Independent candidates for President – and efforts to establish a third party – have failed miserably in America for the past 170 years – and most likely always will. There are both traditional and systemic reasons for that.
America has evolved into a two-party system. That has been the case since the Republican Party took over from the Whigs in the 1850s and elected President Lincoln in 1860. There have been attempts at new parties. Republican President Theodore Roosevelt attempted to retain the presidency with the Progressive Party – commonly known as the Bull Moose Party – after he lost the GOP nomination to President William McKinley.
They were an ill-fated pair. Roosevelt was shot, wounded and lost the election while campaigning. McKinley was shot and killed as President.
Segregationist Democrats walked out of the 1948 National Convention to form the Dixiecrat Party with Senator Strom Thurmond as the presidential candidate. They carried 4 southern states with a meager 39 electoral votes. Following the victory by President Harry Truman, the Dixiecrats returned to the Democratic Party. They continued their short-lived but successful efforts to block civil rights legislation.
There have been independent candidacies.
The two most notable were Republican businessman Ross Perot in 1992. He got almost 20 percent of the vote but did not carry a single state. The other was Green Party candidate Ralph Nader in 2000. He did not carry a single state. However, he may have siphoned off enough liberal votes in Florida to throw the election to President George Bush.
There have been other parties and candidates in the presidential races. But they hardly made a blip on the political radar.
Part of the problem for these outlier efforts is tradition. The American public is conditioned to think in terms of Republican and Democrat as the viable choices. The two-party preference stems from the natural polarization of politics between a conservative philosophy of limited government and a progressive philosophy of a powerful government.
There is also a systemic reason.
Over the years, the Republicans and the Democrats have passed laws and regulations that make launching a third party or an independent campaign prohibitively complicated and expensive.
Every effort by conservatives to split away from supporting the GOP – whether it is conservative apostates like those who created the inappropriately named Lincoln Project, those walking away from the actual party of Lincoln over rejection of those they call RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) or the creation of a rump political party like the rumored Patriots Party – will only aid and abet the other side.
We saw that in the 2020 presidential election and the special Senate election in Georgia. Dedicated principled conservatives have only one viable political option if they want to succeed – and that is working diligently within the Republican Party to produce winning conservative candidates.
When was the last time you have seen Democrats split over petty intra-Party squabbles? To influence policy, one needs to win elections. Republicans – and a lot of conservatives – appear not to have learned that lesson yet.
So, there ‘tis.
I like the sound of that. The party of truth. One that follows the Constitution!
Get unified Republicans
We need something to stop the take over by one(1) party like now has happened This is first stage of take over. We are in danger of being controlled by a dictator. Like Hitler how close are we to this. N.Pelosi now thinks she can do whatever she and the left wants. I feel this is a Socialist/communist take over of the country. Can cause serious problems.
You are so right. There is so much wide spread corruption in DC. It goes sooo deep, I do not think it can be stopped. Trump tried and he knew what was happening. This is a very sad, dark time for our country
i
I will not bow…
I will not bend…
America First I will defend…
I rise with pride…
I will not hide….
President Trump I’m on your side…
I shout it loud for all to hear….
Stay the course and do not veer…
It’s the Constitution we hold dear…
With strength and pride they made a stand…
Proudly proclaimed this is our land…
Hand on heart I know it’s grand…
They stood as one..
They got it done…
Let it be known these colors won’t run…
Mark from Michigan
Seems there is wide spread election integrity going unchecked and not satisfactorily Looked into. Both parties had a responsibility to clear the air and both backed down. Blaming it on the people whom chose to storm the capital building while they were in session to certify the Electoral College votes. Objections should have been fully heard. My Senator from my state just sent me a response saying the people whom stormed the Capital building were to blame. I do not condone what happened on Jan.6, 2021. Nor do I approve of the Senators action in the wake following. Time for new thoughts and less corruption. too many of our Congress men and women are bought and paid for.
Amen tom
We need a 3rd party in Congress for the insurance that the stealing of votes never happen again.Also to make sure they can’t get rich off the long term that most of them have done.We need equal rights an keep our Country free from all one party Congress.America has been the most turned up side down in our history in 2020.A 3rd party can be a life saver for all Americans an keep our Country great for all to come in the future of our democracy.
The author of this article apparently forgot George Wallace in the 1968 election. He won 46 electoral votes, 6 states and about 10 million popular votes. He ran, arguably, the most successful third party campaign in US history.
Do your research before writing again, please.
What if everyone who is upset by their “representatives” changed to “Independent” on “Groundhog Day” as a show of force and dissatisfaction? Returning to their respective party in time to vote in primaries, of course. It might be more difficult to ignore losing millions of registered voters in one day, and facing primary challengers soon after.
We the people who voted for a true Election was scammed an cheated to a party that wants only one party.Many have been there to long it’s time to put a limit on congress.2to 3 years is quite long enough.They’ve been there an got rich over their year’s there.We the people need a 3rd party to equal out the rights an wrongs for our democracy an freedom this country can keep.You just can’t change a Country of ours over night an split it up.2020 has been a turn up side down in our whole history. Our democracy of freedom an speech is what makes our Country great.Humanity is what makes a country great if we had a chance to get our democracy right aging greatness follows.Yes a 3rd party is what this country needs know forget those who tried before an lost, times are different it’s time.
What we are witnessing is the death of our nation as we know it. Trump tried to drain the swamp and look how he was treated by both parties. Trumps’ endgame was America First and he was crucified, and vilified…it’s a total shame and I’m so frustrated and pissed.
There already is a third party.
It’s funny how some folk conveniently refuse to believe what Republican Judges, Republican Secretary of State, Republican Department of Homeland Security Official, Republican Attorney General, majority Republican Supreme Court and countless recounts and audits determined. No matter how many people voted for President Trump, more Americans of varying ethnicities, races, religions, income levels, education and experiences voted for President Biden. BOTTOM LINE… The election was stolen if you believe in conspiracies. In reality President Trump LOST.
I told many of my co-workers in 1996 prior to billy-bob being re-elected, that if he were the US would cease to be a world power by 2025, mainly because we had had 8 years of place-holder do nothing presidents. That was followed by 20 more years of crap presidents. Then Donald J Trump came along and tried to right the sinking, floundering ship as the President, but he was a businessman and all politicians despised the man and did everything to destroy him. Now frankly, I do not believe the US will even make it to 2025, it will be lucky to last another year or 2 before it sinks into oblivion with the present clowns in at least 2 of the 3 branches of this so-called gummit!