this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2024
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Showerthoughts

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[–] bradinutah@thelemmy.club 47 points 3 months ago (3 children)

This is the way. It is possible and unlikely to have a third party win under the right conditions, like with how the Republican Party became a national party after Lincoln was elected as a third party candidate. But ultimately there will always only be two parties with the outdated FPTP voting method. If only George Washington knew about and pushed for a better voting system than FPTP.

[–] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 22 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I don't think they really existed yet in his era. You've got to remember that Australia, a much younger country, invented the secret ballot. It was known as the "Australian Ballot" for a long time.

[–] bradinutah@thelemmy.club 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Better systems existed but to your point, they were not well known.

Leaders today, with access to Wikipedia if not researchers with Nobel prizes, do NOT have this excuse.

[–] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 3 months ago

Well yes, obviously. The issue with today is that the incumbency of the system makes it hard to change

[–] pressanykeynow@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

I don't think they really existed yet in his era

In 1294-1621 the election of the Pope used Approval voting. Venice also used it.

Australia, a much younger country, invented the secret ballot

The election of the Pope required secret ballot since 1621. And the concept existed since Ancient Greece and was used in elections and courts of Roman Republic.

[–] barsquid@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

IMO, it's not the full story to say the Republican party was a third party that year. The previous opposition to the Democrats had a rift and came apart. I think you are underselling what "the right conditions" are. This is more like a new party filling a void.

That year the Democrats themselves (regressives as this was well before Southern Strategy) split into two. Running both a candidate for "states' rights" style slavery and another for "fuck you, slavery everywhere" style slavery.