Change is tricky. The longer we persist in some mistakes, the more radical the correction needs to be. But you can't just slam the ship of state into an all-standing jibe. Large, important things are liable to break and many of the crew will probably be washed overboard. This is why the real reform candidates of the fringe parties don't--and probably shouldn't-- get a lot of votes.
Parties based on pure ideals seem so...pure. The idealists who form them believe that their selection of simple principles will streamline government into the perfect machine for the perfect society. Let's have a mere handful of laws and almost no taxes! Then we each get to keep most of the money we earn and spend it on whatever we see fit. Sounds good. Okay, which laws?
Oh shit.
Other small parties focus on issues like the environment or social services. But we all know that things like a clean environment, public transportation and everyone's health are Special Interests. Taking care of the planet and each other is a concern for Creeping Socialists and other Big Taxing Bureaucratic Totalitarians. Those people are the Enemies of Liberty.
Hear the rigging creaking?
Today everybody gets to grab the wheel and give it a little tug in the direction of their choice. Hours from now we will know the cumulative result of all those little tugs. The ones that don't go in the direction we favor we can call jerks. Then in a few months when the elected or re-elected officials settle into their positions we have to remember to keep a finger on the wheel ourselves by keeping in touch with the bozos in office. Don't let them forget you until the next time they decide to go looking for your vote.
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