Barring Barr: The Fifteen Percent Rule

Remember its was the Democratic-Republican party until it spit into to parts the GOP(Grand Old Party) /Republicans and the new party the Democrats so that there would be at least 2 parties.

So its just two halves of the same party making the rules.

The debates should include any party that is represented on the ballots of at least 50% of the states.

As long as the way the president is chosen is a broken popularity contest where any candidate can and must avoid issues that are controversial the debates should include any party that is represented on the ballots of at least 50% of the states.

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I believe in the original constitutional form of the electorial college rather than direct populous election of the president.

The one where people vote for local electors to represent their districts stand on the issues. The duly chosen electors to elect the President and Vice-President from the candidates. The President elected by the most votes and the vice-president having the 2nd most votes. Yes, they may be from different parties but that could be a good thing!

The intent of the Electoral college was to chose the chief executive similar to the way a parliamentary government does but have a greater separation between the legislative and executive branch. This body of electors can then "interview" all of the candidates and actually learn how they stand on issues as well as how to implement programs before choosing the president.
When the change was made to limit the number of Representatives in the House, the number of electors should have been re-written to include the original language so as not to limit the number of Electors.

Not a big fan of the multiple party system. It just turns out the same way. That said, I find libertarianism appealing but only when pertaining to civil liberties (except for gun laws).

We need "third party" representation to abolish the two party system we have....These rules need to be lifted so we are not left with "a lesser of two evils"...maybe a lesser of three wont be as bad??(JK).....At least its a start.....I do have to point out that we need to allow everyone to answer the questions presented rather than the host just being able to say "well I know you have a different idea on this subject, so we are going to ask you a different question...."

Our current system is a dog and pony show.......

I agree Fallen Morgan. Whether or not you like Barr or Nadar isn't the issue. The US electorate needs real choices instead of the two Demoblicans given to us by the establishment. Either way, we get less freedom, more interventionism in the economy through the Fed, and an interventionist foreign policy. One is a welfare party and the other a warfare party and they end up compromising by giving us more of both with the citizens having a greater burden.

Third parties have a counter-intuitive effect. If the third party is conservative it helps the Democrats. If a third party is liberal it helps the Republicans.

I'm not too worried about Barr or Nader getting exposure.

Barr is just another right wing nut.

Nader, on the other hand, is Darth Vader. He started out on the right side of the force but he went to the darkside. Nader's vanity cost Gore the election in 2000 and gave us George Bush as president. At the time, Nader and his supporters claimed there was no real difference between Gore and Bush. Nader and his supporters were dead wrong; 8 years of George Bush nearly ruined this country.

History will view Nader as a fool and a villain, one who nearly ruined his country for the sake of his own petty vanity. One weeps for what might have been with Gore as President, and one can only despair over the pain and suffering brought about by the ego and vanity of Nader.