Should 3rd party/independent political activity be outlawed?

[DuctapeFatwa]

[kalian]

1. Hell no!

and I dare say that the "two-party" system is an extremely dangerous
little endeavor to begin with...

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. No, but anti-disruption rules at DU should be more rigorously enforced.

[DemBones DemBones]

7. Absolutely! At DU, you're supposed to support the Democratic

Party. Everybody can vote for their preferred candidate in the primary, but we must unite behind the Democratic nominee in the general election. Those who don't want to support the Dem nominee shouldn't be at DU.

[DuctapeFatwa]

11. I'm asking about law, not rules on message boards

legal meaning as in laws of the US.

[Killarney]

20. I agree!

[jpgray]

3. Of course not., but being a vulture who preys on idealists is shameful

Nader pumping the money he makes into Raytheon, Halliburton, General Dynamics, Wal-Mart and others makes me want to throw up. He is a shameless hypocrite.

[saltpoint]

4. Anyone constitutionally eligible can run --

-- which means we get both Teddy Roosevelts AND Ross Perots in the mix.

The more the merrier.

But this year Bush needs to vacate his current dwelling.

[MurikanDemocrat]

5. Only for the Democratic Party. Republicans should be able to do it.

:D

[DemBones DemBones]

6. No, I think third parties should be

encouraged. I just think that people who oppose the incumbent this year should vote for the Democratic nominee.

[Meldread]

8. No, in fact I run on the total opposite side of the track.

I believe that more parties should be encouraged. I believe we should encourage more debate among more parties and help break down BOTH of the two larger parties. Only then can we get a more wide range of ideas, view points, and opinions and therefore strengthen the Democracy of our country.

I doubt few would disagree with the assertion that Democracy within this country is slowly but surely disappearing. It is sad that the only real valid vote is for one of the two major parties. The two party system is perhaps the worst thing to happen to democracy in the history of our nation.

[rhite5]

29. I very much agree with you.

But I have one quarrel ..... democracy is not disappearing slowly. The disappearance is moving rapidly.

[Cascadian]

9. You've got to be kidding.

If you have just two parties running everything then we should stop calling ourselves a democracy. I honestly think that the two parties have way too much power as it is. I like what Canada and some European countries have. Political choices. America does not have enough political choices IMHO.


John

[John_H]

10. No, but pseudo-radicalism sure is funny!!!!

[kiahzero]

12. Look at me! I can make strawmen polls!

I wish I could make strawmen polls that don't demonstrate anything at all, too!

[edzontar]

13. Perot probably HELPED Clinton win in 1992

Let's not forget THAT.

[kiahzero]

15. Not really

From what I've read, Perot pulled equally from both sides... he wasn't a spoiler, because he "spoiled" for both parties.

[edzontar]

26. He criticized Bush endlessly. He softened him up.

And helped make his downfall almost inevitable.

[mmonk]

14. No

but criticism of an independent or third party candidate is fair game.

[Iverson]

16. "right to peaceably assemble"

I doubt that it could be outlawed. However, you can engineer in practice a distribution of power that makes it difficult, including social sanctions for individuals who deviate from the norm.

[buddhamama]

17. the Democratic Party's new slogan

We value Democracy in this country,
now you leftists/independents just SHUT UP !

[Dhalgren]

22. The way a lot of Democrats think

is that "Independents" either "belong" to Kerry or Bush. The idea that someone might want to vote for someone else borders on the criminal. Here is the favoritw line of both Republican and Democratic automotons, "If you vote for anyone other than (Bush)(Kerry)you are actually voting for (Kerry) (Bush)." They don't seem to be able to see what this really looks like - it's damned funny.

[AntiCoup2K4]

18. So, who are the 8 fascists, I wonder?

I've never voted for anything but a Democrat in a presidential election, but I will if I feel like it, since the "Democrats" who Love Corporatism don't represent me.

[mmonk]

24. Don't hold your breath

I don't think they will reveal themselves.

[Snivi Yllom]

19. Zeig Heil!

Vee vill ban all politcal activiteeeesss vee do nut appppprrrrrrrrrrrove of.

The fact that I am seeing a quesiton like this here makes my head hurt?

[kiahzero]

23. It should

Some people will stop at nothing to make ABBers appear to be fascist. Somehow, saying that the best decision is to vote for the nominee becomes "oppression."

The idea of stupid polls like this, without any comment, is to make people assume that ABBers think this way.

[DuctapeFatwa]

28. Your post contains an inaccuracy

The idea of this poll is to see how many people feel that third party/independent political activity should be illegal as opposed to how many believe it should be legal.

[Doomsayer13]

21. 3rd party is self defeating but free speech

I don't advocate any sort of roll backs on the 1st amendment

[burning bush]

25. What a ridiculous question. I chose not to vote. --nt

[DaveSZ]

27. What is this?

Stalinist Russia?

[Cuban_Liberal]

30. Not only 'No', but 'HELL NO!' ... n/t