I wrote an essay some time ago, Election reform and voter rights: a legislative agenda, in which the first two paragraphs read:

The Party System in America is a corrupt vehicle used by the wealthy and socially connected Elite to discourage and placate the Mass into inaction and acceptance of the status quo. Reform, or the political revolution if you will, is not going to happen by engaging in party politics alone. Party politics won't even figure prominently: playing party politics is a distraction of the "rearranging deck chairs" variety. That isn't to say Party politics isn't useful, or that engagement on that front is not necessary. On the contrary it must be seen as an important part of the larger campaign for political reform.

I quoted them to reinforce the point: for genuine progress in this country to occur we must leave party politics behind to the extent it is possible. Political parties impede progress. They are generally corruptible and subject to control by aggressive "petty potentate" types. More insidiously, because of the entanglement of party and state, they act as informal, quasi-governmental organizations without the accountability government is supposed to be bound by (but, in our corrupt system, is not in practice).

This can't happen instantaneously, there is no jerk that will accelerate us down a different path that doesn't include violence. This change will require dedication, hard work, and sustained effort on many fronts. It isn't all-or-nothing, either. I'd consider it a big win to have multi-member districts (for example), or significant gains in the area of ballot access and party recognition. It also isn't reasonable to expect party politics to disappear entirely. That isn't my goal.

My goal is to diminish the power and influence of the "big two" parties, and to separate party and state as much as possible.

One way to do this is to take Bernie's campaign as an example. He funded and recruited volunteers on the strength of his message and did so in spite of, not with the help of, one of the big two established parties. He has shown us that it is possible to run a political campaign completely outside the constraints of the party system, and has provided a template upon which to build to do just that. I support endeavors along these lines, and am very hopeful this will figure largely in the organizations Bernie has started.

Another way to achieve these goals is to introduce people to the fact that there are alternatives, and that these alternatives exist in more than some abstract, quaint and fringe group. This means supporting a political party to help get it exposure and increase its footprint in the political landscape. Doing this has other benefits. With sufficient exposure the "big two" will have to adapt or risk losing enough of their membership and voter base to third-parties. There hasn't been a serious effort at that in decades; it's about time to try again.

That's why I'm supporting Jill Stein's candidacy and the Green Party, at least for 2016.

In my experience people who are exposed to the concrete fact of the existence of other parties and who are also exposed to evidence that state-run interference with these parties' attempts to participate tend to take a more skeptical view of the "big two". They become more open to persuasion to support these other parties and of changes that make it easier for these parties to participate and, more importantly, they become open to the idea that it's okay to participate in these alternate ways. People also realize more firmly that no party fits all of one's political beliefs. All the better if the party promoted also has a strong left-leaning agenda.

We need buy-in from folks to move forward.

So here's a call to action:

Participate in the Moneybomb for Jill.

Volunteer for the Green Party, or for Jill's campaign (or both!).

Spread these links on social media platforms you participate in.

Talk to your friends and neighbors about the Greens. Don't forget to include something about how the existing system is set up deliberately to shut them and other third-parties out.

Sign up at Our Reovlution, one of the organizations Bernie has set up for his future efforts, which he has already stated will include supporting non-democrats in some capacity.

Also, if you're interested in the legislative agenda I described in my essay or have suggestions about it, please comment in the essay or send me a message. That's a long-term effort (1-2 years, minimum), but it has to start somewhere and somehow.