On November 7, Angus Reid Global Monitor released another poll (taken by Princeton Research) asking U.S. citizens if they desire a third major political party. As before, a majority said “yes.” The latest poll showed 54% responding affirmatively. The same question had been asked in June 2007 (57% had said Yes) and in April 2006 (53% had said Yes). See here for more details.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
its all talk when it comes time to vote third parties always fade away. nothing is sacred about the two party system.
As long as third parties get little funding to wage major campaigns and keep running unknown party officials instead of well-known public figures, their vote totals will remain low. I’m optimistic about the future though; the coming election year is shaping up in interesting ways.
Fred C., very insightful; as they sing, “Money makes the world go ’round…”
I agree with Fred. If Paul, Tancredo and McKinney, any or all of them, end up leading the Libertarians, Constitution and Greens, and if Bloomberg and Nunn jump in as independents, it will make for a very interesting year. That whooshing sound you hear will be the Republicans and Democrats trying to keep them off of the ballot in every state across the country!
I second Steve’s first part about the 3 alternate
parties. They are all well on their way to be on
a substantial majority of all the state ballots with
each challenging for at least 350 Electoral votes.
Bloomberg’s problem like Perot’s was in 1992 & ’96
is that even though he has essentially an unlimited
bank account, nobody else is going to campaign for
him like the elected officials from the 3 Alternate
parties will for THEIR Party’s candidate!
However, at this point I’ll accept Ron Paul’s state-
ment that he will not run 3rd Party. What the Third
Parties should also be concentrating on, is addition
to running a Presidential candidate they should all
be focusing on running as many candidates for U.S.
Congress this time. The objective being that even
if they are shut out of the Presidential debates
again, at the local level where debates are often
run by the League of Women Voters they can promote
their parties differences with the Major Parties.
That way, they can help support their Presidential
candidate’s campaign and provide attack against the
“No Nothing Media” that ridicules or ignores serious
opposition to the current National duopoly.
Ron Paul has not said he won’t run third party. He says he has no intention of doing that. That is just a statement of his current state of mind. A person can have a different intent in the future.
Ron Paul is intent on winning the Republican nomination at this point that is why he does have any intention to run as a third party.