Third Parties: A First Option or a Third Wheel?
Presidential politics is dominated by the two-party system. In fact, so is all national politics, and even state and local politics, too, though to a lesser degree. But this has not always been the case. History is replete with third, fourth and fifth parties gaining widespread national acceptance, only to later crumble amid internal conflicts and outside pressure. In recent years, legitimate third party candidates in presidential elections have been slim and non-existent. Ross Perot, in 1992, recieved nearly 19 percent of the popular vote nationally, but failed to win even one electoral college vote. In 2000, Ralph Nader is believed by many to have played a spoiler role, which ultimately landed George W. Bush in the White House. Still, the phenomenon that was the 2000 election cannot be neatly explained by Nader’s appearance on the ballot. Any attempt to do so fails to consider the myriad events that took place then, including the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Florida recount.
In an age where new media is flourishing and more citizens than ever have access to news and information, it is some wonder that third parties haven’t gained more traction in this year’s election cycle. Moreover, with polls consistently showing Americans’ disapproval of both the President and Congress, it is interesting to see that voters have not responded by supporting third party candidates in larger numbers. In fact, as it pertains to the presidential election, third parties are likely to receive less votes this year than in previous years, even with two current U.S. Senators vying for the job.
The reasons for the inability of third parties to draw mainstream appeal are many — lack of funding, lack of media exposure, ballot access difficulties. But the problems run even deeper. Allen Buckley, the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senator from Georgia, believes only one of two things can bring third party candidates to the fore. “It will either take a rich person, like Bloomberg (mayor of New York), or a catastrophe.” Even with economic recession casting a pall over Americans’ daily lives, however, no dramatic shift away from the duopoly of Democrats and Republicans seems likely in the near future.
This is what concerns Buckley the most. “The two major parties have failed us and they are leading us to an economic demise,” he says. “With a third party, you see some hope. It’s the only hope really.” Voters will decide how much this message resonates on Nov. 4, and many already have testified given the large turnout for early voting in Georgia.
Third parties, and their candidates, are typically known for a principled adherence to economic and social policy, whatever those policies may be. There is little wiggle room allowed, and pandering to particular groups of voters is seen as antithetical to their cause. Of course, it is hard to get elected without taking contributions from special interests. And it’s hard to get these contributions if it is known that third party candidates will not grant special privileges to their donors. And so the slog continues …
As for Georgia’s U.S. Senate race, having a third party candidate like Buckley on the ballot means a little more hard talk and fewer attempts to please every possible constituency. “We’ve got to reduce entitlements” if we are going to begin fixing the nation’s economy, Buckley says. “I’m the only one in my race talking about it. Jim Martin (D) is out there talking out of both sides of his mouth. Saxby Chambliss (R-I), everybody knows the guy just flat out lies.”
Despite the unlikeliness of third party candidates winning any political race this fall, what they bring to the table, besides “straight talk,” is an opportunity for disenfranchised voters to express dissatisfaction with the status quo of the two-party system. Furthermore, third party candidates often represent and give voice to those issues that major party candidates either ignore or consider fringe. Most voters are not one-issue voters, and many have concerns that are underrepresented. And in a democracy, no voice should go unheard, no matter how outside the mainstream it may be. Civil rights for minorities was not always a popular cause, but who can now dispute its righteousness?