We Need a Third Political Party
We got here in part because of today’s highly partisan media, especially cable, talk radio and Internet, that encouraged people to self-segregate into liberals and conservatives. In order to hold and grow audiences, this media requires new content to feed 24-hour news cycles, a ripe environment for evermore partisan, extreme and emotional dialogue. Reporters and politicos became rock stars fanning the flames, more interested in identifying and demonizing their opposition than offering workable solutions. While some have been whipped into a state of frenzy and became vocal activists for these positions, many more of us tuned out and turned off the noise.
A reported 41 percent of all Americans consider themselves independent of either political party and a majority of voters support the creation of a third political party. Many admit to being fiscally conservative but socially liberal, willing for government to do things they are neither willing nor able to do themselves. They agree to a social contract that includes helping the poor and the sick (especially the mentally ill) unable to help themselves, providing public infrastructure like roads and water and sewer systems, and in needing certain environmental, safety, military and commerce protections. They also accept the public task of educating our children. But in all these roles they demand sound, cost-effective management, measurable outcomes and both personal and government accountability as non-negotiable pre-requisites.
The dualistic right or wrong, good or bad, friend or enemy way isn’t working. We are more than Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives, Anglo or Afro, rich or poor, young or old. Today’s issues are not either/or decisions but both/and propositions, requiring us to seek common ground we can agree upon, then listening and working together to find solutions.
Call us centrists, moderates, independents, anything you want, but call us ready for change. Starting a third party won’t be easy, especially in North Carolina where laws require an unreasonable number of petition signatures to gain ballot access. Large amounts of money will be needed to be competitive and finding an attractive candidate who can energize the many who have given up will be equally difficult, especially convincing independents there is room under a third-party tent for differences of opinion, that working and listening together will get us farther than present-day all or nothing-at-all politics.
We are not unaware of the challenge but have watched the political climate worsen. What is currently playing out in Washington and Raleigh forces us to agree with Sojourners’ Jim Wallis that “the left doesn’t get it and the right gets it wrong.” Neither Democrats nor Republicans seem willing to halt this tragic drama. It is increasingly obvious things won’t get better in North Carolina until some catalyst forces change. That change agent will be a third political party. A new website, www.ncthirdparty.com, has been initiated to invite your response and participation in this movement. Are you ready for a third party?
While I may not agree with every issue in your article, I agree, we do need a new Party in this country, and here's why. We got the G.O.P., we got the D.N.C., now it's time for the T.P.P. Who are we? What do we say? We're the Tax Payer Party, we the ones that pay. What's our beef? Why are we ill? They waste the money, we foot the bill.
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While I agree completely with your sentiments, it is frustrating to continue to hear this reasoning set down in North Carolina as a viable option. As a life long resident of North Carolina, I know, as I'm sure do you, that any attempt to run a fiscally conservative and socially anything candidate will only guarantee a Democrat victory. Require a candidate from the Lunatic Left and the Rabid Right to suck off the fringe block voters and then maybe you can have an election based on issues. But until then it ain't gonna happen.
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i agree with a lot of what you say except wanting to help "especially the mentally ill"; in the old days, yes, but today that category is largely crackheads and other dopers who brought it all upon themselves; shouldn't be a big part of our budget;
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You are correct about the “hyper-partisanship” in Government. However, the incivility has mostly come from the left who is desperately clinging to the hull of a failed ideology, and whose ship is sinking fast.
The leader of such childish gamesmanship, President Obama, cannot help but use fear mongering, lies, and manipulation in the attempt to further his agenda and to also get re-elected. It is appalling and disgusting behavior from the leader of the free world. Has he no shame? Does the political ruling class really think that we are dumb and ignorant to the truth? If so, then We the People of this great North State, and the Union, should be gravely offended.
You are incorrect about the cause of the dissension among the parties. I believe that the partisan media, talk radio, cable, and the internet has enabled a great awakening of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The true perpetrators of the problem are the Progressives who occupy seats in both parties. On the left they are simply called Democrats, and on the right they are called “RINOs”; republican in name only.
Progressivism over the last 100 years, and today, is the cancer upon the Alter of Freedom that has almost ruined the greatest country in the history of the world. The numbers and history do not lie. The small, progressive steps that have been made since Teddy Roosevelt founded the Progressive Party in 1911 have led us to the brink of total collapse, and now Obama and the Democrats are blocking all attempts to reverse their Progressive course that will lead us into the iceberg.
The greatest American of all warned us repeatedly about partisanship. We should be diligent, and heed his warnings with circumspect: "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages & countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders & miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security & repose in the absolute power of an Individual: and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty." — George Washington, September 19, 1796
Sound familiar? Do you know the history of the Wiemar Republic? If not, then history will repeat itself here in America, and in our time.
Washington’s solid political principles are the greatest reason why I am an Independent. Therefore, I do not believe a third party is the answer. A third party will simply split the vote. This is evinced by the results surrounding Ross Perot that gave Clinton the victory over Bush 1. If a third party is being called for then let the mask get pulled off, and it be named the Progressive Party.
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I'm a solid conservative who has worked in state govt. long enough to know the system is broken. I'm just not sure a 3rd party is a solution; it may dilute the Republican Party to the point that the extreme liberal democrats gain a stronger foot-hold. This free-wheeling tax and spend attitude must stop. Our govt cannot be all things to everyone. I think we just need some real solid leadership.
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"Third parties" are an excellent idea; so good that I belong to three--neither of which has the least chance of becoming "players" in the major leagues of big-party politics.
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I'm not sure that today's media partisanship is the cause of overall hyper-partisanship, but more a reflection of the beauty of the free market and the reality of public opinion. Conservative opinions had been kept in the shadows for too long.
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Tom, caught your column in the Star News this morning. While talk radio has its problems it is not the cause of our polarized politics. The more important contributor is partisan redistricting. The two parties have a mutual incentive to create super partisan districts heavily weighted D or R. The partisan districts assure the reelection of their party members. They also create elected folks who have a powerful incentive to be hyper partisan as compromise with the other side will be punished. Get the politics out of redistricting and create districts that are up for grabs by both parties and you'll give the solons an incentive to appeal to both sides, not to their party extremes.
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Not a third party but a third media outlet. We have the far left media which comprises about 80% of the market and the remainder taken up by the far right media. If we could only get some straight shooters like NCSpin on the national level then we would not have to spend all our time trying to get down to the brass tacks. I think if the Americian people could get the real facts then compromises could be reached which would be equitable to both sides.
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A third party many times gives the election to the Democrats . But , with today's highly volatile climate , that might change . From the bumbling screw ups in Washington ( both parties ) to Raleigh , most politicians seem to care less about what really matters to the voters that put them in office . I didn't favor term limits for years , but I have changed my tune on that . After several years in office , most seem to favor doing their own thing. As a lifelong North Carolinian I've seen all grades of elected officials from good to terrible ! Viable third party candidacies might be a better option than the usual suspects .
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Don't waste scarce brainpower on political parties or groupings. thats no progress by committee. what we need in this country is something new...NO POLITICAL PARTIES, people run for office, funding of every person running and term limits of one 6 year term. no seniority in congress and straight majority votes to pass things. or would that be just too too honest.
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Thank you, Tom Campbell, for the column "Arguing for less government is politically popular but unrealistic." (Jan. 14, 2012) You've expressed what I've believed for a long while, and said it more clearly and concisely than I could. When politicians make a knee-jerk attack against "big government," they forget that government is not a separate life form; government is a collection of people who are supposed to be working together for the common good. Scratch the average "government abuse" or "government waste" situation, and what you'll find are self-serving individuals who enrich themselves at the taxpayer's expense. That's a character problem, not an institutional problem. Conservative politicians who staunchly maintain that "government waste" is the big problem would never in a million years support closing a military base or VA facility or doing away with lowe-interest federal disaster loans that affect their constituents--even when unbiased studies show individual cases where these programs are neither efficient nor productive. Pork in my district is called "job creation." Pork in the other guy's district is called "too much government."
Thanks again for your insights.
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