With the never-ending political candidates’ name-calling and the dysfunctional gridlock in Washington, D.C., the first U.S. president got it right. In George Washington’s farewell address, noted as the most visionary document ever written by a president, he warned of the “continual mischiefs of the spirit of party” making it the “interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.” In other words, he alerted us about the dangers of political parties.
Whether you look at the divisiveness of the political system in which nearly all state and federally elected legislators are puppets, voting the party line and their special-interest supporters, and in which bipartisanship is a foreign concept, maybe it’s time for a sensible third party.
Let’s face it, a lifeboat is being sought by the 74 percent of Republicans who vote a straight ticket, especially when they have to pick a president from the likes of Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, or Gov. John Kasich. A similar lifeline is needed for 78 percent of the straight-ticket voting Democrats as their options are either Hillary Clinton or Sen. Bernie Sanders.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, approximately half of the registered Republicans and Democrats say a third political party is needed because the current two-party system does “such a poor job” of representing the people. Logically, 71 percent of the no-party independents, which represent the largest bloc of U.S. voters, want a third party.
For the disheartened Republicans, Democrats, and independents, I’d name the new group the Common Sense Party.
While I’m not a political wonk, it’s common sense to be fiscally responsible, pro-business, environmentally responsible, and tolerant of women, men, LGBT, impaired, disabled, handicapped, and 4,200 different religions.
All Americans understand the purpose of our government is to protect the individual rights of its citizens, including strong foreign affairs, sensible gun ownership, and background checks, defense against terrorism, and enforcement of civil rights.
I’m confident mature citizens would agree the multitude of entitlement programs and layers of government regulation need tweaking.
It’s logical to embrace public campaign financing while extending, not restricting, voting privileges to all eligible voters.
For our long-term survival, it’s pragmatic to properly fund the National Institutes of Health, improve our public educational system, embark on criminal-justice reform, improve our health-care system, embrace a strong military, create jobs, have sensible immigration reform, and eliminate our $19 trillion federal debt.
Every city in the U.S. has infrastructure needs. The 1935 Works Progress Administration, in which millions of the unemployed carried out desperately needed public-works projects, was a godsend. An updated 2016 WPA Act would permit our unemployed and underemployed to work on public buildings, bridges, roads, tunnels, sewers, electrical grids, telecommunication network, public parks, and airports.
Common sense says taxation reform, water-quality protection, energy independence, and continued Social Security and Medicare funding is required.
Washington would be proud if we put the interests of the country ahead of our 21st century “after me, you come first” political parties and politicians’ behavior. It’s prudent that “We the people” take control of our dysfunctional political-party system.
No-party independents are already primed for a third political party. And with 47-48 percent of their Republican and Democrat neighbors wanting a third choice, let’s get this party started.
Steve Corbin
professor emeritus of marketing, University of Northern Iowa
