We all know that the Republican and Democratic parties are effectively in lockstep with each other. They support each other in critical areas such as entitlement programs, supporting the Deep State, and eroding citizens' rights. They do it all the time, and no matter who runs Congress or the Senate or the White House, the basic wrongs never get righted.
The same goes for most presidential candidates. They are party creatures, selected by the party and run by the party and paid by the party's financial backers. Very few of them are independent - even President Trump, who really was financially independent but allowed the Republican Party to effectively neuter his administration by installing too many insiders in critical positions.
If we really want change, and if enough thinking politicians really want change, let's look at a new alternative.
What if a front-running candidate - let's say President Trump, who appears to be leading in the opinion polls right now - were to deliberately step aside from his party and say, "All right, I'm running as an independent." He already rejects enough of the RINO propaganda to be able to do that believably.
What if that independent Presidential candidate were to select a running mate from the other side of the political aisle - let's say, for example, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who appears to be relatively popular among centrist Democratic voters? He's also an independent thinker who doesn't cleave to the party line.
What if the two agreed to publicly support independent candidates for Congress and the Senate, endorsing each candidate jointly and asking voters to elect them rather than members of either major political party? Would the "normal" voters of America respond to such a call? Could they succeed in enough electoral districts to form a viable "third force", or even take over the legislative branch?
Could those three steps lead to the first real defeat for the nominally two-party political system in America, and break the logjam that currently paralyzes our government?
I don't know. I guess none of us do. All I know is that the present situation is completely untenable, and if nothing is done to change the status quo, this country is heading for a collapse. I don't think there's any doubt about that.
What say you, readers? Is this a viable alternative? If not, is there another one that might work? Or do we simply throw up our hands, admit we're helpless, and watch as our political Thelmas and Louises drive the car of the United States off the cliff and kill our nation?
Peter
18 comments:
In the 2020 election who counted the votes mattered more than who (or how many) cast them. Has that been changed/fixed?
Voters could write in libertarian candidates, but they won't. Voters don't want peace and prosperity, they want death and destruction. Peace and prosperity produce the self-loathing mental illness, it's a repeated historical pattern.
tomwoods.com/ep-2232-when-civilizations-hate-themselves reviews a new book Western Self-Contempt: Oikophobia in the Decline of Civilizations by Benedict Beckeld. This is a historical survey of societies where the external enemies have been vanquished and the society has free intellectual inquiry -- whereupon it starts loathing itself. This sounded to me like an autoimmune disease; immune system no longer has an external threat to fight, so it searches harder and harder for something to do, finds the self, and attacks it. Relatedly, I think religion is partially a theory to rationalize feelings of self-loathing already present.
Alas, pipe dream.
There's that whole "getting on the ballot in 50 states as an independent" thing.
Such would not be on any congressional committees, not in the House, nor the Senate. The damn parties, which are private corporations, rule the committees.
They would be shunned and 'disinvited' to the dinner parties where the real voting and networking is done.
I am all in favor of shutting down the R and D parties. But they won't go willingly. They will not let go the massive supply of power and money.
They need to be run into the sea like vermin.
I would vote that way. But who, is the question.
And yes, how do we stop the illegal votes.
I have thought of a similar scenario. If Trump were to secure the republican nomination then name Kennedy as his VP. Both parties would have a fit and I believe that combination would run away with it in the general election.
The Republican Party would commit suicide if they dropped Trump in favor of someone else after he won the nomination and is announced as the candidate for President and named Kennedy as his VP.
T Green has it. Getting on the ballot is an extremely difficult task which requires lawyers and money. Lots of lawyers and lots of money. And even then, you may not make it.
I would pay money to watch the RNC convention when Trump wins the nomination and has told no one who will be the VP pick. Watch the committees faces explode when they get a Kennedy on the ticket. Vote for that in a heartbeat.
In 2020 based on the information I could glean Trump got 65% of the popular vote. Biden getting 81mil was the level of cheating it took to win. Using the metric of illegal immigration our Powers That Be have been at war with the populace for 2 decades or more. They didn't think Trump would win and under estimated his appeal to people sick of the Uniparty. Trump effectively ran as an independent, look at all the RINO's who attempted to do him in. He stole the Republican spotlight. Will he succeed in doing so again? IDK. Trump could get 100 million and Michelle/Biden will get 101.
What is the long game here? Has Trump really convinced enough normies to believe in the Uniparty. If he has, to what end? Or is he a long con?
If what we are seeing about the continued illegal alien invasion is correct things are getting worse by the hour. By the time January 2025 rolls around, will it matter who is president? Keep in mind BRICS has every reason to do us ill. We just sent Abrams to the Ukraine and NATO has admitted we are in a proxy war. Russia would be quite justified in stopping arms shipments (Lusitania anyone?). Order more popcorn - make sure you can cook it with your Rocketstove!
Aw stop teasing Peter. That would be too neat to be allowed. Love your idea though. Trump/Kennedy ticket. Watch the sparks fly.
Ross Perot, Teddy Roosevelt (1912).. there is no new idea under the sun.
I would vote for Trump and RFK jr in a heartbeat. I suspect most conservatives would too.
With exceedingly rare exception, the only people who willingly seek public office do so because they lust after power, wealth and notoriety. The act of seeking office should be an automatic disqualifier. I can think of only one solution to the problem. End forever candidacy and voting for office. Instead define the necessary qualifications for holding an office, Guarantee a minimum salary or match the annual earnings of the office holder if it exceeds the base salary and put the name of everyone who meets the necessary requirements into a "hat" and randomly select a name for each office. Whoever is selected MUST serve one term. Only ONE term, and is then done forever being in office. No "pension", no benefits, just payment for the 2, 4 or 6 years in office...the DONE. No more lifetime political careers. May not be a perfect solution but it's better than the current corrupt system. Same for career government employees. Limit time working for the government to say ten years. After that NO MORE government employment. Frequent mandatory regular turn over of the people running things limits the opportunity for corruption.
To quote Willy Wonka: "What if my beard were made of Green Spinach?"
Both outcomes equally likely.
The states have pretty much rigged this so that only D and R candidates can appear on the ballots. We also have the conspiracy of states who will vote their electoral votes as the popular vote goes, regardless of how their own state votes, but if you read the fine print it pretty much says D/R only. Also many states require that all electoral votes go to the winner of a plurality of the vote, no electoral vote splitting. No, everything is pretty much setup to ensure that only D/R candidates will win a nationwide election. They have decided that hog belongs to them - no sharing.
>>The states have pretty much rigged this so that only D and R candidates can appear on the ballots.<<
That is the UniParty, no matter who it looks like won, the UniParty won.
I was a minor listening to adults in my life talk about the Clinton election when I realized American voting was doomed. Men who objected to Clinton’s policies were loudly complaining of how other voters they had talked to were only concerned about being able to vote “for the guy who wins” as if their vote was abet in a horse race. Who had goof policies and character was not even on the radar, only the bragging rights to say you voted for the guy who won. Of course, that observation can be found further back in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 when the main character flips out because his wife’s social group is deciding which man to vote for as president based on who has the best hair or something.
">>The states have pretty much rigged this so that only D and R candidates can appear on the ballots.<<"
"That is the UniParty, no matter who it looks like won, the UniParty won."
My friend used to call the Ds and the Rs the two halves of The War Party.
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