Replies to post #212 on TOWN MEETING (Selecting Our Leaders) (TOWNM)

[BullNBear52]

It is no more than taking an active part in the democratic process.

That's the key. Taking an active part in the process. I have seen too many times where people complain but they don't take part in the process either.

[Koikaze]

Hi, Low

"sine qua non" is defined as "an indispensable or essential thing". I don't agree that political parties are either essential or indispensable. I believe they are anachronisms that outlived their usefulness and are a detriment to our society. Whether or not they go away will depend on the will of the people.

I cited in an earlier post, the assessment that, "When the Founders of the American Republic wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they did not envision a role for political parties in the governmental order. Indeed, they sought through various constitutional arrangements such as separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and indirect election of the president by an electoral college to insulate the new republic from political parties and factions." I believe that assessment to be accurate, although I wasn't there at the time.

You and I see this matter differently, so I must be careful not to offend you when I respond. The material I wrote yesterday was not intended to refer to your actions as an individual. It was an attempt to describe the actions of our hypothetical party in terms of the way political parties function. That is also the point of the following comments.

It is incontestable that, as an individual, you may withdraw your support from any candidate or official for any reason at any time. That is the essence of democracy. However, when our hypothetical party withdraws its support in order to accomplish it's narrow goals without regard to the public interest, it most certainly is acting like "Boss Tweed". That's precisely why we suffer such travesties as the recent amendment of the bankruptcy law for individuals.

I'm not suggesting that the party shouldn't switch its support to another candidate ... I'm saying that it absolutely will, every time it deems the switch to be in its own narrow self-interest. And the party's self-interest is raising money by delivering votes for the special interests that buy them. It is precisely because the political parties pursue their own interests at the expense of the public interest that we have so much corruption in our governments.

It appears you do not believe political parties operate in the manner I describe, or, if they do, that it is acceptable. I'm on the other side of that fence ... and hope I'm not alone.

Fred