Comments on: California's Ballot Experiment http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/05/21/californias-ballot-experiment/ Reality-based political commentary Tue, 05 May 2026 04:46:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/05/21/californias-ballot-experiment/#comment-21711 dsws Tue, 22 May 2012 22:34:37 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=5640#comment-21711 Third parties have played a significant role in US politics. They can't win, but they can identify and mobilize constituencies that then become identifiable components of major parties. Third parties have played a significant role in US politics. They can't win, but they can identify and mobilize constituencies that then become identifiable components of major parties.

]]> By: Iceman http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/05/21/californias-ballot-experiment/#comment-21689 Iceman Tue, 22 May 2012 14:15:36 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=5640#comment-21689 I don't see why third parties are a concern when they are completely insignificant anyway under our political system. The Libertarians and Greens and other third parties combined are probably not even 1% of the electorate nationally. When is the last time the Greens or Libertarians did anything more than get 1-2% percentage of the vote, in any race, anywhere in the country? Nader's whole campaign only got around 2% and had no lasting impact on the political system at all. The US' winner take all electoral system basically makes third parties futile. If we had a proportional system like most European countries have, where X% of the vote gets you X% of the parliament, then alternative parties would have a chance. Most of those countries do have 5-6 major parties, and a party that gets even 5% can be a real factor in forming coalitions and getting its issues heard. But we don't have that, and we don't have any plausible way to get to that system, so the way it stands now third parties in the US are a waste. I don't see why third parties are a concern when they are completely insignificant anyway under our political system. The Libertarians and Greens and other third parties combined are probably not even 1% of the electorate nationally. When is the last time the Greens or Libertarians did anything more than get 1-2% percentage of the vote, in any race, anywhere in the country? Nader's whole campaign only got around 2% and had no lasting impact on the political system at all. The US' winner take all electoral system basically makes third parties futile. If we had a proportional system like most European countries have, where X% of the vote gets you X% of the parliament, then alternative parties would have a chance. Most of those countries do have 5-6 major parties, and a party that gets even 5% can be a real factor in forming coalitions and getting its issues heard. But we don't have that, and we don't have any plausible way to get to that system, so the way it stands now third parties in the US are a waste.

]]> By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/05/21/californias-ballot-experiment/#comment-21675 dsws Tue, 22 May 2012 10:25:07 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=5640#comment-21675 It's common for state legislators to run unopposed for re-election, and not unheard of for representative in the US House. In such situations, third party candidates would advance to the general-election ballot. Still, the system does seem rigged against third parties. It's common for state legislators to run unopposed for re-election, and not unheard of for representative in the US House. In such situations, third party candidates would advance to the general-election ballot.

Still, the system does seem rigged against third parties.

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