If nothing else, the election of 2010 has taught us that a "third" political party is not the answer. Like the two existing major parties, it too would simply become another political commodity to be purchased by the corporations and wealthy elite for their own purposes, rather than serving the interests of ordinary voters. Political salvation will come when the voters of every party decide to exercise, rather than dissipate, their power.
Political parties have been around ever since the founding of the United States, indeed from the time of ancient Greece and perhaps earlier. There will always be legitimate differences of opinion about the extent and role of government, and the give and take of those differences are the foundation of democracy, at least as long as voters are informed and they are not being manipulated by insidious forces.
Commonality of Interests
Members of the newly minted Tea Party and disaffected Democrats have far more in common than the corporate-controlled mainstream media would have them believe:
- Both resent the loss of freedoms experienced by everyone, including electronic surveillance, airport full-body searches, and the ever-more-intrusive national security state;
- Both are suffering from unemployment and watching their jobs being shipped overseas;
- Both fear the loss of their unemployment insurance checks and the hunger of their children;
- Both lay awake at night worrying about how to obtain health care for their families;
- Both are angry about bank bailouts and are worried about how they are going to make their next mortgage or rent payment;
- Both fear corporate power and resent the role of lobbyists and special interests in their government;
- Both are aware that neither the Republican nor Democratic party really cares very much about their concerns; and they
- Both know, deep down inside, that their votes for the candidates of both parties are meaningless, and they feel powerless to do anything about it.
The MSM would also have us believe the country has been swept by a tidal wave of conservatism and that liberalism has been cast overboard; however, the overall difference between the popular votes cast for the House candidates of both parties was less than 3%. If the 2010 election had been a public opinion poll, the results would have been statistically insignificant.
The primary shift of votes from Democratic to Republican occurred among white working-class voters, who have most to lose from conservative policies. Why did they do it?
Manipulation of the Electorate
It should come as no surprise to most voters that both major political parties are ultimately controlled by the same corporate and wealthy interests; however, many of the disenchanted voters of both parties who have been swept along by the Tea Party Patriot movement would feel betrayed if they learned just how manipulated they have been.
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