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Politics : Bill Clinton Scandal - SANITY CHECK

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To: DMaA who wrote (14336)11/11/1998 12:36:00 PM
From: jbe  Read Replies (2) of 67261
 
Minnesota had the highest voter turnout of any state -- 61% -- and Ventura captured 37% (not 30%) of the vote. So Ventura may have won the support of just as large -- or almost as large -- a proportion of eligible voters as any of the other successful gubernatorial candidates.

Of course, Minnesota may be a special case, with its history of having had a successful, strong local third party. (My dad once wrote a book on Minnesota politics up to 1938 -- entertaining reading, if I do say so.)

Whereas I would agree that the two-party system has its advantages, it is also in danger of becoming (remaining??) sclerotic. In the natural course of things, parties sometimes die out (Whigs), and new ones are born (Republicans). But nowadays the money barrier is so high that this natural development is thwarted.

I guess the real question for third parties, even if Minnesota-style campaign finance reform is extended to the rest of the country, will be -- how will they field an entire slate of candidates for local office (not to speak of national office)? Even in Minnesota, Jesse is all by his lonesome. Hence, he is in obvious danger of just being a "curiosity", a "fluke".

jbe

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