The Case for a Moderate Third Party

From a letter to the editor of Oregon Live:

I became convinced several years ago that the only hope for our current system to accomplish anything is to form a viable third party out of the middle and let the current parties have the radicals from the fringes. With the independents and unaffiliated voters now a plurality in many states and reported to be so nationally, and most of these being moderates and centrists, there certainly exists a base large enough to form a viable "Independent Party" of moderates in the middle.

To have any impact on the body politic, it would have to field a slate of viable legislative candidates on a state and national level. A core of disgruntled legislators from the moderates of both parties would be an excellent start, giving such an effort credibility. If such a party could achieve 15 to 20 percent of elected legislators in any state or national body, supermajorities would not be possible, compromise would become necessary and things in the national interest might get done.

A lone-wolf candidate running for president or governor might give us vent for our frustrations, but won't accomplish anything without legislators to have an impact on the lawmaking process. If you think this is all a pipe dream, you haven't been paying attention to what is going on across the puddle in the UK.

WILL NUNN
The Dalles