The problem with political parties

Political parties are dangerous. They are dangerous for several reasons. They are dangerous because they are highly-privileged organizations that have power inside of the democratic process.

1. Empowered extremists.
2. Suppressed independent voters.
3. Invite and perpetuate corruption.
4. Ignoring the rule of law.
5. Gerrymandering.
6. Endless bickering.
7. Platforms that cater to plutocrats and terrorists.
8. Illegal exercises of authority.
9. Funnels for dark money.
10. Betraying our Constitution.
11. Gives your representative's vote to another person.
12. Representatives are loyal to their parties, not the constitution.

I could keep going for a long time, but I think I've made my point. I go into more detail on various pages.

I know that what I'm asking for isn't easy, but it's important. I humbly request that we remove political party influence from the inner circles of our democracy:

1. Party preference is not recognized by the federal government any more than membership in the Lions Club would be.
2. Candidates lose their party affiliation when elected.
3. Elections remove all references to political parties
4. Elections process:
   1. Primary elections changed to output the top three of all candidates, instead of top 1 candidate by party.
   2. Legislators from the appropriate house interview candidates on the public record and make these recordings available. Make our candidates be judged by their own words. The goal is to determine whether candidates have the knowledge and skills required to effectively legislate.
   3. Candidates are given access to a personal web page that voters will see linked from the election site. They will be able to edit it until 7 days before the general election.
   4. Best of luck to all candidates in the general election.
5. Party membership used as leverage to influence legislation is a federal crime.

1. Legislators cannot use political parties to produce outcomes that deviate from the general will of the legislature.
2. Checks and balances within the system function normally
3. Candidates have equal footing in elections.
4. An uninformed voter has access to reliable information free from propaganda to quickly and easily make reasonable election decisions.
5. Legislators cannot unduly coerce other legislators to vote against the will of their constituents. It is by persuasive argument alone that one is allowed to convince others.

Political parties should be designated as terrorist organizations in my opinion but that argument is beyond my level of skill and time is short. I know that some legislators will push back, but I like to think that the majority are not corrupt -- they're just trapped in the same funhouse we are and need a little help to find a way out.

The American public can help. Abandon your political parties and legislate them out of existence now. It returns us to a normal democracy where each individual legislator's vote matters and disrupts the dark money flow. This is the least disruptive way forward, but we will settle it at the ballot box if we must.

I hope it doesn't go that way because I'd like to enjoy my retirement instead of relentlessly focusing down several individual reelection campaigns to point out their hypocrisy.