Presidential Politics 2012

This could be an interesting year, to say the least. I would be very surprised if it remains a two-party race. It seems there is enough discontent all across the political spectrum to warrant 3rd-party, 4th-party, and independent ventures. I myself am at the point of fantasizing about the emergence not of yet another nth party but of an alliance.

The word "party" evokes division or separation, whereas "alliance" evokes a coming together. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the origins of "party" are:

"late 13c., "part, portion, side," from O.Fr. partie "a part, a party" (12c.), lit. "that which is divided," from fem. pp. of partir "to divide" (see part (v.)). Political sense of "side in a contest or dispute" evolved by 1300."

As for "alliance":

"c.1300, "bond of marriage" (between ruling houses or noble families), from O.Fr. aliance (12c., Mod.Fr. alliance) "alliance, bond; marriage, union," from aliier (Mod.Fr. allier) "combine, unite" (see ally)."

Such an alliance would recognize that we are all connected and interdependent, not separate and adversarial. It would find common ground among and welcome all, taking inspiration from Edwin Markham's poem "Outwitted":

He drew a circle that shut me out --
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in!

Just a dream, you say? Well:

To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.
--Anatole France

You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"
--George Bernard Shaw

The platform of such an alliance would value and give top priority to the common good. Specifically, what might that dreamy platform look like? Stay tuned.