If the third party goes straight for the presidency, yes. But if they build their momentum from the bottom up (local, state, and only then national), then… maybe?
Yeah, FPTP is terrible. Which is why I’m saying that if a third party slowly builds power from the bottom up, it might MAYBE work, as long as it doesn’t go for the big win until it’s ready.
It can’t. “Building from the bottom up” means winning seats in races for mayor, state legislatures, or the federal Senate and Congress. That means splitting the Democrat vote in those exact races, and makes sure that everywhere you try to “build power”, you will hurt that side of the political dichotomy that is closest to your own political ideas.
Oh. That’s messed up. Makes me appreciate living in a country with a functional democracy (parliamentary system, two-round elections for president…) that much more
What’s really messed up is that the very people who could end FPTP/winner-take-all through constitutional reform are actually incentivised to keep everything as-is: after all, why risk losing your seat to even more competition?
Makes me appreciate living in a country with a functional democracy
Same here. We’ve got proportional voting. The result still isn’t perfect, but there’s a lot less distortion between what people wanted and what people got.
That’s a good way to ensure the next Republican win in a winner-take-all system.
If the third party goes straight for the presidency, yes. But if they build their momentum from the bottom up (local, state, and only then national), then… maybe?
No, unfortunately not. It’s in the nature/maths of the system. Recommended
readingwatching.Yeah, FPTP is terrible. Which is why I’m saying that if a third party slowly builds power from the bottom up, it might MAYBE work, as long as it doesn’t go for the big win until it’s ready.
It can’t. “Building from the bottom up” means winning seats in races for mayor, state legislatures, or the federal Senate and Congress. That means splitting the Democrat vote in those exact races, and makes sure that everywhere you try to “build power”, you will hurt that side of the political dichotomy that is closest to your own political ideas.
Oh. That’s messed up. Makes me appreciate living in a country with a functional democracy (parliamentary system, two-round elections for president…) that much more
What’s really messed up is that the very people who could end FPTP/winner-take-all through constitutional reform are actually incentivised to keep everything as-is: after all, why risk losing your seat to even more competition?
Same here. We’ve got proportional voting. The result still isn’t perfect, but there’s a lot less distortion between what people wanted and what people got.