Third Party Discussion

This is a presentation I gave to the local Tea Party about minor parties and proportional representation:

Note from Mike Montchalin:

“I think this is going to be a fascinating presentation. The Republican party is in disarray; complete disarray! The 'youth' - the future, are internet savy, and overwhelmingly in support Ron Paul and want to end the fed. The Republican establishment didn't give that segment a fair shake. That segment is informed, out-there, and dis-affiliated. ///// Here we have a very perceptive Republican leader ASKING a former Republican, "What happened? And what do we need to do to stop it." Krys Walker has asked a lot of people, mostly Libertarians, what she should say. She also has her own experience to draw upon. This should be a fascinating meeting. And could be unique in the country.”

In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle wrote that, when performed from experience and reason, political science is the highest good. I hope that this age old wisdom can guide us tonight as we discuss political science, and that we can use experience and reason to find the answers we are each searching for.

Tonight the question is: Are we ready for a third party?

First I want to remind you all that the Republican party was originally a minor party. It came about at the right time, for the right reasons, and quickly gained support. So when we talk about minor parties, a degree of optimism must be considered.

When we get down to it, there are two attitudes which permeate this debate. The first is that when we have minor parties we divide our vote, and defeat ourselves. This is a real possibility. However, the other attitude is that the two party system alienates and disenfranchises voters. These unrepresented Americans disengage. They no longer participate in their own government process. We are left with a government that does not actually represent the people. This is a fact today, and a disturbing one.

The Founding Fathers warned us about the threat of a two party system.

John Adams said:

“There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.”

George Washington agreed, saying in his farewell presidential speech:

“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty”

When Larry first brought this up to me, my very first thought was…we already have many minor parties in our country; however, they are largely ignored. Why is that?

A quick search of Oregon’s Secretary of State’s website painted a clear picture:

In 2008 Oregon had:

929,741 Democrats

695,677 Republicans

And 528, 496 registered as other. 

That “other” number is not insignificant. These are not people we ignore simply because they won’t join up with one of the two major parties. It’s their country too, and they should also have a voice. Instead we should ask them: why?

But it gets better. In 2010 these numbers continue to shift, until in 2012 we now have:

872,361 Democrats

684,858 Republicans

642,141 now registered as “other”. 

So while the two major parties are shrinking, the “other” voter is growing.

The Libertarian Party is the third largest party in the United States, directly behind the Democrats and Republicans. In 1996, the LP became the first minor party to receive ballot status. A major victory against the two party system. Oregon has 15,724 registered Libertarians currently.

Specifically though, in Oregon the largest voting group after Republican and Democrat is actually non affiliated with a whopping 498,677. That’s 77% of the “others”. Another 96,000 is registered independent. So now the question is, where do these people go? Or do they return to one of the two big parties? But we haven’t answered the question yet of WHY?

This week I put that question out there. Because of my connections I ended up asking mostly Libertarians, although it was open for anyone to comment on.

The largest and most vocal answer I got was PRINCIPLES!

I myself left the Republican Party for this specific reason. I believe that currently the RP supports programs and policies which conflict with the constitution, and the founding father’s vision. In fact, the party doesn't even resemble what it was intended to be anymore.

~ Republican Party Platform of 1865 ~

I had a moral crisis during the last election, and realized that the Republican Party did not support my views. As a Ron Paul supporter during the primary, many of us got the message from the GOP: We want you to leave, you don’t belong here. I had some pretty nasty things said to me, and some pretty awful attitudes pointed my way. Why? Because I was sticking to my principles and backing the candidate that upheld them vs the candidate that was expedient.

I want to share with you some of the responses that I received on this topic this week. I am going to keep the authors anonymous. Libertarian Party members come from both major parties, and so this is a good balanced perspective on both parties from an outside perspective:

 ***

*Things to consider

 - minority outreach

- shift away from social issues as rally cries

- pay attention to image and perception 

*Both of the mainstream parties deceive the public into believing you must sacrifice civil liberty for fiscal liberty or vice versa. The republicans claim to favor small government, but refuse to shrink military spending and push for bigger government on such social issues like immigration, drug wars and regulations, marriage equality, and the US PATRIOT Act. Democrats claim to favor civil liberty but only expand on republican social policies and tax away your freedom. Libertarians, on the other hand, are socially tolerant and fiscally responsible so that individuals are free to decide their own conservative social values and voluntarily give liberally to charity rather than forcibly taxing/stealing your income in violation of the non-aggression principle.

* I am a recovering [Demo]crat. The deficit, the drone war, the patriot act and NDAA. Those are the issues that made me change.

*Former Democrat perspective on Republicans:

Recovering Clinton-crat here.

The republicans come off as
1. Wanting a theocracy.
2. Haters of anyone who doesn't fit their alleged moral framework. Note I said morals and not principles nor ethics, big difference.
3. Hypocrites
A) We are a Christian nation with Christian values but we bomb the crap out of people.
B) Claim to be for the Constitution but other than the 2nd Amendment you'd be hard press to find a republican that knows much more than that.
C) The talk free market but can't tell one free market principle.
D) They say we are not for entitlements but vote them in faster than crats. 

4. Don't rely so heavily on talking heads. Try to distance yourself from conspiracy theories.

*I came by way of being an anti-war, pro-free speech civil libertarian Democrat. At some point, I realized that those were oxymorons; the D party isn't about that anymore, it's about wealth redistribution. Right about the same time I stopped being a Democrat, I saw the Ed Clark commercial during the Reagan-Carter debate, where he said, "the American people should be able to go about their peaceful business without interference from their government". I've been a libertarian ever since.

* Avoid emotional politics. Avoid the perception of playing a team sport

Once I woke up it is is simple. Dems hate humans(period). They want to control, corral, dictate, and stand over everyone and rule. I use to be there. Except you do not think of it that way. I was abortion, capital punishment, population control, shut down business and save the environment, we need unions, every one should be the same and have the same. It was just intrinsic and only took feelings and not deep thought for government luv'd its people how could it not for I do.

The thought pattern is I know what is right and if everyone would act like me and think like me the earth would be peaceful and green.

The biggest thing with dems is they have no knowledge nor want any knowledge of the simplest economic thought nor of human behavior.

And both crats and r-cans go straight for the emotion card and cannot discuss anything for too long. I say generally, most of them. They both treat politics like a team sport.

*Well the party of "small government" might be challenged to understand how in many ways they are simply the statist negative of the Democrats. How instead of acting to reduce the scope of the government they seek to create the laws and structures that they like, as opposed to the Blue team's likes and by doing so cede the central positive rights mentality that drives progressive ideology.

* 1. I was only in the R party to vote for Ron Paul. Two main reasons I left: Loyalty member voting roster created by leadership, telling party members how to vote during county convention.  Talk at another meeting about all people who felt allowing gays in the party should banned. (Though I am myself a straight individual who thinks it's no one’s business, especially the State's.) 2. A third party isn't better. The electoral system is so terribly tilted against a third party it's depressing. However, it is the only conscionable choice. (I would highlight all the real things. Real limited gov--doesn't matter how many lobbyists there are. Real free market. Real non-interventionist policy. Real States rights. Etc.). 3. Man up. See above change in policy. 4. Gerrymandering needs to end. 

* [F]or a humorous perspective on conservatism, please read anything by P J O'Rourke.
As a former GOPer, I can only say that the party has lost touch with the electorate, because it has changed dramatically, beyond, really, anyone's full comprehension at this time. I might also add that the Democrat party may have a distinct advantage, in that it is, as Will Rogers used to say, "no organized party". As such, it can change, amoeba-like, almost at will. Think of it perhaps also as a
deranged chameleon. One of my favorite presidents, Ronald Reagan, had a special touch. He was able to appeal to the so-called "99%", while holding views some would say
were distinctly "01%". Finally, the term "progressive" now almost needs to be struck from the daily parlance, much as "diversity" and its ilk needs to be. Libertarians' message is and always should be to government, IMHO, "HANDS OFF!"  signed a once-upon-a-time-GOPer & now Oregonian who has high hopes for the Libertarian Party. 

Another thing that third party voters are looking for is a grass roots, bottom up system. We the activists run the LP with little input and no orders from the “top”; a major reason why Republican Party members are currently leaving their party. With new rules which make proportional representation at the RNC a thing of the past, the little guy has no fighting chance in the party. In the last election, we were told BEFORE the convention that the candidate had been chosen and we should get on board, or get lost. Then we were blamed when their candidate didn't win. This has disenfranchised a lot of Republican voters who have been trying to get the party back to Reagan era standards.

So what I’m hearing is that:

1.     The Republicans need to stick to their principles. Insist on a strict adherence to the Constitution. Insist on Judeo-Christian ethics, but be wary of the line between ethics and creating a perceived theocracy. The key to this balance is limited government. Let society and community take the reigns on social issues. Individual liberty must reign supreme.

2.     Listen to your party members, even if you don’t like everything someone has to say – the point of the party is to work together.

3.     Be careful who you are telling to leave the party. Remember everyone has different experience and knowledge to bring to the table.

4.     Stay small government, and mean it.

5.     Get rid of the top down organizational structure. Grass roots is the key for the party of small government.

6.     Party members, know what principles you are supporting. Be informed and take the responsibility to educate yourself on political science and economics. There is so much information out there on the web and in books. (My college textbook is in the book exchange box.)

So what do we do? Some will stay to try to reform the party. Others will search for a party that better fits their principles and priorities, believing that healthy competition in the market of ideas is fundamental to liberty. There are over 50 political parties in the United States. My advice will always be, as John Quincy Adams said:

“Always vote your principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetist reflection that your vote is never lost.”

I believe a huge key in this debate is cooperation. It’s important that as conservatives, right now, we have to work together regardless of party affiliation. If several parties have a candidate we have to do our best to identify the one that fits our core values the best and back that person, no matter what letter follows their name on the ballot. Technically a candidate can run for more than one party in our state. There are ways to collaborate. We have to listen to each other; to work together and not write people off.

Another thing to work toward, in my opinion, is proportional representation. I want to give you a quick summary of what it is, and encourage you to consider the advantages it has to offer.

Many countries currently have proportional representation today. There are different forms, but the basic idea is that if 10% of the population votes party A, 10% of Congress would be made up of party A representatives, and so on. This ensures that minority views are being represented. Fairvote.org does a fantastic job of further explaining Proportional Representation.

In the above link they explain:

"One clear downside to winner‐take‐all voting, however, is that losing candidates (and their supporters) win nothing, even if they win substantial numbers of votes. In a two‐candidate race, it is possible for 49.9% of voters to receive no representation. In a three‐candidate race,that number can climb to 66.6%‐ much more than half the electorate can actually oppose the candidate who has earned the right to "represent" it."

In my view this would protect us from tyranny of the majority, something the founding fathers warned about. It also encourages competition in the marketplace of ideas, and gets disenfranchised voters back in the process. So, I believe that minor parties would work best if we had proportional representation (imagine it beginning at the state level?).  Also a big key is cooperation between the parties members. We are all Americans, and we are all WE THE PEOPLE. 

And finally, I would say, if you think your time is best spent trying to reform the Republican Party join the Republican Liberty Caucus and take up that fight. However, if you just feel like you aren't being represented by either major party: find a minor party and get involved.  Don’t let the two party system deter you from being involved. Let your conscience be your guide.

More info:

List of all American Political Parties (over 50 parties in 2008):

http://2012election.procon.org/sourcefiles/2008party_lables.pdf

Constitution Party Platform:

http://constitutionparty.com/Portals/0/Images/Platform%20in%20Brief.pdf

Libertarian Party Platform:

https://www.lp.org/files/LP%20Platform%202012.pdf

Green Party Platform:

http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2012/Platform2012.pdf

Concise information on American Political Parties:

http://2012election.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004483