switching from the democratic party down the road.

JMO.

[liveoaktx]

8. Have to change the rules from a 2 party system and the way we vote

It used to be a multiparty system in this country till the Reps AND Dems changed it. Third parties that run now can ONLY act as spoilers. This isn't right, there needs to be more choice in parties, but the RULES must be changed.

[seabeyond]

12. ya...........Ya.....................YA

this is a duh. why havent all the people seriously looking at building a two party done this. ya. so nadar boy, you dont start your party with winning the grand prize, put the work in create a foundation adn base and build. instant gratification, the downfall of our society and nadar embraces

ya

i so thank you for this

[Peregrine]

13. Lower

3rd parties need to be looking at school boards, county councils, any elected position at a micro-local area. They need to be neighborhood activists. Then they can become city activists, state, regional, national.