Recently in Third Party Politics Category

The details in some of the polls now show 12% of Republicans intending to vote for Barack Obama. This reflects an anti-incumbent target bigger than individual incumbents, aimed selectively at the Republican Party itself. Given Republican control of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2007, where all spending and tax law finds its beginning, and control of the Senate from 2001 to 2007, in addition to a Republican President from 2001 to the present, and given the dire economic condition of the country and world economy today, it is no great surprise that voters would focus anti-incumbent sentiment on the Republican Party and its incumbents primarily.

NONPARTISAN? INDEPENDENT? With registered Independent voters now outnumbering Democratic or Republican registered voters, the words 'non-partisan' and 'independent' get misused and abused by partisan interests. Many voters don't trust words like these because of their abuse and misuse. It is understandable. Like everything else, these words are used by partisan groups and individuals for political advantage. Let's clear up some of the confusion.

Independent parties are springing up like dandelions after a warm Spring rain. Some are very religiously based spin offs of the Constitution Party like the Independent American Party and the American Independent Party of California. Some take a very non-ideological approach like the oldest Independent Party which has been around since 1934. And some are very democratic (small 'd') oriented, focusing intensely on restoring democratic processes and principles, like the Independence Party of New York.

But, there is a new wrinkle to these largely marginalized parties few have ever heard of that may change all that. That new wrinkle comes in the form of very intelligent unifying efforts. With so many independent parties with differing agendas, they remained localized and marginalized because they had no unity with other independent parties and no common platform. That is changing quite rapidly.

When was the last time you heard of a Green Party or Libertarian Party threat to federal office? I can't remember myself. Indpendents get a fair amount of media coverage. Kinky Freidman is getting a lot of headlines, but, he is running for Governor. There is an Independent in Congress. But, where are the Libertarians and Greens. Well, here comes the answer.

Third party candidates suffered a devastating blow in this last election. Altogether, they garnered just over 1 million votes nation wide. Compare this to Ross Perot, who in 1992, pulled over 19 million votes, and all third party candidates pulled almost 21 million votes. Of course Ross Perot spent over 60 million dollars of his own money on his campaign.

While 3rd parties offer a voting choice to Americans where they can get on the ballots, that is about the only positive comment one can drum up for 3rd parties today who are viewed by most Americans as little more than spoilers to one of the Republocrat (Dem. or Rep.) candidates. Ross Perot proved, as did Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 when he pulled 88 Electoral College votes as an independent 'Progressive' candidate, that Americans are willing to turn on Republocrats in large numbers if the 3rd party candidate has name recognition and addresses the failings of the Republocrats in a way that has meaning for voters.