With the public being unhappy with both parties, what other options should we be examining?

[OmahaBlueDog]

<<New poll hints Congress could see a shake-up in 2012>>

In a sign of how perilous the ongoing partisan gridlock could be for both parties in Washington, a new poll finds that just 30 percent of Americans are willing to re-elect their current member of Congress.

According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, 63 percent of those surveyed say they are inclined to "look around" for someone new to elect. That's the highest anti-incumbency number ever recorded in the poll, which dates back to 1989.

Read More at: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/poll-hints-congress-could-see-shake-2012-183714199.html

<<New poll carries warning signs for Obama in 2012>>

The Public Policy Polling survey found that for the first time since July, Obama does not lead Republican front-runner Mitt Romney in the group's monthly national poll on the 2012 election race. Romney has pulled into a tie with Obama at 45 percent.

Obama's overall approval rating was at 46 percent, with 48 percent of voters disapproving of him, and this is in line with other recent surveys.

Read More at: http://news.yahoo.com/poll-carries-warning-signs-obama-2012-213717802.html

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Guillotines

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. Don't we need to storm the Bastille first?

C'mon - let's get our priorities straight here!

[Fuddnik]

3. Nader?

[MineralMan]

5. What Nader?

I have an idea...

[MineralMan]

4. We should be examining our legislators and nominating

the very best and most progressive candidates for the 2012 election who can get elected in their districts. The key things are just two: "progressive" and "electable."

If people want new legislators to replace the old ones, we have to make sure we put forward the very best candidate who has a strong chance of getting elected. Each of us can work in our own Congressional district to help do that. In my opinion, that is the most important possible area where each of us, as an individual can influence the course of this country. So, the time to start is now, and the place to start is your local Democratic organization. There are always opportunities in your district where you can make a difference.

If you already have a great representative, do all you can to help him or her get elected. If you have a republican, help find a good opponent who can take advantage of the current voter dissatisfaction. If you have a lousy Democrat, try to find a better one and use the voter dissatisfaction to get your candidate in during the primary.

If everyone here did this, we'd have no problem getting a strong majority in the House.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. What you will see is the rise of a third party

or more direct action. People know they have been had.

[JoePhilly]

7. around 60% of the people don't even vote.

Which 3rd party do you predict?

Is it one based on the Tea Party, or one based say on Nader, or some other group?

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. So? You think people will not?

I will not make predictions as to who... suffice it to say the past is prologue. I could sugget a few books, but I gave up on trying to point out that history has patterns.

By the way... here is your free hint of the day... you do know the Republicans came from a very radicalized and RW Whig Party... while the Dems of their era were the establishment party... RIGHT?

[JoePhilly]

11. Humm ... you did predict that ...

"What you will see is the rise of a third party or more direct action. People know they have been had."

But, you won't predict WHO, or WHEN?

Ummm ... I predict a major earth quake will occur. I won't predict WHERE, or WHEN ... but I can say that "past is prologue." And so it will happen.

See the problem?

You made an initial prediction that doesn't really predict anything.

I ask for specifics, and you don't want to go there.

You predict 2 outcomes, and I assume that you think one of these is about to happen, otherwise, who cares ... you don't give a time frame of any kind .. but why predict something that you don't expect to happen soon.

So let's go there ... HOW SOON will this third party happen, or, when will the "direct action" occur.

Saying that something happened in the past, and that something "like it" will happen at some unspecified point in the future ... well ... so what?

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. pick up a history book or two

yes, it will happen. Populations are quite predictable, when you push them to the wall.. and DC is about to do that.

Again, I could recommend a few books, but why the hell bother?

[OmahaBlueDog]

14. The scary thing is that we have the perfect recipe for a "populist" party to rise from the extremes

The extreme right or left.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Practice printing the word Bernie.

and the word Sanders.

[damntexdem]

10. A bit late to get ballot status for a new party.

Not too late for primary challenges of incumbents.

Then there's always taking to the streets in a major way.

[jwirr]

13. Yes, I think it is too late also for 2012 and I don't know of anyone on

our side that wants to run in a third party. Bernie Sanders has already said he would not. Further I suspect we still would not be able to beat Obama. But we will see.