(UNofficial poll) Do you want to disolve parties?

[GodKing]

Keep the parties. Their influence in the actual voting is minimal IMO, and it allows a semi organized way for people to share similar opinions.

[Apocalypse]

As long as the parties don't get out of hand and there is a court in place to keep them in check quickly, I don't see too much of a problem with people having parties for fun.

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by Trip
The problem is that some people do vote along party lines, simply because they belong to a party. I for one, think that something like that certainly detracts from our game. Do I think we should ban them? No, that's not what's being proposed. I feel at least right now we can set an example for later in the game, should something like this arise again.

Well if they want to do that, its a free country... I assume, being a democracy as we are. I mean a party is a group of individuals who come together because they have similar beliefs, if you vote just for party members, in an essence you are only voting for people who share your beliefs. This only becomes a problem when you vote for a party member who may share your beliefs, but is inept as a leader or politician. This, Trip, happens saddly often in real life (why I am an independent) but here in the cyber society it rarely happens, at least to the effect of being detrimental.

Kman

That above is a helluva arguement I give myself props.

[Captain]

No. Of course you can voluntarily disband, but they should not be abolished from outside.

The right to association is very important and banning it would be against our Bill of Rights (if we had one...).

I do not think parties are that powerful yet. There are many who are not party to any of them ( ok, so that was a bad pun ) and many who prefer independent candidates.

I'm not a party member but I'm not against others joining parties if they want.

[Aggie]

I personally don't care for parties either way. I have no intention to join one myself and am proud to be independent. However, in a democracy private groups(and parties are private groups), have a right to do what they please. This actually should have been voted by members of the respective parties and is not my business. However I wouldn't cry if they disbanded, though they do add an element of roleplaying to the game. Right now i see little purpose anyway since we all basically have the same philosephy, expand by the blood of our enemies. Later on when we are a true powerhouse, the parties could well serve a real pupose since at that point there could be many paths to victory and people will congregate toward others of the same feeling. Right now though we have to create differences and crisis for parties to be useful. Just some observations from where I am sitting.
Aggie

[Kramerman]

( ok, so that was a bad pun )

Yes it was, but no matter

I see that Captain and Aggie have a similar political view as myself, conerning parties at least. Perhaps we should make a party . Just kidding

Kman

Aggie, do you go/want to go/have gone to Texas A&M? Just curious cause of your name. My uncle went and he's fanatical. The last 3 of his dogs have been named Aggie and he has forced his daughters to go there.

[Aggie]

Kman, I'm a party of one aleady. Yes I went to A&M for my bachelors but got my masters elsewhere. I wasn't as fanatic as the other people there and didn't go to every football game and rarely yell practice. I was too busy studying, storm chasing, and playing computer.
Aggie

[Moral Hazard]

I voted yes, not because I think they should be disbanded but they shouldn't have an official status aka be listed in polls etc.

[kring]

Good point Moral.