By: Mildred Robertson
Let’s get serious about our two-party system. It is built upon a
foundation of local, state, and national organizations pushing a particular
agenda forward. In other words, the Democrat and Republican parties' political
initiatives are systematically advanced on local, state, and national
platforms. Third-party candidates have no such foundation and thus are unlikely
to take the top spot in American politics. And even if a third-party candidate
were to be successful in winning the presidency, they would not have a congress
to help push forward their agenda. So
one must question what folks like Jill Stein, Robert Kennedy, and Cornell West are
trying to achieve.
In an article published on August 23, 2024, by Statista Research
Department, 40 percent of voters in America would consider voting for a third-party
presidential candidate. About 24 percent of Republicans and 21 percent of
Democrats outright rejected the idea of a third-party presidential candidate.
It appears that many believe giving voice to a third-party candidate
highlights issues that major parties can’t or won’t address. They accuse majority-party
candidates of aligning with Republican or Democratic Party platforms without
addressing challenges that might alienate particular segments of voters.
There is some truth to that assumption. Ultimately, however, voting for
a third party can only raise these issues with little hope of the selected candidate
winning and legislating based on their agenda. With so many voters willing to make
a statement rather than make a choice with their vote, they fail to participate
in actually electing someone.
As in most other U.S. presidential elections, there is a binary choice.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties have clear platforms that are
diametrically opposed.
While Trump has a dark, dystopian vision for America, he plans to
finish the wall he boasted about in 2016 and to deport all undocumented
individuals. It appears that he plans to build camps to house those he
considers substandard aliens and eject them from our borders. He plans to
increase tariffs, thereby increasing the cost of domestic goods. He also does
not believe in global warming and would increase drilling for oil and gas.
More alarmingly, he plans to seek retribution against those people,
institutions, and systems he perceives oppose him, calling for the death
penalty and military tribunals for folks like Gen. Mark Miley and former Rep.
Liz Cheney. Miley spoke with his Chinese counterparts following the January 6th
riot, assuring them the U.S. was not under threat, with the knowledge of
members of Congress. Representative Cheney sat on the House Committee
investigating the January 6th insurrection. He also plans to purge
federal employees whom he refers to as “the deep state.” He would take control
of independent government departments like the Department of Justice, and replace
career employees who counteracted his unconstitutional whims during his first
term with partisans who would do his bidding.
While Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris has embraced many
of President Joe Biden’s policies, such as providing tax credits to
middle-class and lower-income families, lowering drug costs, and eliminating
what she calls “junk fees,” she is
focused on building an “opportunity economy” which would lessen the burden of
young people trying to buy a home or start a business, bring down the overall
cost of living, and leveling the playing field by going after bad actors who
unfairly raise the cost of living for the average American.
Harris is a staunch supporter of a woman’s right to choose and is
concerned about Israel’s treatment of Gazans in its retaliatory strikes against
Hamas. She supports Israel’s right to defend itself but also is mindful of the innocent
Palestinians suffering through this humanitarian crisis.
The choice is clear. It's not the time to take
performative stances to shed light on a particular issue of great importance to
some independent voters. Trump has promised an authoritative government that acts
harshly toward those who oppose him. He has threatened to be a dictator if only
for one day.
One day is one day too many.
If you are truly independent and wish to make a difference in America, build your party from the ground up. Establish yourself at the local and state levels. That is when you can meaningfully impact the country’s direction...one city councilor...one school superintendent...one state governor at a time.
But until you build that structure, you have a binary choice. Even if
you cast your vote for an independent contender, know that you are taking a vote
from one of the two parties. Your choice not to vote for either is fruitless. One
of THEM will eventually win the Whitehouse. Your independent candidate will
not!
So let’s get serious.
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