Theresa Amato’s book, “Grand Illusion: the Myth of Voter Choice in a Two-Party Tyranny”, released this month, has received praise from both Congressman Ron Paul, and Pat Choate (Ross Perot’s running mate in 1996).
Congressman Paul wrote a letter on June 4, in which he said, “Theresa Amato has experienced the unfairness of our system like few others. Her new book is an important contribution that anyone serious about ballot access reform should read.”
Pat Choate reviewed the book on Amazon.com on June 16. He said, “This beautifully written, fast-paced, thoroughly-documented book brings a message about a vital problem – the corrupt two-party dominance of our democracy – that the American people urgently need to understand and correct…The Grant of the Pulitzer Prize or a National Book Award to Theresa Amato would be both appropriate and an assured way of putting this issue before the American people. The book merits either or both of those prizes.”
The issue has been before the American people since 1800 when a political party took over the American government. The two-party system may not be popular enough to register all Americans as voters, but they can prevent all Americans except those in their parties from becoming candidates for office. Their weakness is voter registration. Here in Arizona voter registration stands at between 50% and 60%, with 40% proud to not be registered to vote at all. Of those registered, less than half vote in a typical election.
If the American people are to throw off the two-party stranglehold, independent voters have to start registering as candidates for office in the general election. That would enable them to register voters faster, speeding up the present natural inclination of Americans to register independent. Independent candidates would not need to be immediately elected in order to have a good effect on government. All they would have to do is increase independent voter registration.
Many states have laws which prohibit an independent voter from appearing on the ballot by making nomination petition requirements for an independent candidate many times higher than for a major party candidate. Independents still need to register as candidates.
It is time to vote the two major parties out of office. That cannot be done if there are no other candidates to vote for.
Having helped to get John Anderson and Patrick Lacey get on the Arid Zona, I find the cactus state very anti non Dem and non GOP!
Hopefully my local library will get it. I wonder if Oprah or someone can review it?
How do we get her on Oprah?
Oprah?!?! Are you kidding? She worked to put Obama in the White House. Never would she do anything to put additional candidates on the ballot that might challenge her man.
Political parties are self-created societies which seek special status for themselves in government the way European aristocracy has special status. Independent voters are United States citizens registered to vote, which is all that is necessary in order to participate in government in the United States. So when it comes to a contest between United States citizens registered to vote and two self-created societies which emulate European royalty and aristocracy, who do you think is going to come out on top?