What are Mudcatter's thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of America's 2-party system? Any strategies for improvement?

It troubles me daily that so many of us feel the need to identity ourselves as democrats or republicans...is there some advantage to this that I'm overlooking?

Here in Georgia, a different party senatorial candidate who supposedly was invited to a debate was beaten and jailed by police. He arrived to find only two podiums, and merely announced that he also was running. I suppose if the debate was organized and funded by the two dominant parties, they may have some right to stem any possible disruption. But this doesn't sit well with me, even though I may not like the candidate.

Little Hawk, thanks for your comments on this in the other thread...thought I'd start a new thread about it.