Hmm, LH. I'm not sure if you thought we were at crossed swords here, but I don't think we were (are). I am not all that good with my specifics in technical politics, so I was trying to draw a difference between communism (little "c") with Marxist, Stalinist Communism (big "C"). As I envisioned it, a group of people with no real sharply divided "partisan" politics would be, in effect, a "commune" in which each individual part functioned as an extension of the whole. I could see this working on a small scale, but I am not sure it would be effective on a national or even state size scale. It is just kind of a Utopian dream I have.

And I do not mean to imply that healthy partisan debate would of necessity only include 2 parties. I was just pointing out that if there are equal, legitimate, worthwhile but differing solutions to a set of problems, it is only in the community's best interest for there to be a qualified spokesman to best put forth his/her group's voice and have it be ratified/voted down by the larger populace.

What you propose would be interesting, but in the U.S.'s constitutional separation of powers (legislative, executive, and judicial) I do not see how it would work. The constitution's framers did not limit our elections to two parties (the Republicans did not even exist back then) but I would venture a guess that they pretty much assumed that two parties would dominate.

There are truly very, very few "partisan" issues. Gun control, for instance, tends to be much more of a regional and urban vs. rural issue, as there are both Democrats and Republicans who are staunch gun control advocates and gun rights advocates. Most issues we fight over tend to be that way (with a couple of exceptions.) The problem is, once again, not that there are two (or more) differing views, it is that those who hold those views pigeon-hole the other side and caricature them. They then attack the caricature, which is usually completely false, and so generate far more heat than light.

But as long as the nastiest campaigner continues to win things will never change. It is up to the populace to demand better of our leaders.

p.s.---I do agree in sum with most of what you have to say. The devil is in the details.

Freightdawg