What if Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman decide to form a party and run as a third party ticket in 2008?
818665
I would likely support it. We need a more centralist party. One without the extreme views of both R's an D's. One that looks out for the interests of the middle class.
788637
Lieberman is a moderate Democrat, he is also possibly one of the few politicians that does what he believes is right instead of just spouting the party talking notes. A refreshing change I think and something the Democratic party should look at.
933638
I remember one year when a dead guy won his state, and his wife sat for him...yes, when you have only a choice between bad and worse, you make dumb decisions.  Vote third party!
887749
both independents are liberals, and the repubs only have 49 Jim Webb the democrat is winning in Virginia. Joe Lieberman is a moderate democrat and Bernie Sanders is a self proclaimed socialist. THe likely final math will be 49 conservatives, 51 liberals 2 of which will be considered independents.
380618
Electing/re-electing Republicans and Democrats.
1156269
I would say that the two-party system is certainly on the way to becoming obsolete. You have two extremes on everything. What is needed is a centrist/moderate party that could have a stand that is more moderate.
507326
The only way I see americans voting someone other than the two leading parties is if a third party were to break away from one of the major parties. It's happened before. The Republican party was started from the Whig party. I could see \nAmericans voting for a third party who had a platform of ridding the government of rampant corruption and getting us out of Iraq.
732876
In a HEARTBEAT.\n\nI'm hoping that a third-party candidate will emerge who is moderate enough that they will be able to pull votes from both sides, and give the Repubs and Dems something to worry about.  I think that would make the Repubs and Dems more answerable to the citizens, instead of the special interest groups.
953101
I think it it would force the parties to understand they have to start working together.\nCurrently both parties are focused on what is best for the party, NOT what is best for the people, a third party would force an end to this abomination.
757023
Although neither was elected as a Democratic candidate for thier office, both have announced their intentions of caucusing with (i.e., conferencing with, supporting the legislation of, and generally voting with) the Democratic Party.  This is natural, given that they are both ideologically nearer the Democrats than the Republicans, and given that it permits them to create a majority that is nearer their own preferences.  Lieberman is, after all, a member of the Democratic Party, although he did not receive the Party's nomination or support in the recent election.  Sanders describes himself as a democratic socialist, which is unquestionably nearer the Democratic position than the Republican (as his voting record in the House indicates).  \n\nAs for the shallow and uninformed notion expressed by some, that independents in such a situation are virtually powerless, it can be mathematically demonstrated as a fact that these two are the most powerful individual members of the Senate.  (This can be demonstrated with the mathematics of game theory.)  After all, whichever side they support in a showdown between the two parties will win; conversely, neither party has enough votes to win anything without them (assuming in both cases that neither Democrats nor Republicans vote for the other party's position).  Their power is enormously disproportionate to that of the individual, "dime-a-dozen" members of the two major parties precisely because they are independent.  To argue that their independence renders them worthless is simply wrong -- in fact, the very opposite of the fact.
666382
We have multiple third parties in this country.  It's just that they don't have as much resources or funds as the Democrats and Republicans, so most of the time they end up being either regional parties or one-issue parties.
328162
It would be nice, but no. These two parties are too powerful and have too much money for a third party to compete. They will try, as they have in the past, but they won't succeed. I don't like to believe that any vote is "wasted" but I do believe that voting for the third party just increases the chances of getting someone like Bush in office again. I find it apalling that anyone could still support this man or the Republican party after all they have done to damage our country.\n\nI have voted for a third party in the past, but as I've grown older I realize that it just did more damage than good, so I will remain a democrat. The only way I would vote for a 3rd party again would be if I saw (through the polls) that the person running clearly had a chance, and if they ran on a platform I could really support.\n\nBut don't ever not vote. Don't ever believe that your vote doesn't count. We have a responsibility to vote for the person we believe should be in office, even if you do vote for a third party candidate.
732967
I see 4 more years of the GOP.  If the Democratic Party wants to win, they have to offer mainstream candidates.
555996
If the right person was running as a 3rd party candidate for any of the offices, I'd vote for them.  \n\nIt would have to be a viable 3rd party candidate unlike the ones we've had in the past, like Nader and Perot.\n\nIf the person supported my views, I'd vote for 'em.
827383
Look at liberman. The democrats didn't support him. He ran as an independent and took the senate. \nPlus you have to remember they go into primaries to see who gets in for their party.
1181132
the next american elections will be in november of 2008 \nthe candidates aren't decided yet, but the frontrunners for the democrats are Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and John Kerry might run again. for the republicans John McCain, Rudi Giuliani and Jeb Bush.\n\nif you want my opinion all of the above from both parties (except Jeb Bush) would make great presidents
759332
Joe Lieberman, Senator from CT!  Ran as Dem, was elected, ran again as Independent, ran and was re-elected.  Thank goodness!