Four third-party presidential candidates set for internet-only debate

I like it. Fingers crossed for a good debate.

Worth watching!

I'm curious - did they invite candidates from other parties (Socialist, for example), or did they set their own limits on participating?

(I don't mean that to be combative or poking, I'm honestly curious)

It's always worth watching to hear other POV's and such. It won't change anything in this election. What you need to see is some of these people run for smaller offices, become a known quantity and then build on that. Maybe even get a more well known someone from a major party that doesn't quite fit come over.

If I watch it, it'll be on the red commie bastard controversial web site. I roll that way.

BTW, I wonder why whatshername (Rosi Odonnall?) isn't in the line up?

Inevitably this will be more interesting than the Obama/Romney debates. These candidates can say whatever they want with no fear of repercussions.

It'd definitely be nice to check out. While I don't think Obama and Romney are the same, they do agree on more issues than I'd prefer to see. Here, you'll have a liberal debating an old school conservative (not neo-con).

Don said:

Gee, maybe like Gary Johnson, two-term governor of New Mexico and ex-Republican? I think that's a great idea, Vince.

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Yes. I did a count. He's one. Like I said. More of them. Serving locally, in these third party. Maybe they run for mayor or governor as main party, then switch. But there has to be a bunch of them in one party to form a coalition.

The obstacle to that is that fact that, unfortunately, not enough people give a crap about local and non-Presidential cycle Congressional elections. Usually only the diehard voters (which seems to include a very high percentage of nutjobs) participate in these, which falls hard along party lines and few independents come out.

Also, once a party reaches power in these local and state elections, they start gerrymandering like mad to rezone their districts in order to maintain power for as long as possible. And, after the 2010 elections, Republicans in many red states started gerrymandering like there was no tomorrow as well as worked hard to suppress voting.

In the current political climate, it would take a major shift in the attitudes of the electorate or one hell of an exciting platform (and a miracle) for enough 3rd party candidates to get elected to ever make a difference.

Don said:

Gee, maybe like Gary Johnson, two-term governor of New Mexico and ex-Republican? I think that's a great idea, Vince.

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And I will say, having him leave the GOP and become a third party candidate was actually a good first step but it's going to require a steady effort over years, possibly decades. A party should focus on certain districts that historically fit their platform and work their asses off to win those. Then steadly expand. Also, one they control a state, it has to do well under their watch, regardless of any mitigating circumstances. Once you've gotten like two or three states under the control of a third part, as well as a few house seats scattered around in the other states and made a senator or two else where, then it might have a legitimate shot in a national election.

@ Opty: Basically, the spearhead a 3rd party movement within a state, you're going to need someone who is well known and respecting (a major businessman in that state, local war hero, etc) and very charismatic. Few would be able to pull it off, but we've seen people like that in history.

Shadow Dragon said:

@ Opty: Basically, the spearhead a 3rd party movement within a state, you're going to need someone who is well known and respecting (a major businessman in that state, local war hero, etc) and very charismatic. Few would be able to pull it off, but we've seen people like that in history.

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That's my point. Every now and then, there's a third party candidate who energizes a significant portion of the electorate (e.g. Jesse Ventura in Minnesota a few years back), but that's just one candidate every now and then. A viable third party needs a cohesive, persuasive platform that is attractive to a broad group in order to win enough political positions to make any kind of a difference and be a viable party option.

There are no "3rd parties" right now that even come close to that.

Winning one or two seats once in every blue moon in only one or two states when there are thousands of the other guys elected to office across the country amounts to jack squat in the big picture.

It's good idea. The more people get used to other parties, the more chance we have of seeing them rise up the local ranks. Obviously Gary Johnson is a good example of that, though I would not vote for him.

Opty said:

That's my point. Every now and then, there's a third party candidate who energizes a significant portion of the electorate (e.g. Jesse Ventura in Minnesota a few years back), but that's just one candidate every now and then. A viable third party needs a cohesive, persuasive platform that is attractive to a broad group in order to win enough political positions to make any kind of a difference and be a viable party option.

There are no "3rd parties" right now that even come close to that.

Winning one or two seats once in every blue moon in only one or two states when there are thousands of the other guys elected to office across the country amounts to jack squat in the big picture.

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That's the thing, the current independent and third party people don't campaign for each other. When Jesse Ventura was governor, he didn't try to help any other independent candidate in Minnesota to win seats. And I think he chose to walk away after his term instead of running again. Any third party candidate that wins office, has to try to hold onto it for as long as possible, while helping other members attaining seats in government. Especially if they pull off being governor, which Ventura didn't. The charismatic leader has to be an actual leader for their group of guys and help change the landscape of the state.

What time is this debate going to be on?

Shadow Dragon said:

That's the thing, the current independent and third party people don't campaign for each other. When Jesse Ventura was governor, he didn't try to help any other independent candidate in Minnesota to win seats. And I think he chose to walk away after his term instead of running again. Any third party candidate that wins office, has to try to hold onto it for as long as possible, while helping other members attaining seats in government. Especially if they pull off being governor, which Ventura didn't. The charismatic leader has to be an actual leader for their group of guys and help change the landscape of the state.

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Yes, I know.

That's why I said a viable third party "needs a cohesive, persuasive platform that is attractive to a broad group."

/wondering if my posts are invisible...

The only time a 3rd party candidate does well in a Presidential election is when they offer an alternative to the other 2 candidates, like Perrot, Anderson. Wallace.... But a 3rd Party as an alternative to the 2 party system never gets much traction. I don't know if its because its so hard to market the party as an alternative to the status quo without looking like a weird fringe group.

Heck, Gary Johnson's still fighting in court to be included in tonights official "two party" debate:

On Friday, the Libertarian presidential ticket of former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson and former California Superior Court judge Jim Gray filed another lawsuit against the Commission on Presidential Debates to attempt to force their way into the foreign policy debate tonight.

This lawsuit argues that Gary Johnson has met the 15% polling requirement for inclusion in the debates because polls that have included only President Obama and Gov. Johnson have showed Johnson with much more than 15% support. This is because polls that exclude the name of one candidate (Republican nominee Mitt Romney) should be just as valid as polls that exclude the name of another candidate (Johnson).

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http://www.libertylaundry.org/

If an injunction is granted, tonight's debate will be expanded to include Johnson or be cancelled...my guess..no injunction granted...

Definitely worth watching. Someday, one of these parties might actually give the two big-boys a run for their money. I definitely want to see what they have to say.

On now!

It's not really internet-only.
C-SPAN has it on TV

Gary don't sound crazy,

Jill sounds like a nice girl.