Tuesday, December 16, 2003
2-Party System
Vulf brings up a valid point when it comes to the shifting of politics via information technology. But, I think that information technology is not an end in itself. Dean can get a million people registered on his MeetUp.com site but if someone is a member of the United Mine Workers of America, odds are they are going to vote the way of their union. If Dean can convince the union that his stance on issues is worth an endorsement then he will get that vote.
If one takes a pluralist theory perspective, broad-based coalitions always win out over the majority. If Dean manages to isolate portions of these coalitions then he will find himself drifting out of the mainstream and into the footnotes of political history.
I actually do think that a viable third party is possible, but it will have to be a party that is able to deconstruct discourse over Left and Right and lead a discussion in terms of overall values as they apply to balances between Liberty and Equality and between Community and Efficiency on a local and on a global basis.
--LOBO
If one takes a pluralist theory perspective, broad-based coalitions always win out over the majority. If Dean manages to isolate portions of these coalitions then he will find himself drifting out of the mainstream and into the footnotes of political history.
I actually do think that a viable third party is possible, but it will have to be a party that is able to deconstruct discourse over Left and Right and lead a discussion in terms of overall values as they apply to balances between Liberty and Equality and between Community and Efficiency on a local and on a global basis.
--LOBO
