"I have no hope for a third party doing much more than throwing a monkey wrench into things (cf. George Wallace or Ross Perot), but each of us might consider how to move the political establishments in our own state to put redistricting into non-partisan hands. It ain't easy (you can read how Iowa has struggled with this, but they've struggled fairly successfully), but it's well worth doing if it makes party apparatchiks on either side stop taking 80% of the vote for granted."

Well said, Other Dave.

As individuals, other than campaigning for the national candidates that reflect our beliefs, one of the most effective things we can really do to bring about change is to work actively in our own localities. The "Man on a White Horse" charging in to lead us out of the Darkness is a very romantic image, but it happens very rarely, and if you wait for him, he may not come in your lifetime—or your children's. Major social changes within a democracy (particularly in a pseudo-democracy such as ours) happen from the bottom up, like a rising tide. That's when politicians, ever mindful of maintaining there positions as "leaders," will run like hell to get out in front and "lead" the people, once it becomes obvious to them which way the people are going.

I heard a speech a few days ago by a person who is deeply involved in trying to bring about social and political change in this country. He described a meeting he attended recently where several people were bemoaning the fact that the opposition was too great to overcome. "How can we accomplish our goals when we don't have leaders like Martin Luther King anymore?" complained one of those attending the meeting. Then a young woman stood up and gave them a thorough chewing out for their defeatist attitude. She concluded her remarks by saying, "Don't you realize? YOU are the leaders you have all been waiting for! So, get busy!"

Don Firth

P. S. By the way, that Truthout article that saulgoldie posted a link to is excellent.
Be sure to read it.