Quote:
Originally Posted by Cappy
It is far too tough to raise a proper third party in a two party system where both sides feel diametrically opposed to one another.
If a centrist voter isn't comfortable with one party winning, then he/she will gravitate towards the other in the hopes of picking the lesser of two evils. I don't see where an Alberta Party (or a centrist party of another name) gains ground outside of potentially taking Calgary, leaving the rural areas and Edmonton to go their respective ways. At least for the short term, moderates have lost voters who will vote NDP rather than see this lunatic win; or moderates who will vote UCP rather than see the NDP get in again.
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Maybe I'm being too pragmatic but I don't think that we are stuck with being a two party system and we do have room for 3, 4 or 5 parties within our legislature. 2015 was a glorious time where we actually had 5 parties represented in the legislature and that is actually good for the citizens. We need our government working across party lines and listening to differing voices via coalitions. We can have a right party (UCP/Wildrose or whatever), a left party (NDP/Liberal or whatever, a center party (Alberta Party or whatever), a Green or other specialized party, a socialist/labour party, etc.
For your centrist voting options you omitted a third and fourth choice where the voter doesn't bother going to the polls and casting a ballot or they throw away their vote on a fringe candidate or spoil their ballot.