Support for a third party reaches new high

It seems that a whole lot of Americans agree with my viewthat the nation needs a third political party that can cut through all the hyper-partisan nonsense on Capitol Hill.

According to Gallup, support for a third party has reached a new high. A new Gallup poll found that 60 percent of Americans say the Democratic and Republicans parties do such a poor job of representing the American people that a third major party is needed. That is the highest Gallup has measured in the 10-year history of that question. Amid the shutdown, a new low of 26 percent believe the two major parties adequately represent Americans.

Of course, many of those expressing support for a new party envision a separate tea party, or some kind of pro-labor party, not a centrist, independent party that would be less strident and more pragmatic than ideological.

Nonetheless, Gallup’s findings are that 52 percent of Republicans and 49 percent of Democrats say a third party is needed. This marks the first time that a majority of either party's supporters have told Gallup’s pollsters that a third party is needed.

Independents have consistently backed the formation of a third party, but their level of support has reached 71 percent.