The 2 party system in America is a sham!
We're the melting pot of the world with millions of people of different heritages, ethnicities, backgrounds & beliefs. And when it comes to politics, we settle for 2 parties with vastly different stances on nearly every issue. Is there any way to really divide our diverse culture into two trains of thought? (no)
I've been a registered Independent my entire voting life. Even as a kid, I felt alienated by both the Democrat & Republican parties. I surely didn't fall into either category. I've been assumed and labeled a liberal when it comes to gay marriage rights or the legalization of marijuana and a right winger when discussing fiscal policy. It's almost like I'm not worthy of either club because I have an opinion of my own!
Think about the election process in the State of Florida. We are a 2-party state down to the wire. While I registered as an Independent in Florida 14 years ago, I have never voted in a primary. In Florida, you must be registered Republican or Democrat to vote in a primary for each particular party. As an Independent, I am excluded from primary voting. From the get-go voters are divided; candidates who don't necessarily fit into one party don't have the luxury of their supporters voting for them! Instead of finding the right candidate for all the people, it's first an internal party contest ending in a 2-party face off.
For the first time in my life, I'm considering switching to Republican just to vote in the primary to help Marco Rubio get the Senate nomination. I mean, how messed up is that? On the other end of the spectrum, there are professional voters and spin-doctors who register for the opposing party in order to vote the weaker candidate into the nomination! Either way, the system is wrought with failures and ultimately denying Florida residents the best candidates.
People running for office in Florida, from what I understand, must choose either a D or an R when registering their candidacy. They are required to join one of 2 parties, whether or not their ideals & ideas conform to the existing structure. This causes its own backlash when the Parties endorse a particular candidate. You're either with them or against them! You either choose the candidate that they have endorsed or they are going to take you down. If you're not left enough for the Dems, you're in trouble. If you're not right enough for the GOP, more trouble.
I have been an Independent because I don't make decisions down party lines. After learning more and taking the World's Smallest Political Quiz, I realized that there is a party for me! Growing up, I never heard much talk about the Libertarian Party - we only had 2 choices. I went to government schools for goodness sakes! When I started hearing about the Libertarians, I assumed that it was just another conformist political group that I wanted nothing to do with.
LIBERTARIANS support maximum liberty in both personal and
economic matters. They advocate a much smaller government; one
that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence.
Libertarians tend to embrace individual responsibility, oppose
government bureaucracy and taxes, promote private charity, tolerate
diverse lifestyles, support the free market, and defend civil liberties.
What's so bad about this ideology? I do not believe that government makes our lives better. To the contrary, government intervention in anything turns into deficits and inflation. I believe our country was based on these Libertarian principles (Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness).
I've begun seeing life through my Constitution colored glasses. Too many political decisions have more to do with power and special-interest than they do for the interest of our Republic. We must preserve this Great Country by getting back to our roots. It's time for a Libertarian uprising to validate a 3rd party with the Constitution at its soul!!
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