More Moderates Needed In Congress?

 

  The vote in the November elections has shifted a few seats in favor of the Democrats in the 113th Congress but not enough to get Congress out of its doldrums. A quorum is needed to get anything done and with the two parties so nearly evenly balanced it makes it difficult for either side to get one together. Any internal opposition within a party can effectively block the party's proposed legislation. The two Congressional chambers are divided by party leadership and anything passed by either body is even less likely to become law. Voting for hardliners this time may have been a mistake since it's more likely to result in a disfunctional Congress. It presents an opportunity for Moderates to work to bridge the gap and help put together a quorum to pass needed legislation. It also shows that voting for third party candidates is not a wasted vote. If a moderate third party were able to deny both parties a quorum and side with either one on a vote then it could shift the balance of power in the direction of its political platform and justify its existence.