Maturin

What the fuck are you on about Terry? A dictatorship? Please, grow up.

I'm just countering a couple of idealistic-but-ignorant comments about people wanting multi-party governments like you get in a parliamentary system. The simple fact is, the way the federal system is set up in this country you will always have a two party majority simply because it is the most efficient way to win elections here. You don't see coalition governments like you get in Israel or Pakistan. Instead the winning coalitions happen in the parties themselves. The party that can piece together the moderates with the idealogues is that one that will usually win the national election. You lose some of the subtleties between, say, Labour and Liberal Democrats in the UK, but on the other hand you don't have to worry about your government falling apart because it can't agree with itself. You trade distinction for stability.

For the past 25 odd years the GOP has been the party that's been able to hold up the Big Tent. Now it is the Dems have accepted moderates into their fold. They've traded hard ideology for majority. There are people who object to this (See stoneric, who doesn't want anyone who supports war in his government) but right now their voices are few and drowned out. Meanwhile the conservatives are purging anyone who doesn't share their beliefs out of the party. They're also polling 25-35%.

It once again comes down to one question: Do you want to be right or want to be President?

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"Creating something is not a democracy. The people have no say. The artist does. It doesn't matter what the people witter on about: they and their response comes after. They're not there for the moment of creation."

--Russell T Davies