What would a third party need to win a US election?

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-04-22 08:44pm

Besides a miracle and for pigs to fly, of course.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2003-04-22 08:45pm

Lots and lots and lots and... lots of corporate backing

Post by **Beowulf** » 2003-04-22 08:45pm

A platform that isn't picked up by one of the major parties, yet is popular.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-04-22 08:49pm

Money and the alteration of U.S. election policy, which inherently favors the two-party system.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-04-22 08:54pm

A public dissatisfaction with the two major parties couldn't hurt.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-04-22 09:04pm

Essentially the kind of broad appeal and wide exposure of the two major parties.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-04-22 09:10pm

The complete disintegration of one of the two majors. It's not unprecedented.

Ignorant twit · Post by **Ignorant twit** » 2003-04-22 11:52pm

A single election? Ask Ventura. They'd need a position that is popular, opponents who are not, and the candidate must be popular of their own right.

Two win many elections and some real congressional power? An issue which neither major party backs yet is profusely popular among the voting public. About the only voting bloc solid enough to pull this off is the conservative christian element. If the republicans ever ditch the Southern Baptists I fully expect a third party to arise with at least some success in a few areas.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2003-04-23 02:12am

Some one charismatic enough to steal a shit load of votes from one of the major two parties. A platform that is not extreme and appeals to pissed off righties and lefties who think their own party is fucked up.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-04-23 06:50am

a clue. lets face it, the 'alternative' political parties in the US are really a joke. The major 'alternative' parties have all taken such extreme positions out on the horizon of the political landscape that no one in the mainstream will ever take them seriously. even the once moderate 'Reform Party' ran with old school fundie conservative Pat Buchannon as it's Presidential candidate in the last election..

IMHO a viable third party would be much like the Libertarian party, but more moderate and without it's pascifist baggage.

Post by **Steve** » 2003-04-23 10:43am

Third Parties are too-easily hijacked by extremists. If you could gather enough middle-of-the-road people, however, you could make a strong play for power.

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2003-04-23 12:51pm

The ENTIRE us AND russian AND israli nuclear arsenals and commercials advertising that they're in control of these assets.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-04-23 05:57pm

Steve wrote:Third Parties are too-easily hijacked by extremists. If you could gather enough middle-of-the-road people, however, you could make a strong play for power.

I'd agree. After all, you wouldn't want someone like Buchanan or whoever was the Worker's World candidate in the White House, right? Also, a well-known candidate might help, like with Theodore Roosevelt in the 1912 election.

A significant group of people affilated with a political party might split and run their own candidate, like the people behind Roosevelt and Thurmond's third-party bids. Having two extremely incompetent and unpopular major-party candidates might help too.

Ignorant twit · Post by **Ignorant twit** » 2003-04-23 06:35pm

Steve wrote:Third Parties are too-easily hijacked by extremists. If you could gather enough middle-of-the-road people, however, you could make a strong play for power.

Been tried, doesn't work. One of the major parties (or both) says hey my base is secure and makes inroads for the middle. This is the real story behind the republicans success recently, they've made their peace with the right wing and can court the middle.

Queeb Salaron · Post by **Queeb Salaron** » 2003-04-23 06:37pm

I'm gonna vote Nader. At least he wants to make marijuana A) a federal issue, and B) legal and federally regulated.

That's the only premise I care about, really.

That was a joke. Just so people don't start calling me shallow. Which may or may not be true.

jegs2 · Post by **jegs2** » 2003-04-23 07:33pm

Can a third party pick up any Electoral College votes? I think they're all either Republicans or Democrats. Electoral votes win elections.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-04-23 07:38pm

jegs2 wrote:Can a third party pick up any Electoral College votes? I think they're all either Republicans or Democrats. Electoral votes win elections.

Yup. Has happened before. George Wallace won lots, Teddy Roosevelt under the Bull Moose party won lots and cost Taft the election, and it happened on a regular basis for much of the first half of the 19th century.