The growing implosions of the Republicans and Democrats, the low voter turnout in major elections, and the increasing dissolution of the global economy — these three realities mark a perfect time for U.S. “Third” parties to finally force themselves into the nation’s vital political power structure.
This doesn’t mean a third party could win the presidency this year; but — if the Thirds win their federal lawsuit to get admitted to the national TV debates dictatorially controlled by the Democrats and Republicans – surely a percentage of voters would respond in the presidential and congressional races.
And voters shouldn’t buy the old lie of a third party vote hurting a Republican or Democrat. The two major parties – assisted by corporate media — for decades have connived and blocked voters’ freedoms to hear from third parties, keeping a stranglehold on elections and refusing Americans broader choices they deserve. And Americans have allowed the Dems and Reps to do that by simply deciding to complain and not vote, leading to a federal government now conniving for austerity and limiting constitutional freedoms.
Republicans, Democrats Rupturing
Donald Trump’s sudden support in Republican primaries has led the national party’s shocked establishment to scurry and find ways to block his presidential nomination. Some big money Republicans are looking at possibly forming a separate political party. This, plus recent successes by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, may lead to a raucous Republican national convention this summer that could further separate the fracturing party.
[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Thirds must educate with social media[/pullquote]
A similar scene appears prevalent with the Democrats. The party establishment is firmly behind Hillary Clinton. But U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has leapt from his tiny state of Vermont, welcoming rabid response nationwide to his call for a “revolution” to change America. The Democrats, too, could see a party rupture at its national convention, similar to 1968 with the establishment supporting Vice-President Hubert Humphrey — who got the nomination and later lost to Richard Nixon — and volatile activists who opposed the Vietnam War.
The two majors, by conventions’ end, will look to put on a face of unity, but signs are it may only be on the surface.
The key for the third parties, if they are to make significant inroads, is to concentrate on and cultivate the large number of eligible voters turned off by the millionaire Reps and Dems controlling Washington.
Apathetic Voters
Only 55% of eligible voters cast ballots in the last presidential election (2012), and nearly 60% of eligibles stayed away from the polls in 2014 Congressional elections. Meanwhile, the Gallup opinion poll showed last week that the public still despises the Millionaire Congress, giving it a miserable approval rating of 17%. President Barak Obama’s rating is higher (50%), but still a morbid signal of America’s anger with Washington.
Need for Education
We covered the “Third” parties’ debates the last presidential go-round, recalling how they — as opposed to the Obama-Romney debates — made it appear America was still a democracy. But the major corporate media wouldn’t cover the Thirds’ debates, blocking most of the public from an education to their platforms. Only C-SPAN, Free Speech TV and RT America covered the minority parties.
Here’s what appears, to Peculiar Progressive, the Third parties should do now:
- Win their federal court case to be included in the national TV debates. That will help greatly to broaden their bases in 2016.
- Whether they win the court case or not, they still need to educate the public to their causes. They can best do that by concentrating on the young, meaning high schools and colleges. They can physically go to campuses to educate them, and file more lawsuits if they’re refused access.
- But their main course must be in flooding social media with their causes. Wherever they can’t press flesh and discuss issues with the young, do it online. The Internet has been a major friend to at least four who’ve sought the presidency: Obama, Sanders, Clinton, and Ron Paul. The Thirds should milk this media avenue and not let up.
Who Are the Thirds?
I wrote columns earlier this year when two of the Thirds’ frontrunners announced: the Green Party’s nominee last year, Jill Stein, the Libertarians’ 2012 nominee Gary Johnson. Those two parties will select their 2016 candidates this summer.
The Greens are currently finding a major friend in the worldwide drive to fight global warming. They need to carry that connection to young voters and potential voters. Jill Stein also made free college education an immediate part of her platform when she announced.
The Libertarians, of course, espouse personal freedom, cutting taxes and creating jobs.
But there are a plethora of Thirds which you should know about, and which you should share with any eligible voters you know who plan to avoid the ballot box in November. You can find a list of the Third parties here.
The Major Draw: Dire Economic Warnings
What could draw frustrated eligible voters to Thirds more than anything else: the dissolving global economy. Many signs point to another meltdown. We’ve written about warnings in columns here and here. The first includes concerns about the growing global private and public debt and also central banks’ manipulations of interest rates. The second involves unsustainable private debt in the U.S., including student loans and personal credit.
We also complained following the 2014 elections about 11 major economic and social areas where Washington has let the public down. Those problems remain today. You can read that column here: “As U.S. Austerity Deepens, Prepare for Revolution”. The rise of the Third parties could be it.
This past week you could see more rising economic warnings in news reports on the International Monetary Fund’s fearing that Eurozone banks’ £715bn black hole of uncollectible debt is threatening the economy; Saudi Arabia warning the U.S. of pulling $750 billion from the American economy if Washington follows through on a 9/11 liability suit; and oil producers, amid a Saudi-Iran row, refusing to implement an oil production freeze; and the continuing fall in corporate earnings for U.S. banks, energy companies, and other business sectors.
The Thirds need to capitalize on all this in the coming months, shouting their responsible solutions, and asking specifically for votes.
