*Note: this article was written before Election Day
A two party system that has dictated political rule.
This is the way our country has always run, and will continue to run.
However, it is important to know that there are other political parties.
Third parties have existed since the beginning of American history. And at one point, they had a major say in the US national and state government. But since then, third parties have struggled to have their voices heard.
Their lack of media coverage is due to several reasons.
Third parties do not have large bases. Certain parties do not have stances or do not prioritize certain political issues.
And while this has not changed, third party candidates in presidential elections have made tremendous impact on the outcome.
In the election of 1912, Theodore Roosevelt’s third party run arguably helped Woodrow Wilson became the president, as he took votes away from his opponent William Taft.
In 1992, Ross Perot (a businessman) helped Bill Clinton become the president, as he took votes away from George H.W Bush.
And most recently, in 2000, Ralph Nader (an activist) took votes away from Al Gore in one of the closest elections in history, helping George W Bush became the president.
These instances have earned third party candidates as “spoiler” candidates, and further establishing their unpopularity among Americans.
However, all third party candidates have a powerful message to help America, and they have worthwhile policies that must be recognized.
In the 2016 election, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein have been the most successful third party candidates. And their policies have resonated with many voters, and you may agree with them as well.
Gary Johnson
“We are giving people a chance to vote for something as opposed to the lesser of two evils … We are not spoilers, we are the first vote.”
By his own words, Gary Johnson demonstrates how important his candidacy is to him and how it is vital for the well being of the United States. He is representing the Libertarian Party, and has been the frontrunner among the third party candidates. He served as the governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003 as a member of the Republican party. On political issues, Johnson still has a moderately conservative view, but is somewhat liberal on certain issues. On immigration, Johnson firmly believes in making the process of obtaining citizenship simpler as well as fiercely going after illegal immigrants. On gun rights, Johnson believes in protecting the 2nd amendment and is against federal and state gun legislation. On abortion, Johnson is pro life and believes in keeping the decision of the Roe vs Wade court case (a court case in 1973 that made the ability to have an abortion a constitutional right for all women). On taxes, Johnson wants to reduce taxes and replace the corporate income tax (a tax on American businesses) with a consumption tax (a regular tax) and Fair Tax reform. On
Johnson has been fairly successful, especially considering the minimal success of third party candidates, polling (in some states) has high as 12%.
Johnson has had a very successful campaign, and is definitely should be considered a serious candidate.
Jill Stein
“Jill Stein showcases how she thinks her candidacy can be critical in shaping the future of the United States. She is representing the Green Party, and has been the only other third party candidate to consistently get over 1% of votes. She was a highly-qualified doctor, an activist, and a former presidential candidate (Green Party nominee in 2012).
On political issues, Jill Stein is mostly liberal on many issues. On immigration, she believes that illegal immigrants should have a clear path to citizenship. On abortion, Stein protects the right for women to have an abortion if they desire. On gun rights, Jill Stein believes that gun legislation works and should be implemented. On taxes, Stein wants to increase taxes on the wealthy and wants the rich to pay their fair share.
A key issue of her campaign has been dealing with student debt. Stein wants to bail out college students, similar to how the government bailed out Wall Street. However, she has not been specific on how exactly she would do this and where she would get the money to perform such a large bail out. A common criticism of her and other third party candidates is that they do not think enough about their policy and how it can be implemented.
Nevertheless, Jill Stein must be taken seriously as a potential president.
In short, third party candidates are an integral part of every election. They provide a perspective for the American people, and that can be powerful in the shaping the future of our country. During this election, and future elections, we should all look at third party candidates for whom they are and what they stand for.
Grover Middle School's Jagazine 