This chart reflects the results of a new Rasmussen Poll -- done between June 4th and 7th of a random national sample of 952 likely voters, with a 3 point margin of error.
Note that the survey says 38% (nearly 4 out of 10) of Americans think the country needs a new political party. The problem is they didn't ask that 38% what kind of new party would it be -- a party of the right or a party of the left? I suspect the answers would be all over the political spectrum, which means that 38% would be unable to agree on supporting a new party.
If they all could agree on what the new party should be, it would be competitive -- because that party would be slightly larger than the current Democratic and Republican parties. But it's easy to say a new party is needed, and quite another to follow through on those words.
The fact is that there are already other political parties. The Green Party is to the left of the Democratic Party, and the Libertarian Party is to the right of the Republican Party -- and then you have ultra-right parties like the American Constitution Party. But most of that 38% won't vote for these "third" parties. The Greens and Libertarians get about 15% of the vote combined -- barely enough to keep them on the ballot from election to election, and other "third" parties do far worse (having to earn their way onto the ballot with each new election).
In other words, there are "third" party options available that span the political landscape -- and if that 38% was serious, they would vote for them. But they don't, and that makes me think they are just trying to show their disgust with Democrats and Republicans. They don't really want a third major political party.
Most (85% at least) americans think in binary. Throw in another option and they will go for the familiar brand no matter how good the 3rd choice is. Just watch people in Walmart to see this happening.
ReplyDeleteAnd the real fear that the rePUKEians will win, makes many voting democrat even though the Greens are more in line with certain views.
Unfortunately most "Muricans" have a hard time dealing with a choice between 2 competing parties. If a third were thrown into the mix, the voters would probably split the votes of the other 2 parties and we'd have a congress that would NEVER get anything done because, you know, majority rules and there would be no majority and with the stupid rules in place today it would be worse than the current gridlock. Besides who wants to be governed by a POTUS that got less than 50% of the vote...oh wait, that happened in 2000 and we DIDN'T even have a third party.
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