Americans support third party: Poll

A majority of American citizens support a third party in the country's political system

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/179305.html

A new Gallup poll shows that a majority of Americans favor a third political party to challenge the traditional Democrat-Republican system in the United States.

According to the latest Gallup Poll Daily, 52 percent of Americans believe that both Democrats and Republicans have been doing a poor job of representing their constituents and that a third party is needed in the US political system.

The most profound shift has come among Republican supporters, who advocate an independent party more at this point in time as Democrats did during the former US President George W. Bush's tenure.

Some 60 percent of Americans who identify themselves as Tea Party members want a new party, the poll found on Monday.

It seems that the boost of third party support among Republicans is resulted from the rise of the Tea Party that seemingly came out of nowhere and was underestimated at the beginning of its emergence, and yet flexed some heavy muscle in 2010.

Analysts say the establishment of an independent party is not far-fetched, despite the institutional challenges a third party candidate may face.

Some experts believe anti-two-party system sentiments stem from the Democrats and the Republicans' failure to tackle the US economic problems and the waging of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gallup's assessment indicates it is likely that an independent candidate will run in the 2012 presidential election in the United States.

Most eyes are on Congressman Ron Paul to see if he will break from the Republican Party to run as an independent against incumbent President Barack Obama.