Originally Posted by SteveZ

There is nothing in the Constitution limiting the number of political parties, and in the last Presidential election, there were 17 listed on many ballots.

The reality is that it will always boil down to two, because coalitions get formed to acquire the needed majority votes for passing legislation. Even within the two major parties, there's at least three sub-groups with their own agenda, often quite different than what's posted on the DNC and RNC web sites.

The trick is to fix the parties from within, and try to establish honor and honesty as the main characteristics, instead of the "we do what the party leadership says, and only that" mentality.

That being said, I think I'll join one of the parties and practice what I preach. The question is, which one? I believe:
- abortion is immoral and disrespectful to the Creator of Life
- capital punishment should not involve the killing of a person, as it too is disrespectful to the Creator of Life
- bigger government causes more problems than it ever fixes.
- the average American should be treated with respect by the government, and not just be a source of revenue for special interests.
- a secure border is mandatory for national security
- legal immigration (and the diversity it brings) has been instrumental in making (and keeping) this country great
- a strong military and intelligence structure are the pinnacles for allowing Americans to sleep at night in peace.
- we should be fully capable of helping any American truly in need (and not just lazy), and should do so always
- the states and local government are where social policy should be made, as the Founding Fathers eloquently stated in the Constitution
- separation of church and state is simply the guarantee for all to practice whatever religion (or not) they choose, and no mandatory requirement to be a member of any religion or anti-Deity group.

There's more, but that covers the high points. So, which of the two major parties is closest to my beliefs? I really will join the one which is.