The fall of the two party system is upon us!

[Playinghardball]

ToastyPoptart ‏@LollipopCrumbs

[PoliticAverse]

1. The system is fixed for there to be 2 parties now.

A byproduct of years of "first past the post" voting...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-post_voting

[Hydra]

2. The rift in the Democratic party is almost terminal

I honestly expected it before now, but this is better in the long run. If the party splits, it should be after we've done all we can to redeem it. There will be no going back at that point.

[Gore1FL]

3. It will be two parties.

Whether those two parties are Democrat and Republican remains to be seen.

[sabrina 1]

4. Been telling people this for months, and if Bernie is denied the nomination, especially with lies

and dirty tricks, that Independent Demographic will be even larger.

The old ways have failed the people, served the wealthy, but in the end there are more of us than of them and now that people are awake, we are going to make this country ours again even if it takes years.

There are 191 Bernie Dems running for the Senate and Congress this year. THAT is where we will be placing our energy.

[cui bono]

5. Yep. I wouldn't be suprised if the Bernie Democrats form a third party

if the Dem leadership screws us over.

We NEED another party if the Dems are going to remain GOP Lite.

.

[dana_b]

6. I'm there

I was a Dem for almost 30 years and became an independent 3 years ago. I can't support Third Way/Clintonian policies. I re-registered as a Dem a couple of months ago for Bernie and unless he becomes President, I don't expect it to last.

Anyway, I would love to see another party - maybe even join with the Greens!

[Jim Lane]

7. If the Bernie Democrats form a third party, they'll have to do it without Bernie

If anyone would be thought to be favorable to a third party, it would be Bernie Sanders, who (unlike the Jill Steins of this world) has actually been elected to public office on a third-party ticket. Yet Sanders recognizes that what worked in Vermont can't work nationwide. In DU's continual recurring debate about the 2000 election, Sanders would be firmly on the side of those who said that Nader's decision to run in the general election was a strategic mistake.

If "the Bernie Democrats" have enough votes to elect a third-party President in some future general election, then they'll have enough votes to take over the Democratic Party. The latter course will be easier than starting a new party. Even more important is that it will be much faster. Start a new party (or align with the Greens, who've been attempting this for years with no success) and what happens? The new party begins in insignificance, only occasionally attracting enough votes in a close election so as to enable the Republican to win with a plurality. As it grows, however, those instances become more numerous. When the new party is roughly on a par with the Democratic Party, the Republicans are winning everything except the very bluest states and districts. Then, as the new party continues to grow, the roles switch so that the Democratic Party, declining but still strong, is the spoiler, so that Republicans continue to win against a divided left. And this is the optimistic scenario that assumes the new party will indeed grow.

Let us, instead, use our votes wisely. Most of the people who will be superdelegates at the 2020 Democratic National Convention will be chosen this year or over the next four years. I want more of them to be progressives.

[eridani]

8. Repubs are already toast as an organization

They've outsourced their voter contact entirely. Since Citizens United, the billionaires have been able to buy their candidates directly, without the need for a political party intermediate.

When half the Boomers are gone, the Dems will implode unless Sanders is the nominee. He might be able to inspire them to hang on and take over.