What to do when you don't have a candidate? Find one!

Third parties, as we are all by now aware, are the root of all evil. They undermine our political system and take away much deserved attention from the phenomenal and deserving Democratic and Republican parties. Thanks to people who voted for Nader in 2004, Kerry lost the election and the evil tyrant Bush won.

How dare they! They must be stopped! Right now! Before it's too late and we become a communist country!

Okay, so those of you who know me and my views by now are probably either giggling madly by now or thinking I've finally had a mental breakdown and have begun searching WebMD frantically for signs and symptoms of mental disease. Fallon, you're thinking, has lost touch with reality and could use one of those padded cells about now.

But no worries. I haven't done a complete about face on my views of third parties. Those are, sadly, only a very few of the statements I've heard about third parties over the course of the past few months. In the minds of many, third parties are a serious threat to the American political system and will, if not stopped, spell an end to the most amazing system of politics ever to grace this planet.

Of course I don't buy that. How could I? It's simply one of those things I can't even fathom. Third party candidates, contrary to the beliefs of the individuals who have tried to convince me of the statements made in that first paragraph, aren't the root of all evil. But, they aren't necessarily viable options in the majority of races. That, of course, isn't because I think they're a bad thing, but rather because of the two party mentality that is so prevalent throughout the nation.

The majority won't vote for a third party candidate because they believe a vote for a third party candidate is a waste of time. That candidate couldn't possibly win, so why bother throwing away a vote and possibly allowing the candidate you like the least to triumph?

Imagine for a moment, however, what would happen if everyone who had ever said that actually voted for a third party candidate. Take it a step further and imagine that third party candidates didn't have to fight the Democratic and Republican parties tooth and nail simply to be allowed ballot access in many states.

Now, isn’t that a sight to behold? Could it be as simple as changing people's minds (which is never easy) and create more fair ballot access regulations? Probably not, but it's a start. That, however, isn't what this is about. This is about another side of the third party issue. We'll box it out about ballot access and the two party mentality more later, but this time, I want to talk about third party candidates.

According to Wikipedia (I know, I know), the three largest third parties are the Constitution Party, the Green Party and the Libertarian Party. Countless other smaller parties are also in existence. And quite a few of those parties (major and minor, alike) have nominated their candidates for the 2008 presidential election.

Those candidates, of course, get very little press. ‘Tis the nature of the two party system at work. But anyway, feeling as I do about third party candidates, it's become my mission in life to inform everyone that has lodged a complaint against Obama or McCain that there are other options.

And so we begin...

The Libertarian candidate in the 2008 presidential election is none other than Bob Barr. Barr represented Georgia's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, where he served on various committees including the Judiciary Committee, and the Government Reform Committee. He's a prosecutor and has various other professional accomplishments under his belt.

Barr's platform includes making significant cuts in government spending, restoring the writ of Habeas Corpus in an effort to put a halt to unlawful detention, halting illegal immigration by forcing a unified front of all governments, getting the heck out of Dodge (or Iraq as the current saying tends to be).

Having given you that much with which to begin your own investigation; I also feel I wouldn't be doing my American duty if I didn't mention that Barr has been incredibly bigoted toward Pagans in the military in the past, even going so far as to link Wicca as one of the causes of youth violence. I'll spare you the speech about my personal views of Barr, however, and we'll move right along.

The Constitution Party has nominated Chuck Baldwin as their candidate in the 2008 race. Baldwin is a pastor, has served as the State Chairman of the Florida Moral Majority, authored two books, ran a radio show, has been a political columnist and ran as the Constitution Party's VP nominee in 2004.

Baldwin's platform includes standing up to the Global Elite in an effort to restore the America republic's sovereignty, repealing the Income Tax, eliminating the Food and Drug Administration, enacting the Sanctity of Life Act, strictly enforcing laws surrounding illegal immigration.

The Green Party has not yet nominated their 2008 candidate. They will make that decision during the Green Party convention to be held July 10th through the 13th. And I will, of course, give you the dirt (as it were) when that happens. And before asked… I haven’t forgotten about Nader. I’ll provide information about him in my Independent Candidates installation. But, let's go back to these other two candidates for a moment.

Do I support either of these candidates (Barr or Baldwin)? No. But it isn't because they are third party candidates. It's simply because I don't agree with the positions of either candidate. That, however, hasn't stopped me from doing the research and it shouldn't stop you either. You don't have to vote for Obama or McCain, whatever you may have been told. There are other options. And you aren't going to hear much about them unless you take the iniative to do the research. I've started it here for you and will provide several other links below to make your task a little easier. You may find, like I have, that they aren't your candidates of choice either and that's fine... at least you've made the effort to get informed. But, you may just be surprised and find that one of these candidates (or one from another third party) is someone you can totally support. In the end... isn't that infinitely better that doubting your own decision when you cast your ballot?

Third Party Research:

Project Vote Smart candidate resources.
Wikipedia list of third party candidates.
Politics1 list of third party candidates.
Article on potential for third party win.
Historic look at third parties.
Third Party Watch.