I'm pretty much done with politics for this season. I'll likely have something to say after the election, but I'm tired of politics right now. At this point, everyone has voted or has determined how they are going to vote, so there is little to be gain by continued debate.
My final pre-election thought is on "Third Parties", specifically the Libertarian and Green parties.
They are a joke.
There are a total of 7383 seats in State Legislatures. As of today, the Libertarian Party has a total of 4 seats and the Green party has none. Between them, they have a 0.05% of available seats in State Legislatures and 0 governorship, US House Seats, and US Senators.
With so few office holders, the Libertarian and Green parties have not have their policies tested in the crucible of the real world.
Why should we take them as serious Presidential contenders?
They are film students trying to win an Oscar and claiming victory for just being considered for nomination. They are members of the JV football team thinking that they can win the Superbowl if only they were given a playoff slot.
Instead of wasting resources on the Presidential race, they should be focused on State Legislatures.
They first need to gain a solid minority in State Legislatures so that they are the ones making and breaking deals. From there, they can start going after governorship, US House seats and eventually US Senate seats. Only after they have 10 or so Senate seats should they start focusing on the US Presidential race.
This is doable. Right now, the Progressive party of Vermont is becoming a viable 3rd party in that State. They have 10% of their State Senate and 3% of the State House. That is 9 seats, which is over double the national total of the Libertarian and Green Parties combined.
Yes, it will a long time to take this route, but it has a better chance of success than the once every 4 year Hail-Mary that they always seem to try.
So, the thought that by voting 3rd party in order for them to get matching funding for 2020 is plain silly. Neither party is ready for the big leagues and it will be money (and votes) thrown down the drain.
