According to a new Gallup poll, a record high number of Americans say a third party is needed.
Amid the government shutdown, 60% of Americans say the Democratic and Republicans parties do such a poor job of representing the American people that a third major party is needed. That is the highest Gallup has measured in the 10-year history of this question. A new low of 26% believe the two major parties adequately represent Americans.
Okay, here we go again. The disgruntled and pushed aside in the political arena will rush to quote George Washington's admonition against political parties in his farewell address. They will claim that the two party system is broken and that we need an independent third party. Well, let's examine that model.
In the current system the majority party wins the right to control the agenda under discussion. In the House for example, this means that the party holding the majority of the votes appoints the chairmen of the various committees and sub-committees and gets a majority of the votes on those committees.
Like it or not, what gets put on the agenda of any committee is within the discretion of the chair. So you have a bill that you think is great, if the chairman doesn't want you to win, for whatever reason, your bill never gets "out of committee". All bills that have not been voted upon at the end of each two year session of Congress, are dead.
Now insert a third party. Assume that of the 435 Congressmen 135 come from the new party and two hundred each from the democrats and republicans. Which party has the majority? Who appoints the committees? Who controls the agenda? You think the House is dysfunctional now, divide it up even more.
Oh sure, I share the frustration of the people who think the system is broken, but have they given any thought to how to fix it other than taking their ball and going home to a protest party?
And where would the new party come from? Obviously the biggest split we see right now is among republicans. So we would divide the unified front of the GOP and give control to the democrats who would, as they did when they controlled all three houses (2 in Congress and the one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue) pass any bill they were told to pass "just to see what was in it?" You do remember don't you that this is how Obamacare got passed, by a democrat controlled government.
And you do remember, don't you, that opposition to Obamacare by a majority of Americans is what gave the GOP control of the House and is what elected Rand Paul as a republican in 2010?
Sure Congress is a mess, but ask yourself why. It's because Harry Reid controls the Senate and Barack Obama wants conflict in order to remove the GOP as the last impediment to his plans to control America's future.
And why should we want Barack Obama and Harry Reid to control America's future? Look what they've done with the time they've had thus far.
Unemployment is worsening, prosperity is more elusive for most Americans, racial tensions are at a fever pitch, the debt is through the roof and people are more fearful of their government than ever before. With this record you want to do something that would strengthen these folks?
The third party idea needs far more in depth analysis than just the knee jerk reaction to Obama's failures that are so bad the blame is getting stuck on everybody.
What we need is not political revolution, what we need is the revival of reason. When that day comes good people with a servant's heart and a clear picture of what place our nation holds in the history of the world will have a chance to right our ship of state, and not before.
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