General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: We Need 3 Major Parties [View all]Savannahmann
(3,891 posts)Let's say that the Tea Party forms it's own third party. We respond by moving the Democratic Party left, and the more conservative members, aka DINO's leave our party in response. We end up with at most 40% of the seats in Congress. The Speaker is chosen based upon a coalition, and that coalition governs until the split becomes so wide as to be unbridgeable. Then there is a shake up, and once again a new coalition is formed.
On the other hand, if we did take in more conservative members, we could get a majority in the House, and much as we had before, with Speaker Pelosi, have control of the process and our people running the committee's. Yes we were stymied by some legislative agenda items by those conservative DINO's, but we controlled the process, and the committee's. We found it easier to get notional friends to go along with us than avowed opponents.