As we near election day, many Americans feel that instead of picking the best candidate, they are choosing the lesser of two evils and it’s not hard to see why.
On one side, we have a man under multiple criminal investigations who is the most impeached president in American history. On the other side, we have a man whose time in office has seen the cost of living increase nearly 20% since 2021, and in the opinion of 86% of Americans, is too old to be running the country.
According to a survey from Reuters, about 70% of Americans believe Joe Biden, the incumbent candidate for the Democrats, should not seek re-election. About 56% of Americans do not want Donald Trump, the Republican candidate and former president, to run again.
Now, more than ever, Americans should seek other options for president. If Americans want to stop holding their breath every time they go to the polls, they should feel that a vote for a third party is not a wasted vote.
We can only make this a reality by seriously considering these candidates and including them in the national conversations during elections so that the stigma around them is removed from the equation.
Third-party candidates are beneficial to all elections, as they can provide an option for voters who feel the mainstream parties do not represent their interests.
For example, independent Senator Bernie Sanders has been the senior senator for Vermont, a solidly Democratic-leaning state, since 2006. While sharing many values with the Democrat platform, Sanders’s own socialist leanings align more with what Vermont voters want, so Sanders is a popular option for them.
In 1998, Minnesota, also a blue state, elected ‘Reform Party’ candidate Jesse Ventura in an upset over the main parties. Ventura’s stances on education reform and cannabis legalization better met the desires of voters on both sides of the aisle.
But third-party candidates can also appeal to Republican voters as well.
In the 1992 election, many Republican voters who did not approve of George H.W. Bush’s domestic policies decided to vote for ‘Reform Party’ candidate Ross Perot, whose focus on economic growth and efficiency was attractive to many Republicans. This took votes away from Bush and led to a victory for Democratic candidate Bill Clinton.
In this election, there is a third-party candidate who has been drawing a lot of attention. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., candidate for the ‘We The People Party’, has gained a substantial following and according to Politico, is polling at 22% of voters in a hypothetical race against Trump and Biden.
While he may not be the answer we are looking for, his success to this point proves that many Americans are fed up with the limited options available and are hungry for more.
Democratic voters have become upset with President Biden due to the increased cost of living and the continued funding of wars in the Middle East and Ukraine using American tax dollars that they feel should be going toward American benefits.
On the other side, many Republican voters are frustrated with the antics of former President Trump.
Americans have been presented a choice between two candidates, but neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump are fit to be president.
A third-party candidate would better represent the actual interests of the American people and create competition so that the best candidate, no matter the party, can win.
Categories: Opinion
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