My idea for a progressive 3rd party

[Won2blv]

This was a little longer than anticipated. If you don't feel like reading it all just skip down to where I say, "so here is my solution"

The GOP claims to be pro-business, but they're really just pro-profit. They think that money is the only barometer of the American peoples minds. In reality, though, they're more like Ray Kroc. I don't know if anyone saw "The Founder" but its a great movie. The original McDonalds brothers were 2 guys that saw progress, not just in profits, but in quality, community, and moral principles. They even insisted on keeping the original McDonalds so that they could gift it to their long time employees. No one could say that they were not capitalist. They were just capitalist with foresight that went beyond just profits.

So what has Mcdonalds turned into today? Its the punchline to a million different jokes. Yes, it is one of the largest and most successful chains in the world but how many people eat there JUST because they love the product? I eat there, but I don't love the product. Its just convenient and cheap, but if I have time I am going to go to Five Guys. A restaurant that charges a lot more, but delivers a lot more.

Lets just say that Mcdonalds is the GOP right now. What does that make the DNC? The DNC is like Babhu Bhat's "Dream Cafe" in Seinfeld.





It serves just about every kind of food imaginable. No one wants to try it. The loyal establishment of the DNC have become like Jerry. Thinking that they're "really good" people because of how inclusive they are. IMO, smugness is definitely a problem with the DNC right now. That smugness has turned off a lot potential supporters and turned many into Trump supporters that are sick of feeling like they're dirt, just because they don't want to eat at the Dream Cafe.

So here is my solution. Rebranding. I am not talking about the Dems "getting out the grassroots" I'm talking about KILLING the DNC and creating a new party in its place.

Bernie Sanders was asked on Meet the Press about a possible 3rd party. The obvious downfall is that you would end up just splitting votes and empowering the GOP. So the instead, Democrats should just create the 3rd party itself and then dissolve the old one. Then instead of the complicated mess that is the DNC now, it could reformulate itself into simple easy to understand platform positions.

For example, on gun rights. The platform could simply be, "We are committed to protecting the rights of all gun owners by limiting the unlawful use of weapons that only creates disorder and misinformation about gun owners"

Could you see how that would be a simple way that made gun owners feel secure to have their guns and for gun control types to feel secure that the party could implement common sense gun laws. It would take a lot of the emotions out of the deal.

Just imagine what would happen. This kind of major political shake up would dominate the news cycles for months. More than likely, the GOP would attack it as a bait and switch. However, the leaders of this new party would just acknowledge that they still hold many of the same principles but understood that the Democratic Party was weak and ineffective. They could keep saying, we don't care about the past. If the other party wants to talk about the past and "the Name" of our party then let them, but we just want to get our new party going.

It's not like the loyal democrats are going to flee to the GOP. But it would be a domination of attention. People that are sick and tired of Politics "as usual" will notice the new party. Every talk show in the nation would be interviewing all representatives of this new party. Their website would be inundated with interest. All of the policies could be adroitly written to leave race, gender, and religion in as little of the text as possible. It would be like a new burger joint. Except this Burger joint gives you the Five Guy's burger at the McDonalds prices.

Please tell me what I'm not seeing

[paulpablo]

I  honestly can't be bothered to read through all that but kudos for the Pakistani cafe on sienfeld reference, I loved that episode.

[Chad32]

The Justice Democrats are currently working on getting more progressives in at 2018 to reshape the democratic party. Whether taking over the DNC, or starting a new party, both have problems, but they're going with trying to vote in their guys to the DC in a couple of years. We'll see how that works.

[NuclearEnergy]

This is the problem. People want parties to be in charge when it should really be the one's who have the people's best interests in mind. I've always said we should get rid of the party system and everyone should run as an Independent. This way people would be forced to research that candidate.

[GUBU]

This is the problem. People want parties to be in charge when it should really be the one's who have the people's best interests in mind. I've always said we should get rid of the party system and everyone should run as an Independent. This way people would be forced to research that candidate.

You should look at the UK parliamentary system in the 16th to 18th centuries. Endemic bribery, rotton boroughs (ie constuencies with more MPs than constituents), parliamentary inertness and national mismanagement were the result.

Either that or a dictatorial one party state (cf Cromwell).

[ReptilianPeon]

Won2blv, why not just join the Green Party? Why start a whole new party? I always vote for the Green candidate where I live.

[Won2blv]

Won2blv, why not just join the Green Party? Why start a whole new party? I always vote for the Green candidate where I live.

Because I don't want to be part of an advocacy party. The GOP almost split off into a 3rd party after Obama was elected. They were prudent enough to just accept the crazies, thinking they could reign them in. It would take years for a 3rd party to rise to a point of being powerful enough to make policy. So the only way that a 3rd party could have an immediately power is if one the 2 current ones dissolved

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This is the problem. People want parties to be in charge when it should really be the one's who have the people's best interests in mind. I've always said we should get rid of the party system and everyone should run as an Independent. This way people would be forced to research that candidate.

The problem is that everyday people are just not going to pay attention to each individual candidate. More dark money would flow into politics and the candidates that are just good marketers, like Trump, will win

[The Grand Nudger]

For example, on gun rights. The platform could simply be, "We are committed to protecting the rights of all gun owners by limiting the unlawful use of weapons that only creates disorder and misinformation about gun owners"

That would be marked improvement over each respective sides current gun narrative.

 As to what you're missing...well, probably, the people who like the platform as it is, people who agree, for example - with the current gun narrative.

[RoadRunner79]

If I am understanding correctly, you are just talking about relabeling, the same thing. Personally, my thoughts are for a real third party, which is more middle of the road.

[The Grand Nudger]

A middle of the road party between republicans and democrats would just be a third right wing party.  If what you mean is an -actual- politically centrist party, it would be to the left of both the republican and democratic parties.  I too, would support that. Wouldn't be as left leaning as me, but at least it would be able to blend what the left and the right conceivably -could- get right.