Are political parties hurting america?

When I turn 18, I want to register as an independent voter. This is because I view political parties as harmful to our government. Our country seems to be divided into two sides, the liberals and the conservatives.

Everyone in my family is very, very...

conservative. My views are closer to those of the liberal party but I also have some views that would belong with the conservative party. I don't see any logic in voting for or against someone because they are of a certain party. For example, if there was a great candidate who would really help our country in the Democratic party and there was a candidate who was corrupt and a horrible leader in the Republican party, then wouldn't a lot of conservatives vote for the Republican just because he belonged in their party?

In George Washington's farewell address, he advised Americans to not form political parties, as they could be harmful. I agree with him and I wonder if anyone else feels the same way.

I wish somehow political affiliations could be stricken from public record and knowledge. People could only vote based on platform. A two party system is so easily manipulated. All the red state/blue state shenanigans would be a bad memory.

Show of hands?...who here thinks the best two candidates have earned the nomination?...or on the way to? Not me. The party leadership is corrupt...both sides...or should I say both sides of the same coin. Research the interrelationships of Marc Rich, I lewis Libby, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, for a modicum of this dichotomy.

We voted into office a Democratic congress two years ago...should have served to illustrate the futility of changing the guard. That lesson is slowly being gleaned. Sure, war powers had already been ceded to the Executive...still a do nothing congress...thats what they are paid to do. As long as we keep insuring either one of two people will be elected...expect paid for politicians working from someone elses pocket...which is just the reservoir for the empty pockets of the populace...Inflation...worked it in again.

Count me amongst those opposed to parties...anything with leadership is prone to corruption...and the fewer those leaders the cheaper they come.

 
You could have dozens of parties but that would make it difficult to select one qualified individual.

By having two basic parties which basically follow given lines of liberal or conservative, you are able to find a party and usually candidates whose general philosophy fits in with yours.

No candidate or party will be perfect because our philosophy concerning various things can lean one way while our general philosophy goes the other way.

By having the two parties you are better able to see which side of the fence a candidate is on. It really does help you in deciding which candidate has your core values and beliefs.

Most people do not agree with any one party 100%. I consider myself a Democrat but there are a few places where I disagree with my party and side with Republicans, Socialists, Populists, or Libertarians. I think of myself as a pragmatist rather than an ideologue.

I don't know that it is so much that Political parties are bad but the current environment where there is so much polarization between the parties is not good for the nation. Over the decades I've seen politics become much more toxic and vicious.

Well, historically the US has always been divided along party lines. The current division is nothing new. In fact, I'd say we're politically more united now than we've been at several points in our history. The post Revolutionary War years, the pre- and post- Civil War years, the Industrial Age, and the Depression years were all far more politically divisive times for us as a nation.

What I think is hurting our system is not political parties, it's gerrymandering. The system is now rigged to favor incumbents, and to manipulate certain voting blocs toward a favorable outcome for one person or party. This is one of the most serious problems with American democracy, and an embarassing one.

Political parties are just necessary evils. I agree with some of the assesments here. Almost all problems with our political system stem from lobbying and corporate money.

The method of picking candidates is not the problem. It is not perfect, and it never will be.

Parties will never be eliminated, just as government itself can't.

I think polotical parties are harmful. History is full of tyrants that are right or left whats one character thats so common the desire to force their views on society. Polotical parties is one of the great agitator of humanity and has caused more bloodshed just on simple differences of opinion its horrible and thats why Im not in a polotical party. Im anarchist and anarchist arnt a polotical party but a belief in the free will of the people to associate and disassociate without coercion.