What is happening to this country?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Except that primaries are run by the states. Each state has different requirements for getting on the ballot, but as far as I know, each state allows major party nominees on the ballots without any other requirement (petition signatures or the like).

I really can't think of any democracy of any size that doesn't has a party system.

Which (the bolded) is really unfair. The Reps or Dems can basically run a flounder for President if they want to, but someone who's far more qualified has to run around begging for signatures? Totally bogus.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Which (the bolded) is really unfair. The Reps or Dems can basically run a flounder for President if they want to, but someone who's far more qualified has to run around begging for signatures? Totally bogus.

In most states, it's more than the two major parties -- there are Libertarians, Greens, Reform, whoever else. Beyond that, the signature requirements are raraly too onerous for a half-way credible candidate. And like I said, if you don't have some kind of system like this, there is a real risk of ballot and electoral nightmares.

You have to remember too that in many states, independent voters or maybe even anyone can vote in a party's primary, not just registered members of the party. Some states don't even have voter registration by parties.

To me the real question is not whether the party system is a good or bad thing in and of itself. To me the questions are why, for almost all of our history, has the US had what is essentially a two-party system (and I know that the fact that we don't have proportional representation is part of the reason) and why have the same two parties dominated basically since the Civil War?