Greenspan decries partisan politics, calls for 3rd party

[Capn Sunshine]

Todays Wall Street Journal:

Freed of the constraints of public office, Alan Greenspan has expanded from commenting on the economy to commenting on politics.

Speaking to a Wall Street gathering Wednesday, the former Federal Reserve chairman decried the "polarization" of American politics and said the ground was ripe for a third-party presidential candidate, according to several people who attended the event.
Mr. Greenspan was speaking to clients of ABN Amro, a major Dutch-owned banking and investment company, at New York's St. Regis Hotel.

A member of the audience asked Mr. Greenspan if he would endorse a candidate for president. Mr. Greenspan said he would not, "for now." But he went on to describe the two American parties now as controlled by their extreme wings, even though the voting public is far more centrist, people who were present said.
He described the leadership of the parties as "bimodal", meaning clustered at the extreme ideological ends, whereas the voting public was "monomodal", meaning clustered near the middle.

<snip>

Somewhere , zombie Ralph Nader stirs to life once again.......

[yourout]

1. Without instant runoff voting an powerfull third party will never happen.

Instant runoff voting would immediatly alter the political power structure of the USA.

[blm]

2. This is exactly what I expect to happen - ever since Israel did it.

The moderates and centrists formed their own party. I can see it happening here, and I can see Lieberman and Hagel and McCain doing it, IF neither get the GOP nomination.

I can also see them winning because of the pervasive view in the public that "Both parties are corrupt" whenever a GOP corruption case is in the news.

[Marlie]

3. Right

The Republicans are dropping in the polls so throw in a spoiler to split the
vote. If the Republicans were safe and sound, this would never have come up.
I'm displeased with our party at times but sure as hell want them to become the
majority this fall and of course, win in 2008.

[Armstead]

4. Greenspan's idea of the "center" is very far to the right and elite

Maybe his new party will have Ayn Rand as its symbol.

Yes it's time to defend those poor put-upon corporate titans and big investors from the horrible masses.

[Ignacio Upton]

16. There's already a party for them,

it's called the Libertarian Party (and yes I know that Libertarians and Rand Objectivists aren't necessarily the same, but they agree on most of the same issues.)

[utopian]

5. Oh bullshit

I'm sick of the portrayal of both parties as extreme. The republicans have pulled political discourse so far to the right that the center now looks like the left. Where would a third party stand in Greenspan's scenario? Right of center, of course. He's either out of touch or completely full of shit--or both.

[marions ghost]

14. right --this is total BS

oh yeah the Dems are extreme left... :banghead:

We need more parties and proportional representation. Then they can have as many variations of Repug Lite as they want, and we would actually have a hope of being represented. Our two-party system has congealed into a sad sham--an illusion of right vs. left believed in by nobody but Fox viewers.

[BootinUp]

20. So the voters

had nothing to do with the shift in discourse and all?

[gratuitous]

6. Another disaffected former tool of the corrupt Bush administration

Isn't it odd how all these guys, who made out so well while they were part of the corrupt Bush administration, suddenly get pangs of conscience now that they're no longer public servants?

Gee Mr. Greenspan, I didn't notice any opposition to "polarization" out of you when you were lowering interest rates all through the first several months of Chimpy's Reign of Error, providing him with the cover he needed to cut taxes again and again for you and your pals.

Now that you're out of the government, you suddenly have an epiphany about how destructive the policies you so eagerly endorsed for over a decade are?

Up yours, Mr. Greenspan, you waddling little toad.

[FogerRox]

7. a toad-- yes indeed

[Vickers]

8. Mr. Greenspan, who is the "extreme wing" controlling the DNC?

If you say Howard Dean, I say FUCK YOU!

Meanwhile, *your* side has Rush and all the freaky oil guys and BFEE and ME oil dudes and all these rich media dickwads and defense psychos and WalMart and looney Fundy types and Moon and crazy fucktards like Charlton Heston and the NRA and etc. etc.

[riona]

9. Greenspan talks 3rd party

We might need a third party, but it wouldn't be what he has in mind. What would it be called, the Corporkcrats or the Corporkcans?

[Capn Sunshine]

10. I really thought of an old man losing his faculties after retirement

You know how common it is for guys like Greenie who go from the most powerful man in the world (arguably) to shambling around the house in slippers and a bathrobe to lose it completely.

I'm waiting to hear his theory about the Queen of England.

[JI7]

11. isn't he married to some Bush licking media whore ?

[Capn Sunshine]

13. Andea Mitchell , NBC.

I think she's Washington bureau Chief?

[ThomCat]

12. I'm conflicted

I agree that we need to restructure our elections to allow a third party and instant run-off elections.

But on the other hand, I don't give a damn what Greenspan thinks. The old zombie needs to shrivel up and die.

[Lefty48197]

15. If Greenspan had been non-partisan, then he would have

explained to the American public, how GWB's policies would balloon the deficit and drive us into an economic malaise. Instead he kept his lips zipped. Welcome to the political arena Mr. Greenspan. Now go home. You had your chance.

[doc03]

18. I think he is non-partisan he sucks up to whoever is in power

he sat with Hillery and supported Clinton's economic policy then made a 180 and supported Shrubs tax cuts.

[Lefty48197]

19. I don't think that was sucking-up when he supported Clinton's policies

I think every thinking person knew that the Deficit Reduction Act would be an effective method at bringing down the deficit. I think Wall St. was excited at the prospect of a President actually DOING something about the deficit, instead of just talking about reducing the deficit, like the Republicans had done for 12 straight years (13 more years since, also).
A lot of business leaders supported Clinton for that very reason.

[doc03]

21. I agree but when Bush came to town he supported his

tax cuts.

[liberalpragmatist]

17. A third-party CANNOT happen under the US electoral system

Presidential systems as it is tend to promote two-party systems, and having a legislature elected in single-member districts by plurality-voting (or even Instant-Runoff voting) will ensure an effective two-party system.

At times there can be a strong third-party presidential campaign, and one day one might even win. But unless that party replaces one of the major parties, it'll fade. And if it does replace one of the older parties, then it's still a two-party system, just with a new party.

[Odin2005]

22. We need proportional representation.

In a 2 party system you end up having a fistfight betweeen purists and pragmatists (points to the DLC threads). With proportional representation we would probably have 6 parties:

Social Democrats (current Democratic base)
Centrists (DLC Dems and moderate Repubs like Snowe and Chaffee)
Populists (economically left-wing social conservatives)
Greens (current Greens and some far-left Dems)
Conservatives
Libertarians

[unkachuck]

23. run Allen run....

....you could do us Dems some good....