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chadbag
08-22-10, 13:49
This is interesting:


The Weekend Interview with Scott Rasmussen: America's Insurgent Pollster - WSJ.com

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703579804575441330559553568.html?mod=googlenews_wsj


Understanding the tea party is essential to predicting what the country's political scene will look like.


You can tell it's a volatile political year when a balding, middle-aged pollster gets a standing ovation from hundreds of state legislators after delivering the news that only 23% of the people in this country believe today's federal government has the consent of the governed.

"Americans don't want to be governed from the left or the right," Scott Rasmussen tells the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conference of 1,500 conservative and moderate legislators. "They want, like the Founding Fathers, to largely govern themselves with Washington in a supporting—but not dominant—role. The tea party movement is today's updated expression of that sentiment."

Mr. Rasmussen tells the crowd gathered around him after his speech that the political and media elites have misread the tea party. He believes this strongly enough that he's teamed up with Doug Schoen—a pollster for both President Bill Clinton and New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg—to publish a new book that will seek to explain the movement's significance. "Mad as Hell" will be out early next month.

cop1211
08-22-10, 13:59
A third party is desperately needed.

chadbag
08-22-10, 14:12
A third party is desperately needed.

Probably true. But a 3rd party will never work. The US system is designed to be a 2-party system by virtue of the "winner takes all" system.

What is possible is for one party to be replaced by another. That has happened a few times.

rubberneck
08-22-10, 15:16
A third party is desperately needed.

If successful within a generation that third party would be every bit corrupt and self serving as the two we currently have.

Gutshot John
08-22-10, 15:22
For those that think a 3rd party is the "cure" for our political ills, I'd suggest taking a look at European politics and see how well 3rd, 4th or even 5th parties have realized it.

Short answer...they haven't.

mr_smiles
08-22-10, 16:15
The tea party got Harry Reid re-elected, f the tea party bs. Why do people have the need to follow others? Instead grow a pair and vote for who you want and not how palin tells you.

Personally I'd vote for some one who called themselves a communist if his/her views matched my own over the other candidates. I could care less if he/she is a republican, democrat or any other bs.

Business_Casual
08-22-10, 16:24
The tea party got Harry Reid re-elected, f the tea party bs. Why do people have the need to follow others? Instead grow a pair and vote for who you want and not how palin tells you.

Personally I'd vote for some one who called themselves a communist if his/her views matched my own over the other candidates. I could care less if he/she is a republican, democrat or any other bs.

Slept through civics class, eh? Missed the last two years, eh?

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have been able to pass the legislation they have based on people who don't understand this is a two-party system. Witness the Blue Dog Democrats - who were elected because they marketed themselves as free thinkers who would vote their conscience - then promptly turned around and did exactly what Nancy told them.

Mostly because she assigns offices and staff and budgets, and can get them re-elected, or at least, make damn sure they don't get any help getting re-elected. As mentioned above - it is winner take all.

B_C

mr_smiles
08-22-10, 16:36
Slept through civics class, eh? Missed the last two years, eh?

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have been able to pass the legislation they have based on people who don't understand this is a two-party system. Witness the Blue Dog Democrats - who were elected because they marketed themselves as free thinkers who would vote their conscience - then promptly turned around and did exactly what Nancy told them.

Mostly because she assigns offices and staff and budgets, and can get them re-elected, or at least, make damn sure they don't get any help getting re-elected. As mentioned above - it is winner take all.

B_C

I simply disagree, having experience in actual campaign work and getting candidates elected, more than just handing out fliers, it has more to do with name recognition than anything, career politicians make a brand for themselves, and it takes a shit load of effort to topple it.

The idea that nader or some other candidate cost gore the election is bs. Choice doesn't screw up our elections, no term limits screw up our elections.

And for the first time in some time harry had a good chance of leaving office, than the tea party supported this dumb ass angle for senator and got her the nod, now people are seeing her for what she is and dirty harry is climbing in the polls... Awesome work tea partiers...