It never fails.
Just like clockwork, I have to deal with the onslaught of questions and hopes involving a “third party” presidential candidate. And every year I lose my patience fairly early with the ignorance that abounds. Oh, and by the way, I’m always right and will be again this year.
Gary Johnson is running as an independent and Jill Stein is running as a Green Party candidate and neither one of them has any chance, at all, whatsoever, of winning anything. It’s not even likely they’ll qualify for the debates (you need 15% in national polls in order to qualify and neither is there yet) and even if they did, they’re not going to make a nation suddenly say “oh wow, we should vote for one of them.”
Before getting personal, let’s talk broadly. Third Party candidates do not have the infrastructure, financial means, or usually, the appeal to enough people to win. All they ever do is spoil the results for others. Ross Perot single handedly made sure George Bush the Elder was not re-elected in 1992 and di Ralph Nader to Al Gore in 2000. Ron Paul never could even get nominated and boy did I get tired of having to hear about him for 3 straight election cycles.
America is a 2 party system; not necessarily by design, but by 200 years of control by 2 parties. We have seen countless times what happens when an “outsider” finds a way in on local levels; they are castrated by both parties. From Jesse Ventura to Arnold Schwarzenegger and all between, people who cast themselves as outsiders, even if they have a political party behind them, are destroyed once they’re on the inside. That’s just how it works. Will it ever change? Maybe…but not this election cycle and probably not anytime soon.
I find the constant cries over third party candidates to be so childish I have no patience or time for them. You’re not 5…you know the truth about Santa Claus and flying super heroes and it’s time to act like it.
The only way a third party will ever truly emerge in America is if such a big named, highly financed person with a truly “American” agenda were to ever take a shot. Here’s what America wants today:
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More progressive social policies. Gay marriage is here to stay. Legalized marijuana is about to be. Pornography is America’s #1 form of recreation. Basically, leave us the hell alone
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Private property protections.
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Support of law enforcement
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A strong military used wisely. Protect the homeland, don’t hide from the world but stop caring about places we can’t help. Allow the military to do their damn job when we send them in
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A reasonable environmental and energy policy. The Global Climate Warming Change people have won the argument and 66% of Americans believe we’re destroying the Earth. You don’t win by telling them they’re wrong, you win by pointing out that the rest of the world plays by no such rules and that we need to stop buying energy from terrorist nations.
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A country that is both proud and compassionate and works.
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A country that tells the vocal minority to sit the hell down and shut the hell up. Sorry you’re offended by the American Flag, but go to hell.
Where is that candidate? Nowhere to be found, folks, so choose the lesser of two evils and know that if you vote for someone other than Clinton or Trump, you may as well not vote. Protests votes have never mattered and won’t this time either.
As for your specific third party choices, Jill Stein’s energy policy is simple: America needs to walk more. If we walk more, we’ll be healthier, the air will be cleaner and our country’s mood will improve greatly. I LITERALLY just heard her say that in an interview.
As for Gary Johnson, he lost me when, at the Libertarian debate a few months ago he was asked if America “intervening” in World War II was a good idea. Now, keep in mind, we had actually taken a position of isolationism until we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. Do describe responding to an attack on the Homeland as an “intervention,” shows the mindset of those who run the Libertarian party. The only thing more disgusting was Johnson’s response: “I don’t know.” Well guess what dipstick, history knows and you’re welcome, world.
It’s Trump or Hillary. Deal with it. If you want to throw your vote away, be my guest but stop trying to sound like you’re making any sort of difference at all because you’re not.
