Time for a Third Political Party

Watching all the uproar between Rush and sane Republicans reinforces the thought that the Republicans actually are becoming irrelevant. I think there are millions of people who vote Republican because they have always voted Republican and they haven't noticed that the Republican party has completely changed. They have gone from fiscal conservatives to anything-goes-as-long-as-it-benefits-big-business. They talk small government when it applies to business regulation (that worked pretty well huh?) but have no qualms about prying into your personal life. The party has careened so far to the right that anyone paying attention should see the shift to the dark side.

As the Republicans shrink there is a natural void to fill and that might be where a viable third party could come in. You're probably thinking the Republicans are on the right, Democrats are on the left, so the third party would be centrist. My idea is that the third party must be to the LEFT of Democrats. Let the Democrats run the middle, progressives need their own party and platform. The perceived center has been pulled so far to the right that is is actually where the Republican party was before Regan. Having a Liberal party will serve to yank the center back where it was. Having 3 parties will make governing even more give-and-take but it will give actual power to progressive ideas and Democrats couldn't automatically count on liberal support.

Liberals on the Left Dems in the middle Republicans on the Right