Harold Crumpley: Trump could hasten demise of two-party system
The election of Donald Trump might be the healthiest outcome for our republic. We have had businessmen, even actors, run before, but they always came up through governorships or Congressional seats. The parties have controlled access. This year seems different.
The genius of our two-party system has been what our founders recognized early – in the first two elections, a coalition of interests was necessary to gain a majority votes in the Electoral College, as the Constitution requires. Therefore, the Democrat and Republican parties form coalitions before the election in order to win; unlike our European cousins who often have to form “coalition governments” from the top two or three parties after their elections.
Two phenomenons are at work now: disgruntled Republicans backing an outsider and young Democrats, especially, backing a socialist. The young Dems, however, know nothing about socialism. Maybe their votes are mainly anti-establishment, too. So, in a general election, Trump might put together a new, winning coalition of anti-establishment Republicans and young Democrats, independents and new voters who have been turned off by the old system. This would be devastating to our two-party system, to which we might all say: “Good Riddance!”
Harold Crumpley, Modesto
This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Harold Crumpley: Trump could hasten demise of two-party system."