Looking for a political home

I have voted Libertarian or Republican since the early 80's. But ...

While there are certainly a fair share of loons and hustlers in the Democratic Party -- think The Squad and Maxine Waters --, we Republicans have our own loons. Let's not pretend otherwise. So, put both to the side and ask which group of moderates, Republicans or Democrats, has the best interest of the majority at heart and in mind?

I think Warren Buffet, a self proclaimed Hillary-ish Democrat and no anti capitalist, has it right when he says, "We have to do something for the people being left behind," I think he means "left behind by the tech revolution." He's looking at conservative Republicans and Libertarians there.

Millions, of every political persuasion, aren't gifted, talented, intelligent, educated, cunning, charming, good looking, or lucky enough to live in reasonable comfort and security in the USA without help from the collective. Libertarians are after my heart, yes, but their opposition to most any governmental interference in free capitalism costs them my vote. They are also against immigration control as well as gun control, which may surprise some people here.

I can't stand the idea of joining any party with Pocahontas or Ilhan Omar as a member, and could never vote for unlimited immigration, transgender "rights", or legalized abortion after a very early period, like 12 weeks. But I cannot support the idea of unregulated capitalism either, which mainstream Republicans I think are inclined to support.

I suppose I could become a conservative Democrat like John Tower, JFK, or Joe Manchin, but...

Nah. Manchin needs to register as a Republican and help move the party back towards the center.

 

American Political Parties are not political parties in the European sense; they are coalitions. So you are going to have kooks in your coalition regardless of which party you jump in.

 

I am fine being politically homeless. It means I still have morals and values, standards and practices.

 

I wanted to be a Libertarian but I could never master the Dewey Decimal System.

 

~ Just vote for Bill Gates and be done with it .

​

 

Political parties at the Federal level ceased to be relevant in the late 60s with the grand compromise of Congress's ceding of legislative responsibility and handing those responsibilities on to the Administrative State with Congress only acting as a funder of the agencies. Results in a lot more career longevity for Congress people and zero real control of anything by citizens.

Vote for whoever you want for whatever reason you want. Won't change anything. Except how fast the country will financially default. But at that point, perhaps things will change.

 

It's a two party system, Le Chef, and while I'm sympathetic to your plight, I have found that most parties fall somewhere on the right to left spectrum, where Democrats and Republicans hog up all the oxygen, and smaller parties like the Libertarian, the Green Party, and a few others, never get off the ground because, unlike smaller countries with parliamentary systems, that allow for coalition governments, our founding fathers decided, long ago, on not having parties.. What that did is allow the two parties to emerge, organically. And since there are, essentially, one spectrum from left to right, you'll have more power and effect more if you are a member of one of the major parties. Libertarians have no power, The Greens have no power, none of the 3rd parties have any power to get anything done, so that only leaves Democrats and Republicans. I go with Democrats because the extreme right, the crazies on the right are now the dominant force, whereas on the left, the moderates are still in control, though the hard left has, in recent years, gained a lot of influence.

I think the founder's 'bicameral system' a house and a senate, kinda put the two party idea in people's minds.

I don't believe in unlimited immigration, but we need more, not less, immigrants because there is a labor shortage in America.

You sound like a moderately conservative Democrat, to me, and there is plenty of room for you in the party.

Listen to the lectures by Steve Schmidt, he's right about where you are, and he was a Republican for years, but decided to join the dems.

 

How do you figure?

Why do you need a political home, when you can choose to be independent of a 'home'.

 

You’re not alone, those without a political party to call home has increased from 30% of the electorate in 2006 to 42% today. The homeless are better known as swing voters or independents. Both major parties have way too many litmus tests for me to belong to either one. But with both major parties having a monopoly on our election system, one usually ends up voting for the candidate or party one wants to lose the least. Not win, as one wants both major parties to lose, but lose the least. I actually vote third party against both more frequently these days, the idea of voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. It’s like choosing one’s poison to die from, Cyanide or Arsenic. Neither major party has the what’s best for the country at heart, both are only what’s best for their party. Both major parties only want those who pass their litmus tests with 100% with no deviation at all. 99% agreement or a passing score won’t do. Only ideologues who are in complete agreement with their ideology and what their leaders say are welcomed in the two major parties. If one isn’t a mindless robotic ideologue, you’re an exile, the unclean, the unwanted, the heathens of their politics.

 

We need LEGAL.... LEGAL immigration.
Parliamentary systems are inherently unstable since a "no confidence" vote can unseat the government at any time. That might not be a bad thing though. We could get rid of Biden instead of being stuck with him until he gets us vaporized.

 

If we need more immigration, we amend the law to allow for more immigration. Simple.

I never said I like parliamentary systems. I think, for our country, ours is better. Not perfect, but better. WE need a system that requires two years of campaigning to become president, because we need that kind of test to find someone who's got the wherewithal to be president, It's not foolproof, as the election of Trump proved, but it's better than some countrie where they debate for a couple of months and that's it. They go vote.

I don't you realize that the infrastructure bill is a major achievement, one that Trump couldn't get done.

I don't think Biden should run in 2024, due to his age, but I am okay with this presidency.

 

You mean let them in legally? Asylum? Sure, why not, we need construction workers.

I seriously doubt he will run again

 

There is no such thing as a President who can please everyone.

Welcome to democracy.

 

Pick the most important issue, vote for the guy/gal that is best on that issue. If there's more than one choice, vote for whichever is best on ur #2 issue (and count urself lucky!). I vote for gun rights (based on the notion that theres no problem we can vote ourselves into that we cant shoot our way back out of if necessary if we remain suitably armed). Thus far, that has left me with one very clear choice in every election. Simple.

If you're looking to be in a 'Party', I have to ask- why?

 

Two parties is democracy? I don't see it that way.

 

maybe not, but it's a representative republic.

 

I don't mean I want to join a Party. I don't even know what that means: pay $50 and get a card, I suppose.

I just see all these fanatics at conventions (and here) screaming about how great their candidates are, and weeping, like when Hillary Clinton lost, and I feel like I'm missing out on something.

But I can honestly say I can never remember a candidate for any office from any party that I got "excited" about. I do like DeSantis a lot, but I'm not going to tell anyone "you MUST vote for Ron!", or cry if he loses to Biden.

One issue: If I had to pick one issue at the moment that drives me into one camp or the other, it's border control. We are collectively unable to say no to illegal immigrants, many thousands of whom we have to assume are planning terrorism right now. I guess it's suicide ideation, or guilt feelings that we stole everything from the Indians or some childish anti-Trump animus.

And yes, that makes me Republican for now.

 

Well, since no parties were created at the founding of the nation, the system organically coagulated on each side of the spectrum, manifesting as one big party on each side.

Parliamentary systems start out as coalition governments, so there is no room for that organic coagulation on either side of the political spectrum.

So, blame the founding fathers.

 

Oh please, those were just the young idealistic girls at Wellesley College the college that Hilllary went to.
The rest of us Democrats didn't cry, but felt like it --not because she lost, but because Trump won.

For Dems, it was Obama. Jack Kennedy got us excited, though I was only 10. I remember my mom swooning over him.

I liked Bill Clinton, but he was too much of a neoliberal for my politics.

 

Infrastructure Bill? Yeah... great... helped the folks in Palestine, Ohio a lot. And the burning food factories, and the airlines cancelling thousands of flights, and the snow removal that left so many dead, and the power outages in Massachusetts, and the red beaches in Florida.... yup... yup... a real achievement there.

 

This chick looks like a dude.

 

Okay - we use a preferential voting system numbering the contestants by order of preference. This means we usually have at least three names on even a small election ballot. If the votes are clear for one candidate then it is counted as a “first past the post” win but if the count is close THEN awe count preferences (it is a bit complicated and can take ti e to tally really close elections but….)

Bottom line we get a whole admixture of parties voting - heck the senate even has “socialists and communists listed as well as independents. Voting can be fun when you are standing at the booth thinking “which one of these twerps do I dislike least?
The downside of the system is that sometimes a couple of candidates in a small party can hold “balance of power” similar to how Manchin and Sinema did in the senate

 

So?? Ever thought she might be one of 1.7% of people who were born “intersex”?