Third Party Political Viability - Erosion of Two-Party Monopoly

Could "third party" candidates really be viable contenders across the US?

The pundits, the media and the two parties in power have historically insisted and successfully manipulated voters into believing that a third party vote is a wasted vote. The result - Legislators with detrimental voting records are re-elected as "the lesser of two evils".

However, there are reasons to think that times may be changing. The folks at Get Out Of Our House.Com see third party candidate viability. They are convinced that this opening up of elections beyond the current political machines is imminent and already have a non-partisan plan in the works to facilitate that process.

The expansion of polling data collection and instant internet communication of results could enable third party candidates to make a showing as early as 2010. With the more frequent polling, voters can now see changes in momentum and possiblities of victory through hard numbers that refute claims of media and major parties.

Case in point is the NY-23 district Congressional race where a third party candidate came very close to winning.

• Hoffman, the third party candidate started out trailing badly to the front-running Republican, Scozzafava, and second-running Democrat, Owens.
• However, as voters saw third party poll numbers rise through successive surveys, they began to doubt the media sale of “third party vote = wasted vote”.
• Before the Republican withdrew in a fit of pique and pride, Hoffman was in position to actually win the race.

  In this case, the Republican, Scozzafava, recognized that if she stayed in the race, she would finish an embarrassing third to the leader Hoffman and the second-runner Democrat. By withdrawing and backing the Democrat, she knew she could sabotage the win by the third party candidate who had derailed her "sure victory".

  Since the sabotage that changed the outcome of the NY-23 race was related solely to the vindictive personality of the politician involved, it would not be repeated elsewhere. The more likely scenario to be repeated would be a three-way vote split weighted toward a third party candidate who aligned himself with voters rather than with a party on the issues.

  
  

  NY-23 served as a successful testing ground. As long as voters can see a possibility of victory with a third party alternative, non-establishment candidates can win.

  Technology of today is enabling a shift in politics toward “the will of the people” and away from the historical "will of the media" or "will of the party brass".