PrintSeptember 20, 2009
The Real Problem with Third Parties
Yes third parties always lose national elections. Not only that, if successful enough to grow, their very existence guarantees victory for the candidate or party most opposed to the beliefs of the third party voters. But this is not even the real problem with them. The real problem is third parties are like virgins: Upon consummation, they are no longer virgins. The purity is gone by definition.(There is a great Dennis Miller bit about the terrorists, 72 virgins, bewilderment, 3 a.m. and so on that would be a fabulous analogy here - but this is a family website.) Part of the problem with third parties is that the frustrated call for them -- at least on the right -- is really a plea for something else altogether. They are also generally built on a cult of personality and not ideas. More on that later.First, consider some lessons from the last significant third party effort: the Ross Perot "Reform Party" of 1992-1996. Though there were...(Read Full Article)
