Thanks for responding! I agree with your assessment that Republicans gain votes when less people vote. To be honest, I'm tired of the whole "two-party" debate thing. It's just two sides of the coin. In theory, both parties bring something to the table.
We've made politics "entertainment" instead of a "social function". We love to hear stories of how "this governor voted no on legislation CYX even though he was paid by company ABC to do so". That's a sad case.
In short, our media (and attention spans) focus on the negative.
We also "straitjacket" people into political parties. Political parties have now become more about "keeping up the appearances of what a Democrat or Republican should do, than what it the right thing to do. Because a person is Republican, they may feel reluctant to vote for that bill. Because a person is Democrat, they may feel reluctant for that bill.
Isn't the point to make a decision based on what the person thinks is right?
As far as your third party comment, I agree with you. I am doubtful, however, about the rise of a third party because of inertia. The longer an institution remains (in this case, a political party) remains, the more power it has to maintain the status quo. This doesn't mean that things can't change. It does mean that it will take a lot to change it!
