Third Party
It seems to me that there are many people supporting Sen. Obama that would actually like him more if he were running outside the Democratic Party. He has obviously found a large number of supporters who aren't currently Democrats or Republicans. He seems to do well with voters who in the past have been disenfranchised or otherwise feel that neither of the two major parties speaks to them. He wins in states like Virginia that don't usually vote for democrats but are open to candidates like Jim Webb and Tim Kaine, who won in Virginia precisely because they didn't run as Clinton-style Democrats.
Obama as a third party candidate would attract minorities, students, thinking people, academics, young professionals, and so on that are discouraged by both Republicans and Democrats. If congressional approval ratings are any indication, over 80% of Americans are frustrated with both parties.
And if Ohio is any indication, it appears that a substantial number of Democrats continue to embrace the politics of old, the message of fear, and fairly shallow understanding of the candidates and issues. (Not exactly a group of people I’m excited to be a part of.) Which is why many of the very same voters went with Bush last time around. I cannot imagine that Hillary's "base" (poor, uneducated, "down-scale"voters) voted for John Kerry. In fact they may not even vote for Hillary in a general election once they hear McCain's 3 a.m. phone call ad.
Senator Obama is creating a movement unlike anything this country has seen in years. The odd thing is, he is trying to do it within the cynical confines of the two-party system. This country is desperate for something new. Senator Obama speaks of things like rejecting the influence of lobbyists and big corporations. He rejects dirty politics. He rejects so many of the things that neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party really reject. Just listen to Terry McAuliffe and Ed Rendell and Bill Clinton these days. Hardly sounds like they are interested in any movement toward real change.
Barack Obama can fight against the Democratic Party establishment and try in vain to change it or he could start a real movement -and party- that belong to him and his passionate supporters.
Obama as a third party candidate would attract minorities, students, thinking people, academics, young professionals, and so on that are discouraged by both Republicans and Democrats. If congressional approval ratings are any indication, over 80% of Americans are frustrated with both parties.
And if Ohio is any indication, it appears that a substantial number of Democrats continue to embrace the politics of old, the message of fear, and fairly shallow understanding of the candidates and issues. (Not exactly a group of people I’m excited to be a part of.) Which is why many of the very same voters went with Bush last time around. I cannot imagine that Hillary's "base" (poor, uneducated, "down-scale"voters) voted for John Kerry. In fact they may not even vote for Hillary in a general election once they hear McCain's 3 a.m. phone call ad.
Senator Obama is creating a movement unlike anything this country has seen in years. The odd thing is, he is trying to do it within the cynical confines of the two-party system. This country is desperate for something new. Senator Obama speaks of things like rejecting the influence of lobbyists and big corporations. He rejects dirty politics. He rejects so many of the things that neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party really reject. Just listen to Terry McAuliffe and Ed Rendell and Bill Clinton these days. Hardly sounds like they are interested in any movement toward real change.
Barack Obama can fight against the Democratic Party establishment and try in vain to change it or he could start a real movement -and party- that belong to him and his passionate supporters.
posted by Steve Trumbull | 3/09/2008
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