What to Look For in a Third Party

What if Hillary splits off and runs as an IND. "Chaos" would be extended.

As for myself and my family today. We are planning to just Write A Name In in November unless "our guy" McCain shows us he "really Gets IT". To date he does not but there is still time, though it is running out.

If Senator Clinton does that, the Democratic Party would likely be destroyed, just as it would if Senator Obama were to be deprived of the Party's nomination by some method or another.

In the years when I have utterly disliked the candidates on the ballot for President and Vice President, I would write in Millard Filmore and Andrew Jackson. Wasted, I know, but ... what is one to do? Well, we're trying some thing else to do, here. We may be permitted to hope it will succeed or prompt someone else's idea to succeed.

A very interesting development is the recent creation of the American Conservative Party.
It is not an official party as such, but seems to be a discussion group/site that is very similar to what we are trying to accomplish here.

I would invite all to visit this particular discussion on their site: http://americanconservativeparty.org/?q=node/14 for a look at the many ideas, conflicts, goals, and means involved in third party formation and candidacies.

I would like to invite you to stop by my place. I think you may run into the same problem that I outlined in my latest post, the trouble with conservatives...

The American Tradition party would be a starting point. (see the featured post in my blog for their platform)

As of today, I'd probably be voting for Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party this fall. Over the years, many Texas ballots have had races that the Dim-ocrats didn't contest, but Libertarians were on the ballot vs the Republican. When no Dim was there, I always voted for the Libertarian.

Every conservative I have talked to so far (which is quite a lot) doen't like McCain and they ask "what can I do about it"? I tell them to look at third party - Bob Barr as an option so far they all have said "Who"?

The main problem as I see it right now is Bob Barr needs to let people know he is running. This is a prime election year for a solid third party candidate. He will also need to get into all the debates and not allow dem/gop to ignore him.

I respect and agree with Bob Barr on many things. That said, I found it silly to support someone running against everything he voted for in Congress. He voted for the Patriot Act, Iraq, Afghanistan, DOMA, and Medicare Part D. It's a conservative John Edwards.

Trying to run a third party in the U.S. is a terribly futile idea. The way our electoral system is set up (SMD Plurality) all it will accomplish is to split the right of center votes and elect Democrats. I know we are all unhappy with the Republican party and brand, but it is our only vehicle to get our ideas instituted. Third parties are not.

...Schmidt, but voting Republican simply perpetuates the problem. The GOP has become indistinguishable from the Democrats, when it comes to earmarks (aka corruption), valuing election and re-election over any principles - like smaller government perhaps? - and continuing to reinforce the desire of all too many people to be cared for by governments local, state and national.

A third party cannot win, the Democracts win instead; if we vote Republican, the same ideas win (and not the ideas of conservatives) as if the Democrats won. The only difference it seems to me to be which band of thieves is in office. We need fewer thieves, indeed, we need to do away with the idea that office-holding is for the purpose of paying yourself and your friends while injuring your enemies and your friends' enemies. Hillary Clinton is widely decried as being "vindictive", but she is only more blatant - ala Richard Nixon - in her "pay-backs"; all the other politicos are just as vindictive. The only difference I have seen is that there aren't as many deaths in most Administrations as there were in the Clinton years. So, what are we to do? Continue with the thieves we know and their opponents or try to break the cycle of thievery by electing folks who might - will? - change the way business is done up there and in our state capitals? Uncertainty.

So, third parties have never worked in America? Just a futile concept.

You might try telling that to the RNC.

The Republicans, you see, were a THIRD PARTY alternative to the Whigs, who were in the process of imploding due to elitism and disdain for their party base.

See the irony?

Barr has good name recognition in conservative circles, but you're right that it only extends so far.

People are more fed up with the system than anytime since 1992. That was really an "anti-incumbent" year, though.

This year is shaping up to be "anti-establishment," more a shaking of the foundations than a mere shaking of the tree.

You're absolutely right that it's vital for Barr to put himself out there. I've heard him speak on that subject, and he seems to have the fire in the belly. I hope so. Time will tell.

Cheers!

Barr has good name recognition in conservative circles, but you're right that it only extends so far.

People are more fed up with the system than anytime since 1992. That was really an "anti-incumbent" year, though.

This year is shaping up to be "anti-establishment," more a shaking of the foundations than a mere shaking of the tree.

You're absolutely right that it's vital for Barr to put himself out there. I've heard him speak on that subject, and he seems to have the fire in the belly. I hope so. Time will tell.

Cheers!