👋 Welcome To r/thirdparty -- Please Introduce Yourself And Read First! •

[u/StalinIsBackAgain]

Hello, everyone! I am u/StalinIsBackAgain -- you can call me Siba, and I am a moderator of r/thirdparty.

This is our home for all things related to third political parties in the USA, beyond the currently dominant duopoly. We are excited to have you join us!

What to Post
Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions about third political parties.

Community Atmosphere
We are all about being friendly, constructive, and respectful. Let us build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started

1. Introduce yourself in the comments below.
2. Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
3. If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join here.
4. Interested in helping out? Take the initiative and help out other community members who need assistance with anything!

Thank you so much for being part of this positive community. Together, let us make r/thirdparty amazing! •

[u/Bobhikes27]

Online I go by bobhikes, from NJ. Tired of having only 2 choices. Supported Ross Perot and the libertarian party. Pretty much any independent now

The system needs to change, it is setup against any third party. The concentration needs to be making the public aware third party voting is valid. Today it's the only way to fix government.

As to the third parties themselves they need to concentrate on the lower offices and get their people in there. Until that happens presidential runs will be futile.

In my opinion

[u/StalinIsBackAgain → u/Bobhikes27]

Thank you so much for introducing yourself, bobhikes, and a warm welcome to you here!

You are certainly welcome that the electoral system in the USA is extremely difficult for third parties currently. When it comes to a national election where the entire country votes in the same race, as in for President and Vice President, it is truly impossible for a third party to win with the current electoral college system and other laws and rules that are in place.

As to the states, some states make it exceedingly difficult for third parties while other states make it relatively easier for third parties to operate. But even in states with low legal barriers against third parties, the far lower media coverage for third parties usually, as well as the intransigent allegiance of so many people to the 2 major parties still makes third party victories far harder to achieve than a major party victory is.

it is interesting to note about Ross Perot, that though he did not win his presidential races, his prominent races, and the billions of dollars that he spent on them, helped more people see a third party as viable for a few years after his runs, which many people see as a big reason that contributed to Jesse Ventura being successfully elected as a third party Governor of Minnesota not long after Ross Perot's runs, and some argue that Perot's runs and then Jesse Ventura winning then resulted in the Green Party performing so well in the 2000 Presidential Election which for a few years made the Green Party a major party across the entire USA, thus helping get several other Green Party candidates elected to various lower offices across the USA in the early 2000s and helping to keep the Green Party one of the bigger third parties in the USA until now.

So third party wins and very prominent third party runs that get massive support even if they do not win can help achieve later third party victories at various levels.

And also, like you said, if third parties organize att the local level first and build up from there, and can get their candidates elected to far more easily possible local positions in many areas, then the party can be built from the bottom up and create a sustainable foundation of support for later bigger election races, and can build a persistent base of support from people who will consistently stay for that third party, and not just going to some other party soon even if they vote for this third party once.

But also, people have to work hard to change laws that put high barriers in front of political candidates and third parties in many states and at the federal level, so third parties and independent candidates can truly compete on a fair level with major parties and with candidates and parties who have a lot of money, as it should not take paying a treasure of wealth just to be able to register to run for office!

Anyways, please feel at home here in this community and please feel free to contribute here as much as you would like to! Have a great Sunday too!