Full Version: Comedy as Commentary
For those of you familiar with my favorite show on television, The Simpsons, you will recognize the following from Treehouse of Horror VII:
So independants - is it true? Are we throwing our vote away when we vote for an independant candidate?
QUOTE
Homer: America, take a good look at your beloved candidates.
They're nothing but hideous space reptiles. [unmasks them]
[audience gasps in terror]
Kodos: It's true, we are aliens. But what are you going to do about it?
It's a two-party system; you have to vote for one of us.
[audientce murmurs]
Man1: He's right, this is a two-party system.
Man2: Well, I believe I'll vote for a third-party candidate.
Kang: Go ahead, throw your vote away!
They're nothing but hideous space reptiles. [unmasks them]
[audience gasps in terror]
Kodos: It's true, we are aliens. But what are you going to do about it?
It's a two-party system; you have to vote for one of us.
[audientce murmurs]
Man1: He's right, this is a two-party system.
Man2: Well, I believe I'll vote for a third-party candidate.
Kang: Go ahead, throw your vote away!
So independants - is it true? Are we throwing our vote away when we vote for an independant candidate?
The notion of a third party is all fine and good…no I don’t think one will ever win, if Teddy Roosevelt couldn’t do it as head of the Bull-Moose party then nobody could.
But think of it this way, Democrats before Slick Willie were not the same as Democrats since. Just like Republicans before Ronald Reagan were not the same as after. The two parties are in constant change. If you like the “basic” platform of one party, try to vote in the primary for someone of your political ideology. After all there is will be no advancing of your agenda if you don’t win first.
This is not perfect of course, more and more people just don’t have an opinion…then you get an ALGORE or W. Bush who don’t really stand for anything. And neither side of the spectrum gets advanced… As they said on SNL when George senior was giving George jr. advise…”slip, slip, slide to the middle”
But think of it this way, Democrats before Slick Willie were not the same as Democrats since. Just like Republicans before Ronald Reagan were not the same as after. The two parties are in constant change. If you like the “basic” platform of one party, try to vote in the primary for someone of your political ideology. After all there is will be no advancing of your agenda if you don’t win first.
This is not perfect of course, more and more people just don’t have an opinion…then you get an ALGORE or W. Bush who don’t really stand for anything. And neither side of the spectrum gets advanced… As they said on SNL when George senior was giving George jr. advise…”slip, slip, slide to the middle”
what's funny is that it is a conservative view that competition is good for everyone, except when it comes to politics. the market can only support two competitors.
what i am trying to say is that we could get candidates that stood for something when the candidates weren't trying to be opposites. we get mirrors, like gore and bush. what we need is a spectrum. for this reason, and many more, third party candidates are essential and impossible.
what i am trying to say is that we could get candidates that stood for something when the candidates weren't trying to be opposites. we get mirrors, like gore and bush. what we need is a spectrum. for this reason, and many more, third party candidates are essential and impossible.
Competition on a level playing ground is always the best…but in the presidential election there is not a level playing field for one reason.
The Electoral College… this puts the winner not getting a majority to getting the most Electoral votes. Most the time a third party will just give the advantage to the person least like him, as did Perot did with Clinton. Most political scientist (I use that term loosely) say that if not for Perot Clinton never would have won.
That is why there must be shifts in the political spectrum from within the parties. It is a good thing, it keeps the nation from huge power swings, maybe it is all part of the “Master Plan” of our founding gods…oops I mean fathers.
The Electoral College… this puts the winner not getting a majority to getting the most Electoral votes. Most the time a third party will just give the advantage to the person least like him, as did Perot did with Clinton. Most political scientist (I use that term loosely) say that if not for Perot Clinton never would have won.
That is why there must be shifts in the political spectrum from within the parties. It is a good thing, it keeps the nation from huge power swings, maybe it is all part of the “Master Plan” of our founding gods…oops I mean fathers.
Although most of these "other parties" seem like a joke they are on the right path. We should not be a two party country in fact we shouldn't even have parties to begin with. If you can't research what someone stands for on your own then don't vote.
I think a no-party system is a very interesting idea. I think it would change the entire face of Washington. In fact, would "politics" even exist?
Taking the thought in a different direction, would people tend to vote based on candidate's views on popular issues or based on a candidate's firm, pre-determined belief system (either morally or ethically or whatever else could fit here)?
It's all speculation though given the fact that I'll never see something like that in my lifetime.
Taking the thought in a different direction, would people tend to vote based on candidate's views on popular issues or based on a candidate's firm, pre-determined belief system (either morally or ethically or whatever else could fit here)?
It's all speculation though given the fact that I'll never see something like that in my lifetime.
QUOTE(labfreak23 @ Aug 8 2002, 05:08 PM)
what's funny is that it is a conservative view that competition is good for everyone, except when it comes to politics. the market can only support two competitors.
I'm a conservative, and I love third parties.
I think that none of them in their current form are poised for success, but some day one may be. And it would probably be a good thing.
But for the time being, most of the third party voters are moderates and moderate Democrats. I think it would be unusual that a conservative would switch to a third party.
So less votes for Democrats and more votes for Republicans makes me happy.
Mike
Abraham Lincoln was a third party canidate and look what happen to his party. (the republican party in case you dont know)
None of you want a system of many or no parties. In Chile, their are on average, 30 presidential candidates. If vote margins are narrow (almost always are) the entire country revotes. Do you really want to vote until your blue in the face to get a president? No, you don't. Trust me on this one. 
Yeah, but we're the world's richest nation, and Congress likes to prove it through big spending.
Eventually they're going to replace all of our machines with "voting terminals" and we'll have near realtime tallies of the voting. Hopefully, the media won't report them in real time, though.
Anyways, Florida's already done that. All their voting this November will be on the new equipment.
So whether there is 2 candidates, or 20, it really won't matter soon.
Until someone finds a way to hack into the system and tamper with the election...
Mike
Eventually they're going to replace all of our machines with "voting terminals" and we'll have near realtime tallies of the voting. Hopefully, the media won't report them in real time, though.
Anyways, Florida's already done that. All their voting this November will be on the new equipment.
So whether there is 2 candidates, or 20, it really won't matter soon.
Until someone finds a way to hack into the system and tamper with the election...
Mike
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