[unabridged]

I used to think the same way about 3rd party, but now I'm beginning to view the 2 party system including the primary as just a 2 round playoff. If you really have enough support to contend as a third party, you can easily win the primary of one of the major parties.

Your most important vote is in the primaries (especially in areas dominated by a single party), and I think the country as a whole is beginning to realize it.

[sedtrader]

We shouldn't have to go through one of the 2 major parties to contend as a third party candidate. One way to solve this could be putting caps on campaign financing which would level the playing field for smaller 3rd parties. But that would never happen because the major 2 parties make the rules and that would hurt their dominance. By voting for either party we are essentially enabling the either-or system to continue

[unabridged]

>By voting for either party we are essentially enabling the either-or system to continue

I used to agree, but the parties have no ideology attached to them. Their names are just generic terms regarding democracy and you can see how much their platforms have changed and moved over the last century. At this point they are just the Urban and Rural divisions of our election playoff.

They are just the ideology of the people elected. If you change the candidates of the party, you have changed the ideology of the party. Trump figured this out and instead of sticking with the Reform party, he just took over the Republican nomination.

[sedtrader]

> the parties have no ideology attached to them

That statement is simply incorrect. Both parties have a clear ideology that ebbs and flows for the sake of remaining in power

> If you change the candidates of the party, you have changed the ideology of the party.

That is also incorrect. The 2 parties may slightly adjust their ideology for the sake of power but the core of their ideology remains the same.

[Jesus_Jones]

I disagree, I think there are some clear ideologies. Support for women choosing whether to have abortions is in one camp, support for so called unborn children is in the other. Diversity is in the dems of course, the Republicans want to protect and emphasize the "traditional white american culture". I'm trying not to be pejorative to either side. There are negative influences that lead to them to have similar views, like the influence of say wall street money has both sides supporting big banks, I think this is what you are really getting at imho when you say there is no ideological differences.

[maxerickson]

Primaries should just not impact the names that appear on the ballot (parties could still endorse a candidate).

The reason that the parties have influence over the ballot is because they like it that way.