2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: If Clinton wins the nomination... [View all]Doubledee
(137 posts)as well as being historically accurate. However, the times they are a'changing and what was once two august bodies civilly ( and sometimes not so ) jockeying for ideological gain through endless arguments followed by compromises, has now become two greedy and grasping entities jockeying only for the river of corporate money and, individually, second careers as six figure lobbyists. Further, rule changes, have made it far easier for an extreme and vocal minority to hold undue sway over the legislative process especially when they are from the same party. The threat of government shut downs becomes ever more frequently heard.
Issues , many important, never see the light of day or even have one speak to them on the floor of either house. Despite France's differences in the mechanism of governance, no positions, no issues fail to have a vocal backer and that is more because of the numerous parties representing such a wide swath of the electorate.Far too many Americans are being shut out of , not only the conversation, but also the consideration of their important needs. We are not legally bound to two parties,our first President in fact was from no party whatsoever. In his later years, Madison came to ponder his advocacy for two parties as perhaps too few. I humbly agree.
I see third party presence in our Legislature as a brake on radicalism, an ensurer of the needs of the disenfranchised and the under represented. You may very well think these important, if not inalienable, and currently being served. I strongly do not.