[Preechr]

Personally, I've heard of a few electoral reform concepts that show some promise, and for the reason you stated there at the end, sometimes I'd love to see something, anything, happen that could pry us out of the duopoly politics we enjoy at the moment... However... Electoral reform just not been a big subject of interest for me.

The founders argued much over political parties, the number of them and how they might or should not function within a future American electoral process. Eventually, the two party system was casually adopted in practice because it seemed to attenuate the political shitstorms caused by potentially drastic variations in ideology.

Repeat: The two party process WEAKENS the power of politicians and government.

This is only one of many ideas, but it's served us fairly well over the years. While we've had splinter parties at times, the prevailing system has been that of two groups with marginally different methods. Maybe I'd prefer a system that encouraged radical, new ideas... But considering how disappointed I find myself now at the ability, or it's lack, of modern Americans to take their political futures fully in hand, maybe it's for the best that we're sheltered from the election of those that wish to drastically alter things. Look at who would be electing them...

Maybe not. Had our nation been founded with a more tumultuous electoral system, would it even exist today?

Am I excluding my own "radical" ideas from our government of the future? I accept that the changes that I'd like to see made will be difficult to accomplish. I accept that these changes will be fought by both parties. I am less interested in fighting the fight required by electoral reform, which may or may not (probably not,) create a better environment for new ideas than I am in getting those changes made from outside the two party system.

That's what it means to me to be a third party person.

The framework may not currently exist for a third party to compete on an equal plane with the Republicans and the Democrats, but this country was founded on revolutionary ideas, so the framework for revolution is fundamental to our political way of life here.

Now, for you: Tax reform. Are you a Flat Tax, Fair Tax or Fixed Tax guy?