Can real civil discourse and good governance exist in our current 2-party paradigm?

I'm pretty sure a person can have values and principles without being a blindly partisan adherent of a dogmatic ideology.
 
cwjerome said:
I'm pretty sure a person can have values and principles without being a blindly partisan adherent of a dogmatic ideology.
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It's almost impossible to find people with values and principles within party affiliations.

I honestly don't believe that they can possibly exist among "moderate independents."
The latter are from all observations unreliable miscreants and possibly deviant in multiple ways.

Independents who have difficulty with certain clerical or administrative aspects of party affiliation but who align themselves loyally with a party ideologically--
people like Bernie Sanders or Angus King--
have done excellent work on occasion,
but they're extremely rare.
 
cwjerome said:
I say no. The toxic partisan dysfunction that exists cannot fix itself and will only continue (and only get worse).

It will take a nearly impossible effort of non-partisans, moderates, and independents (ie. reasonable non-maniacs) to force the political culture and electoral structure into change.

What say you?
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What 2 party paradigm?

There is no civil discourse with Democrats, Marxists, Socialists, or Communists.
 
cwjerome said:
I agree with everything you said, but the electoral system we've created local/state/national promotes the dysfunction and hinders proper discourse and competition. It's a rigged system and only the parties/politicians benefit.
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What is rigged about the Electoral College?
 
Where does this idea that there are only two political parties in the States come from?

There are political parties for Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Communists, Socialists, Green, etc.
 
Into the Night said:
What is rigged about the Electoral College?
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The electoral college isn't rigged, although some say it should be tweaked or abolished altogether. Our electoral system is because the 2 party machine has been creating election laws across the country for 150 years that favor them and maintain a duopoly.
 
Into the Night said:
Where does this idea that there are only two political parties in the States come from?

There are political parties for Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Communists, Socialists, Green, etc.
Click to expand...

I've never heard that idea, obviously there are many parties. That said, the US has what's called a 2 party system because two parties have dominated nearly all local/state/national elections every year from 150 years.
 
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