[lotuseclat79]

First, I have purloined the title of Bill Moyer's Journal here in order to ask here the important questions that are asked there - I did watch the program yesterday.

On the weblink above:
Discussing elections with Bill Moyers on the JOURNAL this week, Kathleen Hall Jamieson highlighted the importance of citizens left out by the polarized and exclusive process of selecting Presidential nominees:

Kathleen Hall Jamieson

“You could say that at issue in both Iowa and New Hampshire is going to be: Where are the independents going and what does that say about the country? We tend to think, because the primaries are so structured around party, that this is about Republicans and it's about Democrats. And Ron Paul only gets into this discussion because he comes in as a libertarian but runs as a Republican in the party... But we forget in the press that people who vote and the people who are governed are not only Democrats and Republicans. There are libertarians there. There are undecideds there. There are people who legitimately say ‘I don’t identify with any of this. I’ll call myself independent.’”

In his interview with Moyers, Ron Paul suggested that America’s two-party system belies our democratic rhetoric.

Ron Paul

“We send boys over there to promote democracy in Iraq, but we don’t really have democracy here. If you’re in a third party, if you’re in the Green Party or Libertarian Party, you don’t get any credibility. You can’t get on debates. You can’t get on ballots hardly at all. It’s very, very difficult. And the two parties are the same. You don’t really have a democratic choice here.

Foreign policy never changes. Domestic fiscal policy, the welfare entitlement system never changes. Monetary policy won’t even be discussed. And that’s both parties. The vehicle that you use I think is not as relevant as the message. And that has been what has driven me, the fact that we need to change course in this country.”

And the important questions:
What do you think?

# Does the two-party system adequately provide citizens with real choices on various issues? If not, can citizens reform the parties to change this?

# Does the two-party system essentially mandate the exclusion of serious third-party contenders?

# As Ron Paul’s Web-based, grassroots-driven campaign has seen some success, do you think the Internet can democratize the political process and/or the two-party system?

-- Tom

P.S. My answers to above questions - what are yours?

1) No. Only with grass roots effort that demands the changes necessary to accomplish it. That would take a concerted engagement in politics after the general election. Most people would probably respond - yeah, right! and go back to not being involved politically, except every four years.

2) Yes. They hold the puppet strings of the power to do so in collusion with the media and their corporate partners and lobbyists - all who stand to gain financially at the expense of the American taxpayer.

3) No if every legal citizen does not have Internet access.

[LANMaster]

If there is one journalist I REALLY dislike, it's that lying douche, Bill Moyers.

[linskyjack]

Wow Lanmaster---Moyers is a very religious Christian---show a little charity.

[wacor]

I can't stand Moyers but he is not off target on this one.

One only has to look at Ron Paul being excluded from last nights debate to get a sense of how the 2 parties control things.

then you have the fiasco in Michigan with regard to the primaries.

Eventually I think the 2 parties are going to pay the price for trying to rig the election process.

It will result in a couple of candidates joining together as a ticket that will be more populist.

Not sure if we are there yet, but with the money some guys have been able to amass such as
Bloomberg we inch closer all the time to that.

[bassetman]

Originally Posted by linskyjack

Wow Lanmaster---Moyers is a very religious Christian---show a little charity.

To Lan, Christianity is a concept, not a lifestyle!

[linskyjack]

Lanmaster is unbelievable. Heck, I'm a card carrying atheist, but this guy claims to be Christian. Half his posts are put downs of people based on the way they look. The other half are these diatribes lifted straight from worldnet. com that can hardly be called Christian. What do the holy rollers like to say:WWJD---What Would Jesus Do! I assure you Lanmaster, Jesus would not be making fun of people and full of the kind of hate you have for those who don't buy your party line. Of course, I am an atheist so I have a license to attack.

[bassetman]

Originally Posted by linskyjack

Lanmaster is unbelievable. Heck, I'm a card carrying atheist, but this guy claims to be Christian. Half his posts are put downs of people based on the way they look. The other half are these diatribes lifted straight from worldnet. com that can hardly be called Christian. What do the holy rollers like to say:WWJD---What Would Jesus Do! I assure you Lanmaster, Jesus would not be making fun of people and full of the kind of hate you have for those who don't buy your party line. Of course, I am an atheist so I have a license to attack.

"Going to church on Sunday, no more makes you a Christian, than sleeping in the garage makes you a car"!
Gerrison Keillor (sp)

[Chicon]

Bill Moyers should come in Belgium to see how a more than 2 parties system is working.
It took nearly 200 days after the last elections to have a temporary government in Belgium !
BTW, the French system is the better; elections are made in two rounds :
- the first one for all the parties,
- the second one, 2 weeks after the first one, only for the 2 parties winners of the first round.

[LANMaster]

Thank you, Chicon.

[Chicon]

Originally Posted by LANMaster

Thank you, Chicon.

You're welcome, LAN !

[LANMaster]

Originally Posted by bassetman

To Lan, Christianity is a concept, not a lifestyle!

Not a very nice thing to say about me.

[LANMaster]

Originally Posted by linskyjack

Wow Lanmaster---Moyers is a very religious Christian---show a little charity.

Originally Posted by bassetman

"Going to church on Sunday, no more makes you a Christian, than sleeping in the garage makes you a car"!
Gerrison Keillor (sp)

I don't see how Moyers can call himself a Christian, but to each their own, I guess.

[lotuseclat79]

Originally Posted by Chicon

Bill Moyers should come in Belgium to see how a more than 2 parties system is working.
It took nearly 200 days after the last elections to have a temporary government in Belgium !
BTW, the French system is the better; elections are made in two rounds :
- the first one for all the parties,
- the second one, 2 weeks after the first one, only for the 2 parties winners of the first round.

Hi Chicon,

I would prefer the 2-rounder if there were a way to change our Consitution to do so.
Sigh!

-- Tom

[lotuseclat79]

Originally Posted by LANMaster

I don't see how Moyers can call himself a Christian, but to each their own, I guess.

Really LAN,

You always come off as an idiot. WWJD? He would give you some brains and an open mind - but, wait a moment - an open mind would take you down the dark path of being Open Minded! Surely, the truth, honesty and integrity would kill you.

-- Tom

[LANMaster]

Originally Posted by lotuseclat79

Really LAN,

You always come off as an idiot. WWJD? He would give you some brains and an open mind - but, wait a moment - an open mind would take you down the dark path of being Open Minded! Surely, the truth, honesty and integrity would kill you.

-- Tom

Thanks for the kind words.