The answer

The best way to solve our electoral problem is by splitting the parties up. Let the Republicans have the South and the moralist conservatives. Take the Democrats, and make their wooly-headed, PC liberals the core of the party.

Then, we take the centrists from both parties - the Patakis, Snowes, Schwartzeneggers, Kerrys (yes, despite what the Bush campaign tried to tell you, he's basically a moderate), Chafees, and darn near everyone in the Upper Midwest except for Feingold and Norm Coleman. We form a third party - the Moderate party. The party platform is basically this:

- Abortion should be legal, but with increasing restrictions over time.
- Deficit spending is bad.
- So are taxes.
- Ergo, government size should be restricted.
- Foreign entanglements should be minimal, and undertaken only when absolutely necessary.
- Ergo, we should concentrate on getting out of Iraq ASAP.
- Gay marriage might not be ideal to all, but let people alone. Pass a federal civil unions bill to take steam out of the argument on both sides.
- Discrimination is bad, but so are set-asides. Both should be eliminated.
- Social Security remains federal.
- More Supreme Court justices should be like David Souter (a true moderate, not really beholden to either side). Not fewer.

(note: Not all of these are positions I agree with, though many are)

With this sort of platform, the Moderate Party should be able to take the White House within another election cycle or two. And they'd initially form a big swing bloc that would keep both major parties fairly honest - they'd have to moderate themselves enough to convince the center party to join a coalition. Much like in parliamentary systems.