If minor parties were more viable locally, would national minor parties gain more popularity as well?

We're starting a chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America here in St. Louis

https://www.facebook.com/pg/STLDSA

It's a third party that works through the Democratic Party, mostly but not exclusively, and offers an alternative to Ward Democratic Party membership for people in less progressive wards.

Less progressive meaning the Ward leadership, there's barely a Ward in St. Louis that isn't extremely Left for the United States, by population.

But, consider who rises to power in a chapter organization delineated by a couple of square blocks- older homeowners, and here in a majority black city up there with Baltimore and Detroit in terms of white flight, except unlike those two it's still happening.

It's still 1995 Bronx, not 2017 Brooklyn. If that makes sense.

You can see how that disenfranchises a lot of people, and most renters.

That's a huge deal, because young, like politically active dream of a better future young, means anybody not barring up their windows to die in their home, if you follow.

It means a lot of people in their 40's, I'd argue that it means pretty much everybody in their 40's living in St. Louis City. My girlfriend saw a bunch of desperate middle aged junkies showing up to vote for Bernie.

Just like most people, btw, St Louis City went for Bernie and the Black Lives Matter window signs are still next to a Bernie sign nine times out of ten.

That blocks both windows, it's an investment, it means something.

The big deal is that the Democratic Primary is the only significant election in St. Louis City, like the only election that matters. If you're not participating in that process, you don't matter.

We've got 38 challengers to 11 open Aldermanic seats in the March election, and they're nearly all Left of Bernie progressives.

I went to a Mayoral Debate a couple weeks ago with three thousand in attendance, and the crowd was best described as polite and concerned- except for when local activist, artist and high line O.G. Black Lives Matter activist Tef Poe came up to question.

When he said his name there was a roaring applause that had to be quieted twice so he could ask his question.

Three thousand people, on a Wednesday afternoon where there were hundreds or maybe thousands of others protesting Downtown and at the Airport.

Those are most people here, the right wing voices in my Neighborhood association, if you can call them that, are married Lesbian retired attorneys not entirely on board with some of the protest tactics that allowed criminals to smash up our commercial

The people in this Neighborhood, mine (my apartment building is the one at :32)

https://vimeo.com/114719056

were the protesters, and despite the fact that looters and Chicago Anarchists broke just about every commercial window on our blocks, the Democratic Party, Mayor, both the White Policeman's Union (ours are segregated), Chief of Police, and completely out of office Republican Party couldn't win an election against our incumbent Alderwoman

Who was a protester

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2015/02/26/ferguson-protests-and-outside-agitators-factor-in-race-for-15th-ward-alderman

Who won

And who just sponsored a sucsessful Bill to make St Louis an Abortion Sanctuary City, like Pro-Choice

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/bill-protecting-women-against-discrimination-for-having-an-abortion-passes/article_ebbfb676-ef5c-560a-ba0c-3b9a3a9672a1.html

So, we're kinda thinking that if we can get everyone united together, we can flip all of the centrist Wards, get Tishaura Jones- the progressive candidate - into the Mayors Office, and put St. Louis City to the Left of rich, 90% white Portland.

Without going through a cycle of hyperextensive gentrification like the "Blue Coastal Bubble", most of which seems pretty damned conservative from over here on the Mississippi.

So, yes, third parties have a chance to be viable if they operate through the system as we have it.

But you're not going to find that happening inorganically, and I honestly doubt you're going to see it start anywhere America is functioning properly right now, or by anyone you've ever seen on CNN.

/r/PoliticalDiscussion Thread