Better moderates like Crist become Democrats than launch a "Third Way" Party

[Tom Rinaldo]

21. Your position is well stated

If we had a parlimentary system I would back your reasoning in a flash. Or even some time of instant run off electoral system in cases where no candidate gets a majority, but we have neither.

I think a day can and will come when progressive Democrats would become the leading political force if the U.S. develops the equivelent of a three Party system, right, left, and center, even with the current winner take all system for elections I think that it is a decade premature to think we would come out on top now though in that scenario. Right now I think the centrists would prevail and opportunistic Republicans would court alliances with them and cement a center right electoral majority that would be less progressive overall than current Democratic Party government under someone like Obama.

The fact that there isn't an obvious "third way" party for voters to back instead of the Democrats or Republicans forces voters to look harder at core differences between the left and right in deciding how to vote. I think a lot of people currently would prefer to simple default to backing "the reasonable center" than seriousloy go through that thought process.

A "third way" Party would not just pull from the Democrats of course, it would pull from traditional Republicans also. It could quickly become the most competitive Party if A Republican Civil war breaks out in ernest. It could cement a right leaning Suspreme Court in place for a new generation.

Like I said, this is my short term political read. Longer term I think you can be right, with an increasingly strong left leaning counter media growing through the internet - and even on cable, and shifting demographics given current trends. It is my pragmatic read that progressives will gain the upper hand in the Democratic Party even if more moderates flood toward it. I fear "the third way" short term, not long term. Short term though I think they could ultimately deliver the nation to the Right for another generation if that movement were to gain real traction now.