Reptile & Amphibian Forums

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/opinion/03friedman.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase and Striped Desert California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

Well, I read the Op-Ed and the author makes no suggestion as to how a third party solution would be able to accomplish anything that the two current political parties can not accomplish; short of an overwhelming majority over both current political parties, which I don't believe will happen for a number of reasons.

Having moved from the U.S. and having lived in Canada for the past 27 years, I can tell you the affect of having more than a two party system - as you may know, Canada has three major political parties along with a number of minor political parties.

Political parties mostly divide themselves in the U.S. and Canada along conservative vs. liberal lines. When a third party is introduced, it will either be conservative or liberal and will divide support for its political affiliation with the other unfortunate party, and neither divided party will be able to defeat its opposition. Therefore, the will of the people will always be thwarted under such a situation. For example, here in Canada, the liberal consensus is vested in two liberal parties, while the conservative party is unified. Under the present situation, the liberals can not defeat the conservatives, even though the combined vote for the two liberal parties could easily win. Thus the the will of the majority is thwarted by the two liberal parties, and now support is growing for a coalition between the two liberal parties in Canada going into another possible election next year.

But isn't Canada a parliamentary system? Why don't the two liberal parties form a coalition government-do they have some kind of very basic disagreement they can't get around.

My sense is that the problem with our two parties is twofold-one, they are polarized too far to the extremes of right and left respectively, and two that they are held captive by their special-interest backers.

My sense is that any successful third party would have to be strict pragmatic centrists to capture those of us in the great disaffected middle mass of Americans.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase and Striped Desert California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

Yes, Canada does have a parliamentary system, and the two liberal parties, i.e the Liberal Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party are discussing forming a coalition against the Conservative Party of Canada.

The same thing is happening here with the Tea Party. They are basically conservative and will and up scaring the moderates in the Repubs.