Political Parties

[Flarelatedad 0]

Now that the race is over, I would like to to get opinions on our political party system.

Just read an interesting story in "Uncle John's Supremely Satisfying Bathroom Reader". It addresses the party system. Kinda interesting:

"For all the diversity of opinion among the Founding Fathers in the 1770s, there was one thing that virtually everyone agreed upon" political parties were a bad idea." "In his farewell address as president, George Washington referred to political parties as 'the worst enemy' of democracic governments, 'potent engines by which cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men will...subvert he power of the people.'" "Alexander Hamilton equated political parties with 'ambition, avarice, and personal animosity.' And Thomas Jefferson could hardly agree more: 'If I could go to heaven with a party,' he wrote, 'I would not go there at all.'"


With this said, and besides the point of where I read it...

After this last period, are political parties a good thing or bad this?

[mailin 0]

It's not what the founding fathers envisioned, but we have to adapt and change with the times...

IMO, they are a bad idea... but, at least with the republicans and democrats, there's only a dimes worth of difference anyway


Jen

Arianna Frances

[PhillyKev 0]

There is only one reason or benefit that I can think of for political parties to exist these days. Money. Money is needed to run for office and it's a whole hell of a lot easier for a party to collectively raise money and distribute campaign funds than it would be for individuals. Get rid of the ridiculous costs necessary to run for office, while not giving an unfair advantage to those willing and able to spend their own personal funds, and there won't be a need for political parties.

No clue how that could realistically be accomplished, though.