Speaker Pelosi: We have seen the disastrous effects of seven+ years of Republican hegemony on the American political process. I have no reason to think that Democratic hegemony would not lead to a repeat of the abuses of the past; it is human nature for those with unchallenged power to become abusive. If this country is to hang together, we need to change our political structures to allow a more diverse and robust political conversation, where all citizens can feel that they have effective input into the political process. Towards this end, I would encourage the adoption of electoral mechanisms such as Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) and proportional representation, which will allow the so-called "third parties" to particpate in a more meaningful way.

I would also suggest that the Democratic and Republican parties, both of whom are unnatural coalitions presently subject to intense internal tensions, should realize that the political landscape is changing, and their time is coming to an end. Let the DLC and the "Blue Dogs" split apart from the "Wellstone Democrats" and join with moderate Republicans to create a new centrist party. The Theocrats in the GOP should break away from the Plutocrats, who have manipulated and deceived them for so long. Then, with electoral reforms as mentioned above, we will have a half-dozen or so partiees (including the Greens and the Libertarians) of more or less equal strength, with the ability to interact on different issues in different ways.