Writer's Block: Customizable Party

[choco_frosh]

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Not that I would actually VOTE for it, but I'd like to create a Christian Democratic Party for the US.

Basic tenets would include:

1) Restrictions on abortion
2) A moderately green environmental policy (particularly with regard to restrictions on emissions, more careful policing of CAFOs, etc.)
3) A moderately "hawkish" foreign policy: it would seek to "Stay the Course" in Iraq, but attempt to negotiate with Iran, and perhaps modify our policy toward Israel.
4) In favor of retaining or extending anti-poverty programs.
5) In favor of creating some form of national health-care system.
6) Opposition to tax cuts for corporations and wealthy individuals.
7) Opposition to gay marriage.
There would probably be a few more...

I'd also like to see a New American Party, a more viable Libertarian party, a "Meadow Party" (moderate Libertarianism, combined with fairly stiff environmental legislation) and the split-up of the Democrats into Democratic Labor and Progressive-Green caucuses.

[I'm a Democrat, myself, but the polarization between two parties (of whom one never has a well-defined platform, and neither have any new ideas) is getting absurd. A multi-party system would (hopefully) force parties both to define what they actually stand for AND to work together.]

Comments

Hi5

[awedtoblog.livejournal.com]

The further i read, the more i agree. I'd vote for this.

[sovay]

Not that I would actually VOTE for it, but I'd like to create a Christian Democratic Party for the US.

Why create a political party you wouldn't vote for?

[gaudynight.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

To create some kind of consistency out of the ridiculous mess of strange bedfellows that is the US political system?

I'm kind of irritated at the assumption that "Christian" automatically = "in favor of restrictions on abortion and gay marriage", though.

I'd like the chance to vote for viable candidates of a European-style Green Party.

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

Well, yes. But that IS what tends to happen to large-scale left-wing Christian organizations in this country (the Jesus People, say.) I'd definitely prefer a left-wing Christian party (one that I'd actually vote for); but I have a feeling that if one were created, it would a) be essentially indistinguishable from the Democratic party (except in rhetoric), and b) it would end up getting coopted by anti-abortion evangelicals and Catholics. So I'm just being a political realist.

[sovay]

To create some kind of consistency out of the ridiculous mess of strange bedfellows that is the US political system?

Both in terms of the meme and of wishful thinking, still, wouldn't you want something closer to your ideal?

[straussmonster.livejournal.com]

I would have to hold my nose pretty carefully to vote for that.

Also, you do realize that the United States is structurally designed in a way that will make sure it will never go multi-party, right?

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

Probably, yes. But while we're dreaming...

[maweisse.livejournal.com]

One of my major issues with the US is that there are only two viable parties, and that the system is intrinsically organized so that there can not be more than two political parties. Why the US is considered a democracy with only two parties is still a mystery for me. In my little perfect world (besides getting all my work done), there would at least be:

a) A Christian Democratic Party - for all the reasons already mentioned above.
b) A Hispanic People's party (modelled of the Finnish Swedish Speaking People's Party, of course) - to work on dealing with the push/pull factors of illegal and legal immigration we're so worried about, but above all to represent and look out for the Hispanic minority. I'd also like to see one for Asians, since we're talking dreamland here...
c) A ("European Style")Green Party - because every self respecting nation needs one.
d) A Rural Union - to represent and look out for the farmers, foresters, fisherman, etc.
e) A Socialist/Social Democratic Party - Because every self respecting democracy needs some form of socialist or socialist-leaning voice.