Writing for an Ohio newspaper, Michael Medved asked the question, “Why the Third Party Bust in 2008?” His answer is a combination of reasons: Democratic and Republican primary contestors who zapped the excitement from third parties, major party candidates who are marketed toward “cantankerous independents,” and more. The opinion piece begins:
Final returns are still weeks away, but it’s not too early to acknowledge one of the big surprises of the presidential election of 2008: the disastrous decline of fringe party candidates in a year that once seemed ripe for their efforts.
As recently as November, 2007, CNN’s Lou Dobbs flatly predicted that neither a Democrat nor a Republican could win the White House this time: the certain victor, he declared, would be an Independent or the representative of some newly emergent protest party.
On a similar note, Douglas E. Schoen, former campaign consultant to President Clinton, published “Declaring Independence: The Beginning of the End of the Two Party System” early in 2008, also heralding a breakthrough year for a third party contender who could plausibly capture the White House. For several months, speculation surrounded New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who talked of funding his own campaign to the tune of more than $500 million; before he rejected the idea, Bloomberg reportedly discussed running together with outgoing Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska.
Even after these dreams of some independent “unity ticket” began to fade, energized Third Party activists continued to proclaim 2008 as a potential breakthrough year. The Libertarian Party, which had fielded little-known ideologues (like 2004’s nearly invisible Michael Badnarik) as its presidential candidates for more than two decades, finally secured a well-known former Congressman (Bob Barr of Georgia) to head their ticket. On the left, the Green Party welcomed the candidacy of another former House member from Georgia: the fiery and charismatic Cynthia McKinney. The Constitution Party, fanning conspiratorial fears of a “North American Union” and 9/11 as an inside job, selected radio preacher Chuck Baldwin. And two much-publicized perennial candidates – Ralph Nader on the left and Alan Keyes on the right – launched their own vigorous independent campaigns.
Amazingly, despite all the expectations and activity, these minor party contenders have made little headway. In major polls within two months of the election, none of them drew support from more than 2% of the electorate. Since third party candidates always perform better in polls than they do in the actual returns (because citizens feel more reluctant to waste their ballots once they’re in the voting booth), most election experts expect that all five of the major-minors — McKinney, Barr, Baldwin, Nader and Keyes — will draw less than 2% combined.
And it continues here.
I’ll check out the full article later. Sounds like he’s articulated the truth quite well. I, myself, was suspect as to why the cycle of third party returns has died this time. Then I realized it was because the duopoly had seized all avenues of hope this time.
It’s Dead-in-Head Medved, for crying out loud. His career highlight was having Judge Jim Gray actuallly getting him to shut up for once.
Dismiss Medved as the idiot on the #4 AM station in LA that he is.
It’s absurd to say Alan Keyes has a “vigorous independent campaign.”
Hmm, I thought the name sounded familiar but didn’t know exactly who he was. Worth posting anyway.
Did Medved coin the term “losertarians” or did he just popularize it?
Medved, GOP partisan windbag.
I need to do several posts,but dont have time.
UGH
Yep.
Gimme a break. Medved is a well known spin-doctor would complain if the Libertarians won…thiss is a piece to disc ourage people voting for third parties. Note he doesn’t discuss the many local positions attained by these parties.