Looking For A Viable Third Party? Look No Further

Let's face facts: The two-party system is a failure. Both sides become deeply entrenched in their rhetoric and no compromise is ever made because none is ever necessary. Democrats can run back to their base saying that they did not cut entitlements that are (rightly) important to their voters and Republicans can energize their base by sticking to their "no new taxes" pledge. Other than a few special circumstances (like the debt ceiling), neither side needs to compromise because they don't have to. There are currently no viable third parties in the United States that could challenge the Republicans or the Democrats, so the two parties can focus on the issues they want and not worry about anything else.

Now I'm not arguing that a multiparty system is always better. Having a proportional representation system of voting, where a political party is awarded the same percentage of seats as they received votes (3% of the vote means that the party would receive 3% of the seats in the legislature), at least forces compromise. It is not enough for a political system to "encourage" compromise. As we see with major issues like the debt ceiling now, compromise is a vital part of the functioning on any country, and if it is not forced, it often does not happen and can have disastrous repercussions. 

As I just said, the two party system is broken. But for those who are discontent with both parties, who are completely turned off to the idea of partisan, ideological governance and want leadership that is willing to openly discuss and compromise, what do you do? Not since Ross Perot received almost 19% of the vote in the 1992 election has a third-party candidate had an actual shot at breaking the top two, let along garnering more than 1% of the vote. But there may be a new solution: Americans Elect. 

Americans Elect

Americans Elect
A new third party political startup is quickly emerging -- and their doing so utilizing the internet and the millions of discontent members of both parties. Sure, it sounds a little bit cheesy, but over 1.6 million people have signed their petition, and the group has accrued an impressive number of Democrats, Republicans, and independents. Not only do they have a massive following, but they also have a well thought-out strategy for 2012.

In just a few days, Americans elect will formally submit 1.6 million signatures in order to be put on the presidential ballot in California. This is just one part of their unfolding national effort to get on the ballot of all 50 states in 2012. 

According to Thomas Friedman,

The goal of Americans Elect is to take a presidential nominating process now monopolized by the Republican and Democratic parties, which are beholden to their special interests, and blow it wide open — guaranteeing that a credible third choice, nominated independently, will not only be on the ballot in every state but be able to take part in every presidential debate and challenge both parties from the middle with the best ideas on how deal with the debt, education and jobs.

The goal of the movement, according to Americans Elect CEO Kahlil Byrd, is to

open up what has been an anticompetitive process to people in the middle who are unsatisfied with the choices of the two parties.

But how can they possibly pull something like this off? First off, the organization is surprisingly well-funded, with state of the art offices financed by a number of hedge-fund managers just a stone's throw from the White House. But more than that, the organization will hope to tap into two important markets, the first being the millions of frustrated Americans disgruntled by the Washington political machine, and the second is the millions of people who use the internet on a regular basis. The way that they will achieve success is brilliantly simple. Let the people decide:

Americans Elect is the first-ever open nominating process. We’re using the Internet to give every single voter — Democrat, Republican or independent — the power to nominate a presidential ticket in 2012. The people will choose the issues. The people will choose the candidates. And in a secure, online convention next June, the people will make history by putting their choice on the ballot in every state.

Here's how it will work:

1. First, all those who are at all interested in becoming a delegate for Americans Elect goes to the website (http://www.americanselect.org/) and registers. As part of this short process, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire pertaining to your views on a number of key issues and the priority they hold in your mind. Topics include the economy, foreign policy, education, etc. By providing Americans Elect with this information, you allow them to put you in contact with other people of similar views who you can discuss and organize with.
2. Following the registration process, you will be invited to "draft" a new candidate or support one who has already been drafted. You will also be allowed to contribute to the list of questions that all those who are running on the Americans Elect platform must answer before receiving the nomination.
3. Every candidate will have to post his or her answers either in writing or through video so that delegates have the opportunity to educate themselves on the different candidate's beliefs
4. Next, in April 2012, the candidate pool will be reduced to six following three separate rounds of elimination voting. The six, assuming they all want to run, will then have to name their running mates. The catch? A Democrat must run with a Republican or an independent and vice versa.
5. Finally, in June of 2012, the online nominating convention will narrow down the six to just one - and if all goes to plan, that person and his/her running mate will be put automatically onto the ballot in all 50 states. 

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Will the movement ultimately be successful? If their goal is to win the White House in 2012, then most would say that they have very little chance. But, if their goal is prove that a third party group has the power to organize and assert power in Washington and to push issues that would most likely otherwise not be discussed, then it will most likely be a glowing success.

Third parties have been great at doing one thing: Shedding light on an issue that the two party system neglects, if not completely ignores. Many third party groups, like the Green Party and its face Ralph Nader (who receives less than 1% of the vote in election years), has brought light to a number of different issues through the years, despite never coming close to being elected. Can you imagine how much of a stir a third party group could cause if it was not only well-financed and well-conceived, but also strongly supported by more than 1 million Americans? While its too early to deem the project a total success, I tip my hat to Americans Elect for creating such an incredible buzz around such a strong idea and I encourage all those who are not content with the current system to at least take a look. 

Check out the website: http://www.americanselect.org/