Today's piece on Politico.com by Schoen (a regular talking head on Fox News for whom I have a decent measure of respect given his obvious independent-mindedness) is linked at bottom. Schoen (who, BTW, is hated by the far left -- which I view as a real badge of honor) in this article makes the case for how and why Independent candidates and/or a new "centrist" third party could be extremely viable these days even given all the system roadblocks that dems and repubs have undemocratically put in place to try to prevent viable third party candidates (such as efforts by powerbrokers in both parties to preclude third party candidates from getting on the ballot). Here are the highlights (and I could not more agree with every bit of it):- Why could a "centrist" third party succeed? Schoen writes: "Broad-based majorities view elected officials as self-serving, corrupt, fiscally irresponsible and out of touch" (citing a Pew Research Center poll). "Both parties' polls have dropped."
- How could such a third party succeed? Schoen: "This new third party must embrace all Americans' concerns" by "drawing on the general disaffection with government -- specifically the out-of-control spending and burgeoning budget deficit and national debt."
- Schoen points out that such a message would not only resonate with centrist Independents and moderate dems and repubs, but also even with many in the predominantly conservative Tea Party Movement.
- Schoen notes that there are now at least three viable Independent gubernatorial candidates -- in Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
- Schoen details how the general electorate would be open to a new third party: "Recent polling by the New York Times shows that close to 50% of the electorate say that they would benefit from a third party." Schoen notes that this is consistent with the fact that Pew Research Center polling has consistently shown for 15 years that "about half of the electorate wants a third major political party."
- Schoen discusses how in recent U.S. history, "when there has been similar anger, we have seen viable third party presidential candidates who run on reducing the government, cutting spending and balancing the budget." Schoen notes John Anderson in 1980 and Ross Perot in 1992 (who, by the way, had a very legitimate chance of winning the presidency before he weirded out, dropped out of the race abruptly, only to later return -- still, he received such a large block of Independent and republican votes so as to hand Bill Clinton the presidency).
- Schoen closes with some very well-put words concerning the fact that while it will definitely not be easy for a viable third party to become entrenched in our longstanding two-party system, Independents everywhere should have every reason to believe in the possibility: "Voters are looking for an alternative to the established parties. The big impediment to a third party, until now, has been the political elites’ efforts to keep alternative candidates off the ballot. But unless we have the opportunity for a third party, this crisis of legitimacy can only get worse. And the risk to our system grows more perilous."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36688.html
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