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Although it's too late IMO for this third party to do anything in this election other than disrupt the polling, has this election cycle opened up the door for a potential historical change in the loose two party system?
I can see many possibilities going forward. Is it possible that there could be 3 viable and strong candidates in future election which would include a 3rd party candidate with an actual chance to win? Could the GOP whom I think has shown total ineptness actually be replaced by the 3rd party and we could still have a loose two party system without the GOP's?
This election cycle is so much more than Trump vs Clinton. No matter what happens, I believe the course of the political future in the US (and the world) has been altered more than any other time after Washington first took office centuries ago.
If you really want a 3rd party to be viable in the future, you have to change the "winner-take-all" system, at the local, state and federal level, and in particular, the Electoral College system. That's a pretty tall order.
A good first step is to volunteer for Maine's "ranked choice voting" ballot initiative in November which would, if passed, make Maine the first state to give voters the chance to rank their choices so third party candidates will never be "spoilers".
I don't get it, how would that work? You mean, the same voter gets a first choice then second, ......?
If you really want a 3rd party to be viable in the future, you have to change the "winner-take-all" system, at the local, state and federal level, and in particular, the Electoral College system. That's a pretty tall order.
Quote:
The Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative, also known as Question 5, is on the November 8, 2016, ballot in Maine as an indirect initiated state statute.
A "yes" vote supports establishing a statewide system of ranked-choice voting.
I think the Libertarian Party did a great job getting on the ballot in all 50 states but they have a poor candidate. If they had fielded someone stronger, than I think things could have been different, although I think the reality is that as people find out more about the LP, they don't necessarily like their policy positions.
An independent like Bloomberg - socially more liberal, fiscally more conservative, could have definitely carved a path out of the middle. But he wasn't willing to risk that his candidacy could result in a Trump victory. Maybe if it had ended up being Hillary vs. Jeb!, a third party/independent could have made some real progress.
I don't get it, how would that work? You mean, the same voter gets a first choice then second, ......?
Yes. Exactly.
Quote:
Former Sen. Dick Woodbury (I-11), who was involved in proposing Question 5, provided the following six reasons to support the ranked-choice voting measure:
“ First, the finally elected candidate is chosen by a majority of voters.
Second, there is no such thing as a spoiler candidate. If a candidate turns out not to be electable, then he or she is eliminated in the counting process. The candidate doesn’t “spoil” the result by taking away votes from somebody else.
Third, voters can cast their vote for a preferred candidate without the strategic dilemma of potentially helping a candidate they oppose.
Fourth, by avoiding spoiler candidates and strategic voting, the entire messaging of campaigns, media coverage and public evaluation of candidates will focus on issues, vision, experience and capabilities; not on polling and electability.
Fifth, elected candidates can serve with a credibility and mandate that can only be delivered by a majority of votes cast.
Sixth, and perhaps most importantly, campaigns will be more civil and respectful, as candidates avoid alienating their opponents’ supporters. Rather than appealing to loyal supporters alone, a winning candidate needs to appeal to a genuine majority of all voters, including those whose first choice may be somebody else.
It's not that they don't run in local, state, and federal elections, it's that the MSM doesn't cover them unless it suits their needs. There are hundreds of Green Party and Libertarian Party candidates elected to local and state offices, but you will rarely hear about it.
There are something like 100 Greens and 150 Libertarians holding elected office out of a half million elected offices.
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