Stop being quixotic: An outsider's advice to third parties
by jaded
(libertarian)
Friday, September 12, 2008
Let me preface by admiting that I am indeed an outsier to all third parties. While I have long thought it would be good for there to be a strong third party in America, I have never done anything to actually make it happen, at least nothing more than occasionally think that it would be good to adopt runoff elections and restoring the position of VP to the runner up from the presidential elections (so the process was not winner-take-all). Of course neither of these is immediately practicable. So my thoughts on third parties.
First, stop running for president. Everyone knows America is not going to elect a third party candidate this year. Every (sane) person knows that running for a position after continually being trounced in multiple previous bids is political suicide. The fact is that when most Americans see the third party candidates running and getting a fraction of a percent every election, it only reinforces the image that the third parties are not serious contenders. And when the first time a voter sees a candidates name is on the election result board, with a decimal next to it, it only reenforces his impression that the third party candidates do not even take themselves seriously. It is not a case of each year you're getting closer, but on the contrary, every year you get more marginalised.
Second, start running for local offices. Third parties already do this to some extent. But the more little, local offices a party has under its belt the more seriously people will take it. People attracted to the message might actually give time and money to the party if they see that the party is actually getting people elected and not just tillting at windmills running campaigns that were doomed before the nomination.
Third start running candidates for the House. Again this is just an extention of the prior point, but at the Federal level. If I were a higher-up in the CP or LP I would be going over the precinct results from the Republican primaries to see what parts of states received Paul's message well, and then trying to figure out whether there are districts that encompass these areas. I would pick two to five that I think are most promising. Then I would be focusing the whole party's recources over the next two years on getting it's candidates elected to those seats. Busing in supporters from other states to canvas the neighborhoods. Sending letters to the editor of the local papers. Taking out ads in papers and on radio stations. Getting the locals to display bumper stickers and yard signs. Organising rallys. Putting up a stand at the local fair. Anything and everything.
A seat or two in the House is certainly not the Oval Office, but it is a voice in the Federal government. It might even be a swing vote. Most importantly it give credibility to the entire party, and to a lesser degree to all third parties. It shows they can play at the national level.
Finally always focus on the message. Winning an election, even the presidency is nothing compared to changing the way people think and winning them over. Winning an election gives power for 4 years; Winning people's minds can give your message power for generations. Take pains to make your message pallatable to the people. The more extreme the position the more careful you must be to explain it. Most people hear someone talk about going back to the gold standard and doing away with the Fed and the first thing they think is, "The Fed is run by professional economists; you are not a professional economist. The Fed is almost 100 years old, and a remarkably prosperous 100 years at that; Even if it is technically unconsitutional, do I trust a politician to entirely overturn the system?" If you are going to campaign on overthrowing the Fed you need to be able to explicitly address these issues and really convince Joe Sixpack that it is not just some kooky idea that will ruin the US economy. You need to convince the more subtle minded that Monetarist economics is crucially flawed and that the Austrian school is indeed respectable.
So, for what it's worth, I think that about sum up my thoughts. In a word, I'm all about standing on principles, and maybe even thumbing your nose at a helplessly flawed system. But if you are going to play the game, play to win.
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