In case you just returned from an extended trip to Mars, be advised there is an election right around the corner.

You cannot pick any news source that does not bombard you with stories on every subject that have been impacted by the poisonous partisan atmosphere that has developed in America in the last 16 years. I think the real shift in attitudes began during the Gore-Bush election debacle and has escalated since then.

Locally, we have county and municipal elections that do not feature the rancor and hate speech generated by the major parties at the state and federal level. We elect council members and supervisors on their ability to project a message that speaks to our local needs. They see what is needed then tailor their platform to what their constituents want.

State and federal political candidates from the two major parties do just the opposite. They strategize issues then let experts tell them what positions will resonate with the most voters. They use social media and clever ads to tell us what we should care about, why they should get our vote and, more importantly, why the other party is trying to destroy us.

Is it time to rethink the way our system is structured? Do you check the box on your federal taxes to donate a dollar to the presidential election process each year? Why dont we ask taxpayers to fund the development of new parties?

A multi-party system found in many western countries would greatly benefit America. Today we cannot get Democrats and Republicans to agree or compromise on anything without an ugly partisan public brawl that usually ends with the American taxpayer getting shafted. A Congress made up of members of multi-parties, with no one party in majority would require coalitions and negotiation continually. Current politicians do not make deals, they make demands.

Neither party is definable any longer. The Democratic Party has moved from its southern conservative roots in the late-1940s to adopt a platform as far right in 2020 as any ever seen in its history.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is quoted to have said, "I dont think the street will accept no action on this," while discussing police reform legislation in June. She is crafting legislation based on the will of street protesters. This is the "new" base the Democrats are reaching for to construct a winning coalition. Part of that recipe is acceptance of continuing anger and violence, which keeps the public mood unsettled and questioning of the future. That is good for a challenger.

Not long ago, the Republican party revitalized itself by backing the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party formula to rail against out-of-control spending and government growth. Republicans had effectively moved from the image of rich country club dilettantes to a party concerned about American jobs, industries and debt. Middle class voters came back to the party because it seemed to care more about them. That party is no more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an economic upheaval. But the total abandonment of fiscal sense on the part of Republicans to participate in throwing billions of borrowed dollars at solutions that are not proven or sustainable leaves the party directionless. If you will stand for anything, you stand for nothing.

We have alternatives. The Libertarian Party vote grows each election year. Their basic belief in limited government, fiscal restraint and freedom embraces the founders dreams and sounds a lot like what "Reagan Republicans" used to profess. The 2020 Libertarian Presidential candidate is Dr. Jo Jorgensen, a Psychology professor at Clemson University. She is smart, articulate and will not be invited to the Presidential debates.

The major parties have divided our country. Yes, Mr. Trump has not been a healer, but he did not invent identity politics. Pandering to segments of the electorate because of their race or ethnicity will never be a unifying message as it specifically is not inclusive. Issues can divide reasonable people, but assuming you have the support of an entire group because of their race, ethnicity or economic status is certainly divisive, if not biased.

Our parties will not let us discuss issues. You are either for them or against them. The term "moderate" has left political speak. No one on either side can afford to be a moderate.

Both the left and right, through the years, have destroyed free speech, lives and livelihoods via public intimidation. The Republicans had a good run with Joe McCarthy and his Communist witch hunts. The ultra-progressive Democrats are wreaking havoc now with their "woke" attacks on anyone and everything they deem off the party line.

The truth is, we have invested too much power to form public opinion in both parties. They are thinking for us in order to act in their own self-interest. We need to break that hold, add new voices who listen to us first and then act in our interest.

My friends in the GOP will roast me for this thought, but one wonders what would happen if 80% of registered California Republicans voted for the Libertarian Ms. Jorgensen in November. Its not as if we are harming Mr. Trumps chances to win California, that ship sailed a decade ago.

Do we still have enough free will to even discuss a multi-party political revolution in America, or are the cards and big bucks too stacked against real freedom of choice?

Contact Pat Orr at avreviewopinion@gmail.com.

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Around Town: Rethinking political parties - Taft Midway Driller