RI: Third Party Necessary Because One-Party State is Unhealthy

At the Providence Journal, Edward Fitzpatrick writes on Robert Clark Corrente's chairmanship of the Rhode Island Moderate Party:

Corrente, Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney from 2004 to 2009, is taking over as chairman of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island, aiming to turn a new party (which won official recognition in August) into a credible alternative to a Democratic Party that has dominated state politics for decades. So while he won’t be rowing with a rhino aboard, he will be trying to dislodge, or at least disconcert, an enormous Democratic donkey.  Corrente acknowledged he could have picked an easier task, saying, “No one will accuse me of cherry picking this.” So why did he take it on? “Needs to get done,” he replied. “Nobody’s doing it.” It needs to get done, Corrente said, because single-party rule is not healthy for Rhode Island. The biggest problem is that single-party dominance creates “an atmosphere of inevitability” in which people figure it’s not worth running for office, getting involved in politics or even voting because the outcome is inevitable, he said. “And as soon as that culture of inevitability sets in it necessarily creates just an enormous amount of apathy.”