09/01/2009 04:18:33 PM EST

Health Care Reform the Catalyst for True 3rd Party?

posted by taotedali

There are a lot of pissed of Libs.  Pissed off enough for 60 (up to 105) progressive Democrats to sign a resolution stating they will not sign a bill without a robust public option. 

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The news is plastered with the infighting of Dems with Libs saying there must be a public option and the corporatists fighting to water it down.  If health care does not pass to the satisfaction of this progressive wing, I think it could be the straw that broke the camels back that could launch a true 3rd party.

 

from a pew research poll:

 

In 5,566 interviews with registered voters conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press during the first two months of 2008, 36% identify themselves as Democrats, and just 27% as Republicans.

 

If 10% of Self Identified Democrats and and equal amount of independents caucused together and formed a true Progressive Party, it would truly be a force in congress that has not been seen in a long time.  

 

It would take leadership and bold action to impliment.  If it were done Nader style with whimpering and sniveling it would fail miserably.

 

You'd then have the whack job republicans marginalized to the far right.  The Dems and Blue dog corporatists in the "Middle"  and the Libs on the left in the Progressive Democratic Party.

 

Mind you, this will only come to pass if the Dems fail on real health care reform.

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Health Care Reform the Catalyst for True 3rd Party? | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 hidden)
Sorry ....... (none / 0)
But not going to happen .. the Democrats ...  know for a fact no matter how much they water down bills .. they will always attain the majority of the Liberal Vote ....

There are 3x more Liberals who are Democratic Loyalist ... than there are who are not ....

Even though the Democrats split ..... the majority of Liberals will still vote for the former/old party .... they will chastise/criticize them in blogs & other mediums ... but when they go to the polls the majority will still give the Democrats their vote ....

If you don't believe me just look at the pseudo 3rd party called the ... "Libertarian Party" .. those who claim to be part of these movement/party ... chastise/criticize Republicans ... but in the Polling Booth .. the majority vote for these same folks .. even though one of their own is on the ballot .....

A Proud Progressive!!!

by teron678 on 09/01/2009 05:25:57 PM EST

coorection (none / 0)
Even if*

A Proud Progressive!!!

by teron678 on 09/01/2009 05:31:36 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Wrong split (none / 0)

But I wasn't talking about the mainstream of the Democratic party that waters down the bills,  I was talking specifically about the Libs revolting against the mainstream.

And the Progressives may still vote with the Dems on most bills, but they can make sure in committee and for passage consencus that thier concerns will not be arbitrarily dismissed by a broad Democratic party that "knows" they will vote with them anyway.  Libertarian is a joke and a very very small minority.  That's the main reason I titled a "TRUE" 3rd party.  However 60  Libs who signed plus the up to 105 is 13% to 25% of the entire representation of the House of Representatives, which is  a significant amount.  And they wouldn't have to cowtow to Democratic leadership, which might mean a lot to those representatives. 

 


by taotedali on 09/01/2009 05:50:05 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Oh Yeah (none / 0)

And also, trying to form a new party with fresh voices and faces would never work.  But since the incumbent has the advantage in their district and if they are performing the will of their constituents, that would be the oportune time.  Rather than running as an independent Like Bernie Sanders or Ralph Nader or Joe Lieberman.  Starting from scratch is one of the main reasons the Green Party has never taken off.  Big lib creds, but no representation/name recognition/ or bargaining power.

That's why a split might work,  Instant bargaining power/fund raising ability,  and instant votes.  But a large contigency of Representatives would need to switch in order for it to be effective.   But the Progressives could run in the Blue Dog districts against the democratic party to keep them honest or at least expose their blatant corporatism.

by taotedali on 09/01/2009 05:57:49 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Zeen ... (none / 0)
You make some excellent & convincing points I must admit ..

A Proud Progressive!!!

by teron678 on 09/01/2009 06:06:06 PM EST

[ Parent ]
A new (3rd) party (none / 0)
"The Election Reform Party", has a good ring to it, it's self explanatory. All left leaning, the majority of the country, voters would at least take notice.  Of course  you could only use the name once...

by gbasin on 09/01/2009 11:42:08 PM EST

[ Parent ]
LOL (none / 0)
Didn't Rush Perot run on this platform in 1992 & 1996 ...... he did get lots of votes ... but didn't win any Electoral Votes ... anyways no one today has a chance of getting the amount of votes he got if they run on the same platform ... more people are way too partisan than they were in the  90's

A Proud Progressive!!!

by teron678 on 09/02/2009 03:04:17 AM EST

[ Parent ]
correction (none / 0)
Ross* .. had the fat slob in my head when i was writing this

A Proud Progressive!!!

by teron678 on 09/02/2009 03:06:38 AM EST

[ Parent ]
I would love a new political party (none / 0)
The Democrats have moved to the right

The Republicans have moved into the insane asylum

I would love to see a viable liberal party


by Chinese Democracy on 09/01/2009 06:18:18 PM EST

I agree (none / 1)
I would love to see a viable liberal party

YES. Let's call it that. The Viable Liberal Party. The VLP. Not the Viable Party of Liberals. That would be the VPL (visible panty line).

by OneHitKill on 09/01/2009 11:46:30 PM EST

[ Parent ]
We are dreaming. (none / 0)

Liberals cannot organize well enough to massively protest for Single-Payer or Government Option Health Care.  Nor for a strong environmental policy, nor for ending the war, nor for Wall Street regulations, nor for marijuana legalization, nor for government accountability over civil rights violations or torture.  Conservatives are crazy and dangerous, but they have gotten their minions OUT to the streets in organized protest campaigns.  And they have muscled their way in from very little positive media coverage before 1977 to basically stipulating the majority of media commentary and debate-framing.  Yes, they had 30 years to do the latter, but they did this despite some utterly disastrous PR for their party (in the name of both Bush presidencies and the tail end of Republican Congressional control in 2003-6.)

In short, the Conservative movement has the fire to actually start a third party.  The only problem is that it would be the de facto Republican party, since virtually every Republican would switch to it.  So there really isn't a need to re-print a bunch of business cards with new logos on them.  The mainstream Republican Party is already on the fringe that the "Tea Party Party" would wish to represent.

The Liberal movement is not even slightly close to being able to break from the Democratic Party.  The urgency is a thousand miles from critical, and in fact could use a mass infusion of the "rabid gene" which poisons the Right.  Or 10 of these infusions.  Anything to move from us calmly stating the facts about health care and global warming and kindly hoping not to get urinated on by the Right as we do this--to move from that to the level of organized message-filtering that Conservatives in the streets with their posters and megaphones and assault rifles use as a matter of course.

We have to start somewhere, yes, and difficult does not mean impossible.  But the hearts of the Progressive movement are not into revolution, much as a few and increasing number of heads may be. 

by Milltycoon on 09/02/2009 03:31:31 AM EST

Obama and Congressional Democrats have (none / 0)
finally come to the realization there will be no GOP support for Health Care Insurance reform

by gatekeeper50 on 09/02/2009 05:30:44 PM EST

Health Care Reform the Catalyst for True 3rd Party? | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 hidden)
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