Third Party: Now is the time

[Yurt]

Last i left the subject, i believe the point was that if not now, then when, and if i continue to ask that question, then the question necessarily will repeat, everytime.

i did not disagree with that line of thought, i just wanted to think things through. today i went and reread Jeff's blog about going libertarian. a good read btw, i recommend rereading that blog 2 or 3 times.

http://blog.debatepolicy.com/2008/03/14/going-libertarian/

most on this site (save for the obama cult followers) are sick of the poleetacations running for office this year. they are all liberal. there is not much difference between obama and hillary....or mccain. he may be more conservative in some areas, but overall, he is similar to the dems.

so i ask myself....if not now....when? before, in my short voting experience, there has always been someone who i would vote for "over that person" notice i did not say "typical"....well, i don't lie and i don't stereotype like the racist on the dem ticket. since none of the three, IMO, are good leaders and/or good for this country, seems to me that now is the time to kick up the third party vote.

so jeff...make your third party case. or anyone who is voting for third party. i am not familiar with any third party's platform.

[DragonStryk72]

Last i left the subject, i believe the point was that if not now, then when, and if i continue to ask that question, then the question necessarily will repeat, everytime.

i did not disagree with that line of thought, i just wanted to think things through. today i went and reread Jeff's blog about going libertarian. a good read btw, i recommend rereading that blog 2 or 3 times.

http://blog.debatepolicy.com/2008/03/14/going-libertarian/

most on this site (save for the obama cult followers) are sick of the poleetacations running for office this year. they are all liberal. there is not much difference between obama and hillary....or mccain. he may be more conservative in some areas, but overall, he is similar to the dems.

so i ask myself....if not now....when? before, in my short voting experience, there has always been someone who i would vote for "over that person" notice i did not say "typical"....well, i don't lie and i don't stereotype like the racist on the dem ticket. since none of the three, IMO, are good leaders and/or good for this country, seems to me that now is the time to kick up the third party vote.

so jeff...make your third party case. or anyone who is voting for third party. i am not familiar with any third party's platform.

You would love Wayne Allen Root, yurt. definitely right up your alley, conservative Libertarian, he was a former high-level GOP guy, until he felt that his party had abandoned him, and the ideals they were supposed to stand for. I've got his site linked in my sig line, along with one of his quotes (the others were too long to use as signature, so I had to use that one, which is still a good one)

[82Marine89]

I'm also a registered Libertarian. The party platform is more in line with my belief system than any of the others. Do I always vote party line? No, I'm not a yellow dog. Will I vote for McAmnesty to keep Hillary or B.O. out of office? No, that would be throwing my vote away. I will vote my concience and what I feel is best for this great Nation. I will not waste my vote on someone I disagree with to keep another person out of office.

The Libertarian Party needs a few more election cycles to become a force in our political system. They need valid candidates that can offer something good for this Nation. They need to concentrate on smaller offices such as congress, show what they are made of, then work into the presidential arena. Until then, they will never amount to anything.

That's my dos pesos.

[LiberalNation]

I’d vote libertarian for some political offices but not prez. Might even help campaign for their candidates if they were visible in my local/regional area but they’re not. A viable third party needs a strong grass roots movement first not big federal elections their unheard of and have no chance at winning. Their candidate wont even be on the big live national debates.

[DragonStryk72]

I’d vote libertarian for some political offices but not prez. Might even help campaign for their candidates if they were visible in my local/regional area but they’re not. A viable third party needs a strong grass roots movement first not big federal elections their unheard of and have no chance at winning. Their candidate wont even be on the big live national debates.

Why not president? They already have officials in smaller offices, but those smaller officials have not ability to change much beyond a little bit of shifting things around. they need to get a higher office, in order to show that it is possible for there to be a viable 3rd party candidate. Vote the one you think should be leading, the one who is the best leader, as opposed to the one you think will win, and help us break out of this unending cycle of talking heads taking the top spot, while real leaders are relegated to lower office.

[LiberalNation]

I'm voting for Hillary if she gets it, McCain or Nadar (if he's on the ballot) if not. Hillary will get my vote if she on the ticket anyway.

[Missileman]

A viable 3rd party is years away. It's got to establish itself at local and regional levels before it will have the votes and money to go for state and federal offices.

[jimnyc]

I'm voting for Hillary if she gets it, McCain or Nadar (if he's on the ballot) if not. Hillary will get my vote if she on the ticket anyway.

Serious question - Dems have been screaming for years now about the "lies" from Bush, but yet they'd vote for Hillary who is a pathological liar. Why? Do you think she'd somehow become Mrs. Honesty and all for the people once in the White House?

[LiberalNation]

I'm voting for her cuz she's a woman and I want to see a woman prez. As for lying, she's a politician, they all tend to stretch the truth.

[jimnyc]

I'm voting for her cuz she's a woman and I want to see a woman prez. As for lying, she's a politician, they all tend to stretch the truth.

I'll give you an A for honesty but that's about it! What would you think if I told you I was going to vote for McCain over Hillary in the general election, simply because he's a man?

And Hillary "stretching" the truth? Please tell me you aren't one of those that believe her Bosnia story was "stretching" or a bad memory. One doesn't just remember sniper fire that never happened!

[LiberalNation]

I'll give you an A for honesty but that's about it! What would you think if I told you I was going to vote for McCain over Hillary in the general election, simply because he's a man?
I think a lot of people would do it. What would I think if you said that, well something along the lines of stupid jackass voting against who I want to win. That would be about it.

[Pale Rider]

I'm not so sure about this theory that the Libertarian party has to get people here and get people there just to get their foot in the door. I think if Root turned up in November with something like 25% of the vote, then the Libertarian party would have their foot in the door alright. Hell they'd be almost IN the door. It would be perfectly clear that people are fed up with the two party system and the crap that keeps getting pushed to the top of the ticket. It would show that people WILL vote for who they want to, finally, and that would break the ice.

So the question, "if not now, then when," is a very good question. I'd say that with our present crop of candidates, one pathological liar, one America hating racist, and one angry old maverick that likes to stick it to his party, that the time is NOW!

[5stringJeff]

The Libertarian Party runs candidates for many, but certainly not all, local/state level races. So in that sense, they have already started building "the bench." But you don't have to wait until there are X number of Libertarians in office before you run a candidate for President.

The biggest problem for any third party is the media blackout. All of the Presidential debates, all the press coverage, etc. etc. only follows the D's and R's. I think third parties would fare better with more press coverage, if only to let people know that there are more than two choices.

[Missileman]

The Libertarian Party runs candidates for many, but certainly not all, local/state level races. So in that sense, they have already started building "the bench." But you don't have to wait until there are X number of Libertarians in office before you run a candidate for President.

It's the voters who need to be convinced that the members of this 3rd party are better than the other two options. That's going to take time and lots of exposure. And if the movement for a 3rd party is to be successful, they'd damned well better be better.


The biggest problem for any third party is the media blackout. All of the Presidential debates, all the press coverage, etc. etc. only follows the D's and R's. I think third parties would fare better with more press coverage, if only to let people know that there are more than two choices.

The press coverage will come with a larger representation, it will have to. Until it grows at lower levels though, it will be very easy to keep it under wraps.

[MtnBiker]

The bankroll of a third party and its ability to fund raise is also a huge obstacle for a third party.

[Missileman]

The bankroll of a third party and its ability to fund raise is also a huge obstacle for a third party.

The exact reason why it needs to establish a local/regional foundation. In order to be "different" than the other two parties, it needs to avoid the trappings of special interest funding.

[Pale Rider]

It's the voters who need to be convinced that the members of this 3rd party are better than the other two options. That's going to take time and lots of exposure. And if the movement for a 3rd party is to be successful, they'd damned well better be better.
I don't think it will take much convincing, but you're right about exposure. I think it's the majority of people that won't know squat about anything political unless they see it on their favorite TV channel. They just don't take the time to research or learn anything on their own like say us bloggers do.


The press coverage will come with a larger representation, it will have to. Until it grows at lower levels though, it will be very easy to keep it under wraps.
The press coverage, aka, the MSM, which we all know is heavily biased liberal, will ALWAYS be an obstacle for conservative oriented organizations, ESPECIALLY Libertarians. Hell the MSM probably hates them worse than they do the republicans, so coverage is going to be an uphill battle no matter what. But I'm ready. I'm ready to help spread the word, I'm ready to vote third party. The time IS now.