Biden Picks Elizabeth Warren

[blues]

I would like to remind people that voting for Ross Perot, a third party, is how we got Bill Clinton in 1992.

That's an excellent point, Bill.

It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'got' is.

[Borderland]

Perhaps.

There are some polls which show Perot pulled more votes from Clinton than from Bush.

I'm not sure how anyone could determine that either way. One would have to know for sure how a person would have voted if Perot wasn't on the ballot. There is also the person who may not have voted if Perot hadn't been on the ballot. I suspect that Perot pulled more votes away from the GOP because I was one of those people that voted for him and I'm more likely to vote R than D by a wide margin. But now we have very undesirable candidates in both parties so it makes it a coin toss on the 3rd party voting. Some people will do that just to throw a wrench into the election process gears.

[olstyn]

That's an excellent point, Bill.

As much as it might annoy those of us looking for a third-party option, there are none—Kanye West is simply a distraction—that have even the remotest chance of being elected.

Such a candidate would need to be someone who can almost guarantee that they'd take at least 45% of the popular vote and in the right states to be viable.

Until a viable third party candidate emerges (it's too late for that now in the current election cycle) a vote for anyone other than the side whose position you prefer (Left or Right) is a vote for the side whose position that you oppose.

Does this line of thinking suggest that a third party candidate would need to start campaigning *now* for 2024 in order to have a shot? Is the largest part of the problem that the two major parties just have more publicity, and would starting way before anybody else allow for enough name recognition to counter that?

[LittleLebowski]

It’s not official but I did just deliver 2 pallets of Biden/Warren campaign signs that weighed 3,000 lbs.

Any chance of a private picture? @Paul Blackburn

[farscott]

I would like to remind people that voting for Ross Perot, a third party, is how we got Bill Clinton in 1992.

My only comment to that is the impact of a vote for a third party is very dependent upon the state. In states known as "swing states", a third-party vote may influence the outcome of the election. In other states, say CA and AL, the impact of a third-party vote is nil. CA will vote for VP Biden and AL will vote for POTUS Trump. Those outcomes are well known and not in dispute.

What a third-party vote can do in those states is help make that third party eligible for federal funding in future elections. If both parties continue to nominate poor choices and people vote their conscience, a third party could be viable.

[the Schwartz]

Does this line of thinking suggest that a third party candidate would need to start campaigning *now* for 2024 in order to have a shot? Is the largest part of the problem that the two major parties just have more publicity, and would starting way before anybody else allow for enough name recognition to counter that?

I wish that I had the answer to that. I do not. It might take even longer than 2024.

What I do think that it will take is for a large enough segment of the American people to 1.) have the smarts to realize that they're being bamboozled by both sides, 2.) then arrange an organized and highly unified campaign that 3.) can coherently communicate that idea to a significant number of those who've realized that they're being bamboozled so that 4.) the proposed candidate can amass the needed votes to assume office. There's a lot of ''doing'' to be done between points 1 and 4 and so long as everyone is nice and comfortable within their quarantine boxes, that is unlikely to happen.

In other words, I am not holding my breath.

[Joe in PNG]

Don't forget the effect that the third party run of Ralph Nader had on Gore in 2000.

[LOKNLOD]

I’d like to see a 3rd party emerge, but until you see them cropping up and winning seats as Mayors, City Council members, state senators, state house members - they aren’t going to win on a national level.

We all know you’ve got to “do the work”. These third parties who want to run for president with no viable track record? They’re trying to shortcut to the top. It doesn’t work that way. Trump got it, even. He knew he was better off with a divide in the GOP than as a third party.

The enemy - and make make no mistake, I believe a lot of politics right now is truly an enemy - gets this. I’ve never seen a “think global, act local” sticker next to a Trump or Jo Jorgewhatever sticker. It’ll be right between the “coexist” and faded “Bernie 2016” stickers.


I would also add that I’m vehemently against the “national popular vote” movement that’s afoot, and It being in play would only go to bolster the need to vote 2party, further cockblocking 3rd parties on the national stage. No more “throwaway” votes when you know how your state will end up.

[0ddl0t]

Until a viable third party candidate emerges (it's too late for that now in the current election cycle) a vote for anyone other than the side whose position you prefer (Left or Right) is a vote for the side whose position that you oppose.

And what for those of us who oppose "both" sides (as if there are only 2)? I don't want an anti-gun, anti-individualist president any more than I want a petty tyrant shutting down lawful protests for personal photo ops and trying to use the justice department to settle personal vendettas. A vote for a lesser evil is still a vote for evil...

[HCountyGuy]

And what for those of us who oppose "both" sides (as if there are only 2)? I don't want an anti-gun, anti-individualist president any more than I want a petty tyrant shutting down lawful protests for personal photo ops and trying to use the justice department to settle personal vendettas. A vote for a lesser evil is still a vote for evil...

Regarding the bold and underlined, did you pay attention to the last president? Using the IRS to go after conservatives, and let's not forget the whole Russian interference nonsense Obama and the Dems helped perpetuate with the help of the DOJ.

Yeah unfortunately both choices for president suck just like the last go-round, but you can rest assured the Dems getting back in control of the White House will result in far worse shenanigans than what Trump's been doing.