Recently there has been considerable talk about a third party, which
originated from an informal meeting in Salt Lake City called by Robert
K. Fischer, President of Fischer Furniture, Inc., Rapid City, South
Dakota. The session gathered steam when Dr. James Dobson, perhaps the
most influential pro-family leader, stated that he would consider a
third party if an unacceptable GOP candidate were nominated for
President.
The statement immediately caused a media firestorm. Gary L. Bauer, who
is an associate of Dobson, denounced the idea, saying this would
guarantee Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) the election. Tony
Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, usually seen as a
close collaborator of Dobson, distanced himself from the third-party
idea.
Morton C. Blackwell, President of the Leadership Institute and Virginia
Republican National Committeeman, believes that it is easier to
overthrow a political party than it is to form a third party. Blackwell
is the expert in practical politics.
I agree with Blackwell although perhaps it would be useful to examine
the criteria needed to create a third party. Such an examination could
be relevant if one of the parties would embrace a position anathema to a
major segment of its grassroots. If the Democratic Party were to embrace
the Second Amendment and call for the right to bear arms there would be
a grassroots revolt. Such an occurrence could be sufficient to collapse
the Democrats and pave the way for a third party. Likewise, if the
Republicans, the pro-life party since 1980, were to repudiate that
position there would be a substantial grassroots walk-out, perhaps
enough to pave the way for a third party.
I believe it would require three steps to create a new and viable third
party. First, major figures from either existing parties would need
publicly to defect. For instance, if the two Oklahoma Senators, Senator
John Cornyn (R-TX) and Governor Mitt Romney held a press conference
stating that the Republican Party no longer represents their beliefs and
views, in turn, they would be creating a new party, perhaps called the
Christian Democrats.