[Dilbert San Diego]

While we have had two major parties for most of our history, the two major parties have not always been today’s Republican and Democrat parties.

If the Republican party were to dissolve as the Whig party did, I would not shed any tears for its demise.

I would appreciate seeing a strong conservative party arise, to take the place of the Republicans as the 2nd party in American politics.

What does the Republican party really stand for anymore?

Do conservatives feel represented by the GOP?

Do we have a meaningful two party system, if we have a liberal/socialist party, and then a liberal lite party as the opposition? Does this arrangement really represent the big plurality of people who identify as conservative, for them to support the liberal lite party???

[ek_hornbeck]

While we have had two major parties for most of our history, the two major parties have not always been today’s Republican and Democrat parties.

I'd much prefer the alternatives of 200+ years ago. You had the "Democratic Republicans," technically the precursors of the Democrats, while in practice libertarian (or "classical liberals" if you prefer). Then you had the Federalists/Whigs, who were the conservative party.

A choice between libertarians and conservatives would be far preferable to a choice between socialists and crony capitalists.

[King of Florida]

While we have had two major parties for most of our history, the two major parties have not always been today’s Republican and Democrat parties.

But for the past 160 years -- in other words, the last two-thirds of this country's existence -- it's only been the Dems and the GOP. The Dems/Whigs two party system existed only for about 25 years before that. No doubt the dissolution and formation of viable major parties could occur a bit more readily in the first half of the 19th century.