3/13/12 Experts doubt 3rd-party solution | The Post and Courier - Charleston, South Carolina Customer Care Subscriber Rewards Report News Mobile Social Media Facebook News by E-mail Twitter RSS Media Kit E-Edition Contact Us All Charleston Savvy Shopper Cars Classifieds Evening Post Books Jobs Marketplace Lowcountry Paws Obituaries Place an Ad Real Estate Restaurants Tuesday, March 13, 2012 Good Morning! Welcome Guest! | Login With Facebook Weather High: 75° Low: 59° Charleston Light Drizzle, 66° Experts doubt 3rd-party solution Latest Galleries » BY ROBERT BEHRE [email protected] Saturday, February 11, 2012 Home 6 Comment(s) Story Index 0 Recommend Census Cooking Experience Hawk Rawk Civil War 150 Competition Hendrix Benefit Your Lowcountry AP Nation/World The solution to what ails America's political system is unlikely to be provided by third Offbeat parties. Boeing Lottery That was the consensus Friday among three political experts, including former U.S. Traffic Cam Rep. Bob Inglis, during a discussion in Charleston sponsored by the Charleston Law Obituaries Review and the Riley Institute at Furman University. Local News Inglis, an Upstate Republican who lost his job to a News Archive Covering the politics of the tea party-backed challenger, recalled a memorable Bridge Run campaign moment between himself and a night Politics Lowcountry, watchman shortly before the 2010 GOP primary. Columnists South Carolina The man held up his pocket copy of the U.S. Special Reports and the nation. Report News Constitution and asked Inglis if he supported doing Text Alerts away with all case law and returning to that. Watchdog "Being not a very good politician obviously, I said no," Inglis joked. He said he then held up his cellphone and explained to the man that the Constitution is silent about Restaurant Inspections Parking Violations how these devices should be regulated. Sex Offender Locator He then tried to crack a joke, saying that as a lawyer, perhaps Inglis should support Busted or Sued State Salaries doing away with all case law so he could stay busy in court re-establishing it. The Report Fraud/Abuse watchman didn't laugh. Child Care Facility Review and Complaint While Inglis ended up losing that primary to U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, Inglis noted info Republicans are hard at work trying to co-opt tea party voters and bring them into their fold. LowCountryMarketplace.com Sports That inclination by the two main parties -- to attempt to absorb third-party movements - Local Sports - is just one reason that these parties are unlikely to move America's political needle High School Charleston Lighting & Interiors much, at least not in terms of getting their members elected. College 850 Bacons Bridge Rd Ste E Clemson Summerville, SC Furman political science professor Donald Aeisi cited several other reasons, including Carolina (843) 873-5911 Battery winner-take-all elections, the Electoral College and single-member districts drawn to favor one main political party or another. Family Circle Cup NHC Healthcare of Charleston Riverdogs 2230 Ashley Crossing Dr Jeri Cabot, an adjunct political science professor at the College of Charleston, noted Stingrays Charleston, SC National Sports only 23 of the nation's 7,382 legislative seats are not held by a Republican or (843) 766-5228 Sports Columnists Democrat -- and 16 of those are held by independents who don't identify with a political Life in the Minors party. Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Business Union Still, Aeisi explained the interest in third parties, as both Republicans and Democrats 650 College Park Road Local Business become more ideological. "People comfortable in the zone of consensus have nowhere Ladson, SC Business Review to go," he said. "You're either all in or you're all out." Cabot noted polls show both the (843) 820-6070 Real Estate Republican and Democratic parties have majority unfavorable ratings. Restaurants ∙ Entertainment ∙ Health ∙ Real Estate Automotive www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/11/experts-doubt-3rd-party-solution/ 1/4 3/13/12 Experts doubt 3rd-party solution | The Post and Courier - Charleston, South Carolina Columnists Aeisi and Cabot agreed third-party movements can help set the nation's agenda, even Home & Garden ∙ Coupons Multimedia if their supporters rarely get elected and often end up in one of the two major parties. Video Cabot recalled a quote from U.S. historian Richard Hofstadter: "Third parties are like MOST POPULAR Audio bees: once they have stung, they die." Most Commented Most Emailed Photo Galleries Evening Post Books Share this story: eBooks E-mail this story Printer-friendly version 1. Teacher fired over movie | Charleston, Kindle Edition New! South Carolina (87) iPhone App Copy and paste the link: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/11/experts-doubt-3rd-party-solution/ 2. Wando High teacher fired for show ing R- Android App rated movie in class | Charleston, South Man On The Street Carolina (56) In The News Share Photos 3. Jenny Sanford questions dog-gone fines | Comments Charleston, South Carolina (55) Entertainment Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content. 4. Finishing the Mark Clark: Winners and CharlestonScene Losers | Charleston, South Carolina Events Notice about comments: Restaurants 5. Family of man killed in fiery crash sues Movies Husk restaurant | Charleston, South Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on TV Listings Carolina (33) stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Music 6. Poston's law yer cites possible reason for Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise Columnists show ing movie clip | Charleston, South Games that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the Carolina (34) Comics comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is 7. 'Cash-flow issues' plague I-526 | Features objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Charleston, South Carolina (31) HICKS COLUMN: Suppressing voter drives Savvy Shopper New! Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal 8. Moxie law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our goal of bill | Charleston, South Carolina Your Health website. Read our full Terms and Conditions. (36) Family Life 9. BREAKING: Lt. Gov. Ard resigns from office Arts/Travel Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an amid ethics scandal | Charleston, South Home/Garden avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to Carolina (32) Food sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up! 10. Police major charged w ith DUI | Charleston, People South Carolina (26) Faith/Values Your Faith To leave a comment, Asking Around Columnists 4 comments Sort by: Newest to Oldest Weddings Sponsored Links Supplements Leo Wiser Score: -1 Report Abuse Spoleto Today New! 9:56 AM on 2/11/2012 Wine + Food "Terms like partisan, non-partisan, and bi- SEWE partisan should go out the window in favor of North Charleston working together for the good of the country as a Magazine whole." My Charleston Lowcountry Parent That sounds wonderful, so who decides which Tideline Magazine ideas are "good" and should be pursued, and Lowcountry Paws which should not? Attorney Directory Real Estate Guide Wait, that is the debate! Is it not? All Supplements Leo Wiser Score: -2 Blogs Report Abuse 9:31 AM on 2/11/2012 State Politics "Politics has created and maintained the barrier Battery between parties." RiverDogs Stingrays Politics is about policy, in most cases the Carolina parties have very different visions of what The Citadel makes good policy and what makes bad policy. Clemson That is the divide, and it always has been. College of Charleston Prep Sports The Tea Party believes that fed govt behavior Lowcountry Links should be restrained by the US Constitution, Running and I agree. Family Life Parenting Lowcountry Roots 2 replies Editorial Coleman Dangerfield Score: 2 Report Abuse Editorials 8:15 AM on 2/11/2012 Letters to the Editor If you believe "You're either all in or you're all Submit a Letter out." that may mean that you vote straight-ticket Commentary by party line. Politics has created and Cartoons maintained the barrier between parties. Both www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/11/experts-doubt-3rd-party-solution/ 2/4.