Two-party system? Three-party system? How about no-party system?

Plus: Steve Earle, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and They Might Be Giants join the Slaylist

Remember the good ol’ days, when Republicans thought Democrats were awful but none of them felt like killing democracy to show it?

Compared with today, the Tea Party feels like a tea party.

But even before MAGA went gaga, I dreamed of eliminating political parties, which seem responsible for so many serious ills in our system. And the past few years have only fueled that fantasy.

Political parties are convenient. They organize candidates across the spectrum, a massive task. They provide a roadmap for voters (such as myself, honestly) who want a shortcut for whom to support in elections up and down the ticket. Below the line, to adopt a Hollywood phrase, for the races I’m unfamiliar with, I look for media endorsements from outlets I trust. If those don’t help, I default to the Democrat.

But despite the circumstance and pomp, parties are no party. They don’t make our country better. They exist as ends in themselves, primarily to amass power and cash. And send lots of emails.