2016 Postmortem

cemaphonic

(4,138 posts)

28. It's mostly due to our voting structure

Sat Mar 19, 2016, 02:46 AM

Mar 2016

Since most (all?) of our elections are first-past-the-post, 2 large parties is simply the most stable arrangement. When the Whigs disintegrated in the 1850s, most of its northern membership joined the new Republican party, while the southern ones eventually ended up in the Democratic party.

Whenever a third party reaches a certain amount of success, it tends to get absorbed into whichever party it is ideologically closest to, because the larger party wants to attract the smaller's voters, and the smaller party gets to be part of the decision making process instead of a mere protest vote.

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This is the simple truth, Americans once again are being held hostage between [View all] akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 OP

Trump speaks to the blue collar non-college educated folks... CaliforniaPeggy Mar 2016 #1

Thanks Peggy! Still, you have you be so uninformed to vote for a racist! akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #4

When was the last time a candidate like Bernie got this much support? Dem2 Mar 2016 #2

You are confusing me with South, am in Canada. I only know left and right akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #6

Yes, we're your southern neighbors Dem2 Mar 2016 #7

I am so on your side. I want Bernie to win. akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #12

Stockholm Syndrome. Or is that going to get me banned, too? leveymg Mar 2016 #3

You know, I always wondered how a powerful country like the US has only two parties. akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #8

Two parties are easier to buy than four. leveymg Mar 2016 #10

I still do not understand. Where is the honesty when we elect people to represent us? akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #15

It's mostly due to our voting structure cemaphonic Mar 2016 #28

Two parties is the minimum number of parties to give the semblance of Democracy AZ Progressive Mar 2016 #30

Sorry you were ... snowy owl Mar 2016 #19

Hardly any have heard of Sanders RobertEarl Mar 2016 #5

That is the thing, the media is reaping what they sowed, giving that asshole prime time akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #9

media RobertEarl Mar 2016 #11

I have to ask myself, when did politics turn so ugly? It is this the people running for office who akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #13

Ugly Internet politics RobertEarl Mar 2016 #24

I never liked the Clintons and never will. Thought he was an asshole akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #25

That's the blood sport RobertEarl Mar 2016 #27

they love profits and they are reaping them I guess snowy owl Mar 2016 #21

Profits are #1 RobertEarl Mar 2016 #26

Bernie drew more people to his rally than Trump did to his today in the same state. Major Hogwash Mar 2016 #14

I know, but it seems as though the super delegates determine who is the nominee! akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #16

Actually, they only confirm what the voters want. Major Hogwash Mar 2016 #22

If people really think that voting against a republican is a winning strategy-- Loudestlib Mar 2016 #17

Sorry, Kerry was not a President! akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #20

Bernie has lots of support, they're just not showing it on tv nt Rebkeh Mar 2016 #18

That is the problem with the media, they effing promoting an asshole! akbacchus_BC Mar 2016 #23

The media is out for ratings and scandals insure high ratings. Kablooie Mar 2016 #29

Working people/the 99%, are being shafted, elleng Mar 2016 #31

The subterfuge is already here. I find it unlikely that Trump is running on his own free will JonLeibowitz Mar 2016 #32

Not the kind of 'subterfuge' I was referring to, elleng Mar 2016 #33

Here's some 'subterfuge' I just saw: elleng Mar 2016 #34