America's Two-Party System is Better

We don't need an Independent candidate - just a stronger GOP big tent coalition

There are some calling for a third party and an independent candidate in 2024 to fix our fractured politics.

They are dead wrong. A multiparty democracy leads to just more and more parties focused on more and more narrow interests. This is chaotic, confusing, and unstable.

All this is unnecessary given that Democrats and Republicans have internal factions and this forces both to work out compromises. In addition, in order to win elections, both parties have to reach out to persuade a growing group of independents that are not registered as Democrats or Republicans. These independents include those voters that consistently lean to one party or another and those that are up for grabs in each election cycle.

As the starting gun for the 2024 election goes off, the GOP needs a few things to build some momentum. Some unity about what the party’s brand stands for, some youthful energy (and voters) for the task ahead, and a recognition that while the GOP base may be the nominating wing of the party, independents that can be persuaded to vote Republican will be the decisive electing wing of the party.

Perhaps this difficulty in selecting a GOP majority leader may also remind Republican representatives to focus on its work and always look forward. It would be an understandable mistake to fall into the trap of overplaying the investigation game.

Let’s not use precious political capital and time just to get even with the Democrat’s publicity-driven investigations in 2021.

This brings me back to calls for America to have a third political party.

Though far from perfect, a third party or independent presidential candidate in 2024 would be a disaster for the GOP.

I have always defended our two-party system over the multi-party politics of Europe.

The European democracies hav moved away from the dominant center-left and center-right major parties and coalitions that have governed since World War II.

These parties have split time and time again on the left and right leading to a confusing array of choices for voters. From 2015 to 2017, over 30 new political parties have become part of European parliaments.

The impact of all this on European politics has not been pretty. Even in stolid Germany, the two major parties that used to receive over 90% of the vote now only garners about half the vote.

After its 2017 elections, it took Germany six months to cobble together a governing coalition from multiple parties, the longest time in the country’s history. Spain had to hold four national elections between 2015 and 2019. The Netherlands, needed a record 225 days to form a government in the same year.

What the GOP really needs is more GOP Representatives. This means expanding the party through an agenda and messaging that brings in independent voters. The Republican brand has since the time of Lincoln, been anchored in economic growth and opportunity as well as the freedom and dignity of each citizen.

Between 2000 and 2020, real U.S. gross domestic product grew at an average rate of only 1.7% a year. Had we grown at 3%, last year’s GDP per person would have been $15,000 higher. That would have certainly helped all Americans.

The issues of standing up to China, avoiding excessive federal spending and debt, and strengthening America’s economic, financial, and national security will help the party and the country.

This will be at the core of the Independent Republican message to independents to join the GOP grand coalition in both the primaries and the 2024 general election.