are political parties good or bad thing?

bad, pits one against the other

nothing gets done because it was the other parties idea, and no one will agree until they have added all their useless, damaging wants to the pot

Unfortunately, that is the way it is and has been since Millard Fillmore who was a part of the Whig party. Kind of sad considering the first president, George Washington, was not a Republican (party didn't exist yet) or a Democrat. He was an Independent. But the two parties which have dominated 98% of presidential elections since the very first president have been either Democrat or Republican. This has trickled to all elections of most every elected official running in a partisan election. It is unfair that other parties get passed up, but the only way to insure a candidate is going to win is to vote for one belonging to a party that is dominate- Democrat or Republican. Some people waste their vote on a third party candidate. But, make no mistake, it is a wasted vote. That has just been the manner by which our elections have been run on- one or the other of the two prominent parties. Personally, I think they should dissolve both parties by decree and allow lesser parties to become the dominate parties. Maybe a less known party would have a better chance of getting something done that would be good for the country. Couldn't get much worse.

All of the founding fathers were against any kind of political parties.

Pros- Easier way for people to know who they agree with on core principals

Cons- Creates partisanship, divides the nation, and causes conflict

They're good in my opinion.

Neither! One party has certain beliefs, the other different beliefs in what they feel is best for their particular country. Some are convinced that the feds are better at running our lives and yet others feel that states do it better.

"The Best Form Of Government Or Leadership Is A Benevolent Dictatorship."

While the above quote is highly impossible, I see why it is true, sometimes parties just oppose each other's ideas just for the hell of opposing them and therefore nothing gets done.

Parties, themselves aren't bad. Over dependence on the (R) or (D) by the candidate's name is what is bad.

We need to focus more on the candidate's record than on the label.

One apposes the other.

Would you like it if the liberals didn't have apposition? America would become a communist state fairly fast. And who would you look to to reverse this tread if no one was there?

A screw up of Hitlers was to attack the Russian people when he attacked Russia, the people wanted to be liberated from the rule of Stalin, and would've joined Hitler to do this. Before Hitler they had one party (communism), when he showed up they had two (fascism). Unfortunately for them one wasn't any better than the other. But Hitler could've used this to his advantage, but didn't, and lost.

Good - Ususally a sign of democracy

Bad - Fights against each other (gets nothing done)

Parties are always good, till the cops show up.