What's the best a 3rd party candidate has done?

[Bradley in DC]

Just remember these words:

"Sore Loser Laws"

http://www.ballot-access.org/2007/07/20/do-sore-loser-laws-apply-to-presidential-candidates/

The laws would not apply to the presidential electors to the Electoral College.

 

[Bold As Love]

I think we all agree that if Ron Paul is on the stage in any of the fall debates he would be formidable....likely would change the entire game. I think he would win the election.

Don't think its a possibility without the GOP nomination. The system is so slanted against a true discussion of ideas. I strongly doubt that the system would allow another independent or 3rd party candidate on the stage again.

 

[MayTheRonBeWithYou]

I think we all agree that if Ron Paul is on the stage in any of the fall debates he would be formidable....likely would change the entire game. I think he would win the election.

Don't think its a possibility without the GOP nomination. The system is so slanted against a true discussion of ideas. I strongly doubt that the system would allow another independent or 3rd party candidate on the stage again.

They allowed Perot in all the debates.

 

[Starks]

Most successful 3rd party candidate ever was probably George Wallace.

He actually won the entire the Southeast back in the 60's on a segregationist platform.

 

[Eponym_mi]

They allowed Perot in all the debates.

That was when the League of Women Voters hosted. Now, a corporation based been formed chaired by three Democrats and three Republicans...and the bylaws explicitly exclude third parties.

 

[ForrestLayne]

That must have been an even worse campaign than Giuliani's. Drop out with 40%, come on.

We could make it their though, I think we could get most of the same vote + some if we had $100M.

The powers that be threatened his family and he did not want to put them through that. He got them secure and came back into the race- - I remember it well

NAFTA - the sucking sound of jobs leaving this country....

everyone just laughed -

sounds all to familiar again in 2008


FED RES - the sound of the crashing dollar

everyone laughing............

 

[nate895]

That was when the League of Women Voters hosted. Now, a corporation based been formed chaired by three Democrats and three Republicans...and the bylaws explicitly exclude third parties.

No, they say 15% in the average of polls. So Ross Perot would've have qualified, and we're only 4 points away.

 

[Paul4Prez]

Perot

The model to look at is of course Perot in 1992. A lot of people on this forum are too young to remember the Perot race, but he was actually leading both Clinton and Bush in 1992. Out of curiosity, I went to a MASSIVE rally in Denver for Perot, just to see what it was all about. Perot was literally on the way to possibly winning the White House when he suddenly dropped out of the race and sabotaged his own campaign. Ed Rollins' book details the bizarre behavior of Perot during this time. If he had not flipped out, Perot could have WON that race. Even after all his bizarre behavior, he still pulled 20 million votes!!

I voted for Ross Perot in 1992 (and Ron Paul in 1988 and 2008). I think the highest he polled was about 33%, but he was in the lead at one point. He dropped out after alleging that George H.W. Bush's Republican dirty tricks machine had threatened to disrupt his daughter's wedding.

He rejoined the race later on (after the wedding?), but a lot of people thought he was paranoid and didn't trust him with the nuclear button after that. The sad part is that these days, half the country wouldn't bat an eyelash if someone started rambling on about Republican dirty tricks -- they know all too well that it's believable.

 

[Paul4Prez]

The rules change...

No, they say 15% in the average of polls. So Ross Perot would've have qualified, and we're only 4 points away.

Ross Perot got in the debates in 1992 because the League of Women Voters ran them. After his strong showing, the "non-partisan" bi-partisan commission on presidential debates took over, and raised the bar to 15%.

Guess why? Ross Perot was polling around 12% when he ran in 1996, and didn't get in the debates the second time around. He ended up with 8% of the vote.

We will need to energize this group if Ron Paul runs third party (they want to set the bar at 5%):

http://www.opendebates.org/

 

[scandinaviany3]

That must have been an even worse campaign than Giuliani's. Drop out with 40%, come on.

We could make it their though, I think we could get most of the same vote + some if we had $100M.

This was during the famous media vs perot questions on gays.

After he spoke against gays the media butchered him.

He thought he had blown the presidency with those comments and then dropped out.

He wasnt a bush or clinton...he couldnt work with the media and they hated him...so he gave up. Even though his support was not going to shift on this...

 

[MayTheRonBeWithYou]

We can reach 15%.

The only poll taken so far had Ron at 10%, and that was WITH Bloomberg in as well, so I think 15% can be done rather easily.

 

[ultimaonliner]

They allowed Perot in all the debates.

Paul would definitely stand out as the most articulate and honest candidate compared to either products of the democratic and republican machines.

I think although most democrats and republicans will stand behind their candidates normally, I do NOT think that will happen with this election. There are many democrats who are not entirely happy with their choices of Hillary vs Obama, just as there are many republicans who are secretly unhappy about the war but just ignorant of Paul's existence (thanks to the MSM).

 

[blakjak]

The independent/3rd party money issue

Perot did not spend 'billions' of his own money to campaign in 1992, he spent only $65.4 million.

He campaigned in 16 states and spent an estimated $65.4 million of his own money. Perot employed the innovative strategy of purchasing half-hour blocks of time on major networks for infomercial-type campaign ads; these ads garnered more viewership than many sitcoms, with one Friday night program in October attracting 10.5 million viewers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Perot

 

[scandinaviany3]

They allowed Perot in all the debates.

because at that time either clinton or bush wanted him there to weaken the other.

after that ever legislature in america created enormous barriers to independent and 3rd party runs.

Ballot access is a nightmare and would require someone very famous right now, a number of voters that are not tied to only vote republican or democrat like in texas or a for a 3rd party to give ballot access and nominate the candidate.

After that the debates are a real problem because no one has taken the case to the courts accept the candidates. The courts will not rule in the cycle during the election. Someone either would have to get a case in DC court now and break up the 15% rule for debate commission or other reasons else never will happen through these debates.

So the person would have to have a major way to get on TV some other way.

For perot networks wouldnt even sell him time in later elections. It wasnt money they just chose to surpress his message.

So you really need your own tv and newspaper wire service or the like....

Tough order all the way around.

 

[mstrmac1]

its Time To Anounce 3rd Party!!!!

 

[Eponym_mi]

he spent only $65.4 million.

Do you have any idea what that represents in today's dollars? Nearly $100M! And that is based on the government's CPI calculator!

 

[amonasro]

If the Republicans nominate McCain, and someone like him in 2012, the party will be dead by 2020.

Not so fast. The dems want to get McCain nominated as a "straw man" to knock over in the general election. McCain has no chance against Clinton or Obama. Republicans know that if a dem is elected, the economy will suck more than it does now, thus paving the way for a Republican candidate to "fix" everything in 2012. It's all about a power struggle between two parties and it's gross.

 

[jersdream]

Too bad Ron Paul doesn't have billions

 

[ronpaultag]

i think the most successful 3rd party candidate in terms of electoral votes was weaver in the election of 1892. i think he won a couple states.

 

[chandlerLBT]

What if Ron got Ross Perot to run as Paul's VP?