On 10/14/2016 2:12 PM, Neill Massello wrote:
Muggles wrote:

I'd like to see a 3 party system.

Yes, but in the American presidential system it's very hard to sustain a
third party that functions as a permanent competitor to the duopoly.
This system tends to be less responsive than a parliamentary one, so you
periodically get displacements, like the Republicans and Whigs in the
1850s, or hostile takeovers like today's Trump phenomenon. (The Brits

I don't really see anything about Trump that even remotely resembles a
"hostile takeover". Don't you think that's an exaggeration? The people
voted for him, so he's a legitimate candidate of the Republican party.

are also having troubles, as evidenced by the fact that almost all of
their pols in almost all their parties were clueless about Brexit.)

Bottom line: both parties are in trouble because they can't capture and
hold an electoral majority sufficient in size and duration to get
anything done. Democrats shouldn't gloat over the Republicans' current
troubles: they're next. Whoever wins the Presidency in three weeks,
things will be *very* rocky in the coming years.


Things have been rocky every since 9/11, so it's not like "rocky" is
going to be breaking news.


--
Maggie