NationStates Jolt Archive

There are some things that no matter how I try to leave them alone, they just continue to irk and irritate me until I have to discuss them to get them out of my system.

One of these is the ever-gloating and condescending attitudes of quite a few (and of course not all) self-proclaimed conservative/slash Republicans on this forum as well as others and chatrooms. Why do these particular individuals need to keep insulting the opposition party and its members, especially Democrats? And thriving on their perceived failures aren't enough for a few, some of the extreme nutcases of even this bunch openly talk about their dreams of the Democratic Party (and maybe a few others) going extinct and establishing a Republican Dynasty.

Am I the only one who realizes a one party system in America is no better than a one party system anywhere else, say communist countries like China, Cuba and Soviet Russia? These few sad cases out of a majority claim to be patriotic while espousing views that make them sound well... fascist in their ideals.

And please, don't bring up any comments about how the two parties are really the same in principle. The fact that there are two or more separate party entities is what keeps America from being no better than aforementioned communist countries.

My view on political parties is "The more the merrier!"

Absoluely not. A one party system is just asking for trouble. However, I think that if such a system were to develop in this country it would cause its own death in one term of office. Corruption and ill-conceived plans would be so prevelent that the one party would either undergo a massive schism or would render itself impotent.

One of these [ things which irritate me ] is the ever-gloating and condescending attitudes of quite a few (and of course not all) self-proclaimed conservative/slash Republicans on this forum as well as others and chatrooms. Why do these particular individuals need to keep insulting the opposition party and its members, especially Democrats?

And please, don't bring up any comments about how the two parties are really the same in principle. The fact that there are two or more separate party entities is what keeps America from being no better than ... communist countries.

No one in their right mind wants to see America with only one political party. Fortunately, there are enough people waiting in the wings to start another party if either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party goes belly up. It's happened several times before in US history and could easily happen again.

However, if the Democratic Party dies, it's Democrats who will be the executioners. By drifting farther and farther toward the extreme left, the Democratic Party may indeed be sealing its doom as a major political party in America. By selecting "Screamin' Dean" as its new Leader, it continues to move leftward.

Unless all of my Political Science classes were totally wrong, the primary purpose of any political party is to help its candidates get elected. Yet the Democratic Party continues to drift leftward, even though it also continues to lose the Presidency, House seats, Senate seats and, as I recall, governorships as well.

As a former registered Democrat ( now independent ), I worry about the Party's future if it continues to affiliate with the likes of Micheal Moore, the Hollywierd "elite," organizations such as Democracy Now, and Eastern Establishment dinosaurs like Teddy Kennedy.

The final straw for me was the Party's selection of an amoral opportunist like Kerry for its last Presidential candidate. ( Please don't pick up on this comment and use it as a means of avoiding the theme of this thread. We've all been through that too many times. )

In response to Eutrusca, the Democrats are not the only party drifting to bigger extremes. There are reasons I choose not to affiliate myself with either,

Anyways, I think a one party system is a really bad idea. In fact, I don't belive two parties can be anything close to truly representitive of a whole nation.

P.S. Eutrusca-I just checked out your website. Didn't go through all of it, but I like what I saw.

I couldn't even vote with a clear conscious on this dipshit poll. :rolleyes:

You left a Libertarian with no real options, given the way you've chosen to phrase the question.

Remove the Democrats and there still wouldn't be a one party system.

However, if the Democratic Party dies, it's Democrats who will be the executioners. By drifting farther and farther toward the extreme left, the Democratic Party may indeed be sealing its doom as a major political party in America. By selecting "Screamin' Dean" as its new Leader, it continues to move leftward.

Eeehm... 'left' ? From an European (well, Dutch at least) viewpoint the USA currently does not even have a left wing - democrats are comparable to the center parties, with a small deviation to the left, while republicans are center-right to extreme right.
A bit of US left shifting may bring The EU and USA closer together (as would a right shifting of the EU.. which appears to be happening already. Too bad last time that was taken too far and led to Hitler)

Do note that the terms 'left' and 'right' can be used differently. In this post the left is the side that wants that the government provides for the needy, embraces refugees and is tolerant to other cultures, while 'the right' favours the rich, wants to close borders and thinks that foreigners should adapt or get lost.

The Republicans were down to 17 Senators and less than a hundred representatives in 1940. Just a few years later a Democrat would preside over American victory in WWII. If a party was ever *dead*, it would have been then. But surprisingly, the Republicans took back the White House and both houses of Congress in just 15 years.

Just as recently as 1996, the Republicans had 55 Senators, the same number they have now. Within 5 years they lost control of the Senate. Within the next 4 years they were back to 55.

Both parties have had over 200 Congressmen for some time now (there are 435 total). This past election, Republicans picked up 4 Texas seats due to a beneficial redistricting, but actually lost a net sum of 2 seats outside of Texas.

Republicans have a few more governerships than Democrats.

Democrats have about the same number of state legislature seats.

Democrats have more Attorney Generals.



I wouldn't worry too much about America turning into a one-party state. Least of all in current times, with a deeply dividing president presiding over a narrow majority.

America already is a one party state. They just use differing names to confuse and destroy you.

America is a two party state, but that is nothing to be proud of.

It means that both parties have a hold on power at various times, you either choose one or the other....well there is Ralph Nader...

Both parties ensure each other's survival, and is a perfect system of elected dictatorship, that being you have no real choice. You choose one, or the other, either way it means no real change.

Both parties have a grip on power that interchanges but always stays the same, either the Republicans are in power, or The Democrats, no one else.

They are both the same system, the survival of this agreement of ensured power of both is cemented by one or the other getting power in The White House.

It does not matter if one party gets power for a long time, for the other party will not fight it, for it would violate the ensured survival.

The Clinton and the Watergate scandal was not meant to bring about the fall of this status, but merely a leader, such as Nixon, or Clinton, who represented themselves, and not the system.

They were rogues, bugs in the normally flawless mechanism, who needed to be erased for their individuality.

The system lives on, playing out the false facade of democracy.

America needs more political partys in Congress.
The two party system is not working and there is not a chance a one party government would work in such a divided nation.

The democratic party is in serious danger of irrelevance. Likely many will defect to either the Libertarian or Green party. My guess is that the libertarians will become the next major player. I would not be surprized if the Republicans move more left to fill in the void.

It depends ....

Is there booze and women and am I invited to this party?

The democratic party is in serious danger of irrelevance.

After Reagan's crushing defeat of Mondale in 1984, conservative pundits were saying the exact same thing. Yet, in '92, we came back with a vengeance.

The party in power has always been temporary. I highly doubt that the narrow re-election of the most divisive President since Coolidge will have any real effect on the Democrats.

Is there booze and women and am I invited to this party?
It's better if there are two parties though, since when you get kicked out of one for fighting due to inebriation, you can go to the other.

Even better when you have other, smaller parties to crash after!
:D

Sorry but I thought it was already.

Personally, I believe that most Americans are really Libertarians at heart - they just don't know it yet. It is equally obvious to me that the U.S. government doesn't want people to figure that out - they would prefer to have us believe that there are only two parties, neither of which happens to be the Libertarian party. So far, they have been very successful.

Take the quiz at this website to find out whether or not you are a closet Libertarian:

http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html

If so, maybe it's time to come out of the closet. :-)

America being a one party nation is a bad idea.
Now a one nation party, especially when the nation is America, sounds like a good idea. BYOB though, American beer is piss.

By selecting "Screamin' Dean" as its new Leader, it continues to move leftward.
Howard Dean is actually a fiscal conservative, not left-wing at all. Unless you have a different understanding of the term "left-wing" than me.

Personally, I believe that most Americans are really Libertarians at heart - they just don't know it yet. It is equally obvious to me that the U.S. government doesn't want people to figure that out - they would prefer to have us believe that there are only two parties, neither of which happens to be the Libertarian party. So far, they have been very successful.

Take the quiz at this website to find out whether or not you are a closet Libertarian:

http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html

If so, maybe it's time to come out of the closet. :-)

Actually, my guess is that most Americans are really Populists (Southern Democrats) at heart. They don't like gay marriage, condoms in high schools, abortion on demand, illicit drug use, etc, but are very supportive of things like social security, public education, minimum wage laws, tariffs, etc.

Libertarians have traditionally voted Republican, and Populists traditionally voted Democratic. But it seems social issues started dividing the parties in the 60s. Libertarians ditched for their own party, and Populists largely went Republican.

well... there's always the chance the democrats might win :)

Actually, my guess is that most Americans are really Populists (Southern Democrats) at heart. They don't like gay marriage, condoms in high schools, abortion on demand, illicit drug use, etc, but are very supportive of things like social security, public education, minimum wage laws, tariffs, etc.
ugh, the authoritarian left

Howard Dean is actually a fiscal conservative, not left-wing at all. Unless you have a different understanding of the term "left-wing" than me.
Being a "fiscal conservative" doth not a centrist make. He's left-leaning on most social issues and rants about the use of American military to spread democracy, something which I believe is absoultely vital.

:( Letting a republicna have his finger on the button for any amount of time is scary, but indefinitely? This is madness, madness, I say. We're doomed, DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

However, if the Democratic Party dies, it's Democrats who will be the executioners. By drifting farther and farther toward the extreme left
Do you even know what "extreme left" means?

ugh, the authoritarian left
*gags and shivers*

Being a "fiscal conservative" doth not a centrist make. He's left-leaning on most social issues and rants about the use of American military to spread democracy, something which I believe is absoultely vital.
Actually being a fiscal conservative does make him centrist, if not right-wing. One thing that unites all leftists is their fiscal liberalism - they're not afraid to tax and spend. Dean is a tax-cut-and-don't-spend. But you say it is the same thing.

I don't think left and right can be used to describe social issues.

But anyway, aren't you also a social liberal? What's so bad about Dean being one too?

Being anti-war doesn't make him left-wing either. So was Pat Buchanan, but he is no lefty.

Do you even know what "extreme left" means?
[ Points at Ted Kennedy, Barbara Striesand, Michael Moore, Democracy Now, the CPUSA, and assorted noisy protestors, socialists, agitators, leftist congresspersons, Hollywierd elitists, and other dweebs. ]

Personally, I believe that most Americans are really Libertarians at heart - they just don't know it yet. It is equally obvious to me that the U.S. government doesn't want people to figure that out - they would prefer to have us believe that there are only two parties, neither of which happens to be the Libertarian party. So far, they have been very successful.

Take the quiz at this website to find out whether or not you are a closet Libertarian:

http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html

If so, maybe it's time to come out of the closet. :-)

http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz-score/draw.php?p=10&e=1

Nowhere near Libertarian.

[ Points at Ted Kennedy, Barbara Striesand, Michael Moore, Democracy Now, the CPUSA, and assorted noisy protestors, socialists, agitators, leftist congresspersons, Hollywierd elitists, and other dweebs. ]
Incorrect. None of those individuals are in favour of the overthrow of capitalism (except the CPUSA and socialists). The others may be slightly leftist, but they are not extreme. Remember that you too are on the left side of the spectrum, yet you support the Iraq war as well. Please reply to my post above.

One-party system?

Whatever it takes to wake you people up, I guess.

Good luck with that one.

I can only say one thing. You look like you can use some real opposition parties. Preferably with a backbone.

I can only say one thing. You look like you can use some real opposition parties. Preferably with a backbone.
Correct. Everyone says that if the Democrats go left-wing, they will lose even more votes. I disagree - people will see that they fiunally believe in something and vote for them. They also need passionate candidates, and religion, to express their left-wing views.

Fuckin' people...they consult their bibles before going to the polls, do they?

LMAO. Seriously.

Democrats ain't going anywhere, just be weak for awhile. What comes around, goes around.
I read and hear leftys making comments to the effect that the demise of Republicans is desired, all the time. Rarely have I read or heard a righty say the same thing but it is the leftys who project their own inner feelings about party demise onto the rightys and claim we want them removed from the political system. what crap.
You leftys, you never fail to make me chuckle. :D

Democrats ain't going anywhere, just be weak for awhile. What comes around, goes around.
I read and hear leftys making comments to the effect that the demise of Republicans is desired, all the time. Rarely have I read or heard a righty say the same thing but it is the leftys who project their own inner feelings about party demise onto the rightys and claim we want them removed from the political system. what crap.
You leftys, you never fail to make me chuckle. :D
Rather it is the American Right which has embarked on a propaganda campaign to paint the close Democratic 2004 election loss as a catastrophic defeat for them.

Swimmingpool makes a damn good point, one which is constantly steamrollered by the right - the 2004 election was hardly a landslide. It's a snapshot of two solitudes.

Swimmingpool makes a damn good point, one which is constantly steamrollered by the right - the 2004 election was hardly a landslide. It's a snapshot of two solitudes.
Few others have noted it, but ever snce November I have noticed the Republican members of this forum act as if Bush got 70% of the popular vote and as if the Democrats have only 25 Senators and 50 Reprasentatives left.

It was no landslide.