Missing Third Option
There are sixteen (16) candidates on the ballot for US
president! 16!
There are also another ten candidates who are on at least
one state ballot.
Not done yet, there are another 107 listed as write-in
candidates.
So, how many did you hear from in the debate?
I don’t expect to hear from everyone. Let’s just assume that
write-in candidates have no shot at winning. And the write-ins are hardly ever
counted anyway (that’s another story). Ok, take the 107 off the list, including
such names as “Mad Max,” “Love-22,” “Big Bird” and Terry Jones. Wait, Terry
Jones is a write-in for President? Ok, good, ignore the 107. (BTW, Big Bird is
not on there, should be).
What about the ten on the one-state ballots? Well, being
lumped in together as one-state balloters, people may dismiss all, even those
on several state ballots. Admittedly, some of these candidates are there just
to prove a point or voice a concern (but you’ll never know what that is). That
still leaves 16 candidates on the ballot. SIXTEEN!
You know President Obama and Governor Romney, but whom else
do you know?
Do you know, or have you heard from these nominees:
Tom Hoefling of the American Independent Party
Merlin Miller of the American Third Position Party
Congressman Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party
Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party
Mayor Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party
Governor Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party
Tom Stevens of the Objectivist Party
Peta Lindsay of the Party of Socialism and Liberation
Rosanne Barr of the Peace & Freedom Party
Lowell Fellure of the Prohibition Party
Andre Barnett of the Reform Party
Stewart Alexander of the Liberty Union Party
Jerome White of the Socialist Equality Party
Wait, Rosanne Barr is on there? You know her. And everyone’s
heard of Dr. Jill Stein since she was on the news for being arrested after
trying to get into the debates. Yes, a presidential candidate was arrested for
trying to get into the debates. So much for freedom of speech, huh?
We all know that this system is set up as a two-party
system. Having a third party candidate win votes means that a majority winner
would be jeopardized (and there’s the ruling class fear of a truthsayer).
So, what can you do? Continue to vote for Red or Blue? Vote
for the lesser of two evils? What about voting for the person who best
represents us, the person who actually works for us? That may be difficult.
Voting that way may not get him/her elected, but at least there will be another
voice registered. People are fearful of voting third party because it may take
votes from their second choice. That was the argument when people voted for
Ralph Nader and Bush got elected.
At least Nader was heard, even for a little. Today I do not
hear any other voices. There is good that comes out of another option, another
voice. When other voices are heard the main voices begin to change their
approach and include some of your concerns. There may not be total change or
total representation, yet it can keep the ruling party from drifting too far
away from the people.
Let your vote count, vote for the person you deem worthy,
representative and who works for you.
And demand that other voices be heard. After all, what’s
democracy without the people?
