While the original framers of the republic did leave open the possibility of revolution to safeguard against the situation we find ourselves currently in, those options have been quietly removed from the system over the course of the 100 years or so. Speaking of overthrowing the existing system 1) can land you in prison 2) automatically casts you into the fringe elements of the political spectrum.

What can we do as individuals to change the binary system? Probably very little. I have chosen the path of individualism: The revolution begins at home. I engage in volitional acts that define me in relation to The System and most of those acts involve removing myself from subscribing, participating and endorsing those elements which I feel are not conducive to how I want to live my life. A very tiny example: being a “Green” I have had myself placed on the “do not call registry”, informed my post office not to deliver mailers and other trash, and informed all the companies (credit cards, etc) I do business with not to send me offers, flyers, and other crap. It’s worked out very well. My phone doesn’t ring with telemarketing calls or survey calls. My mailbox usually only contains mail I’m expecting and I’ve managed to reduce my waste generation quite significantly. It works for me. I feel good for not endorsing useless advertising (though I do miss the days of giving absurd/surreal answers to survey takers and fucking with their precious survey), providing answers to marketing assholes and generally messing with the system ever so slightly.

Yes, that is what I wanted to hear. Now that we are on the same page, what can be done about it? Short of a revolution that changes the very structure of our system, what can we as a normal individuals do to change the binary system?

What can we do to get the word out about national third party candidates? Maybe several viral campaigns? Utilize the blogosphere a little more? These things could be alternatives to the MSM. Are they enough? How can we directly confront everyday people? How can we get them informed? These are all questions that need to be addressed. Without a plan, a movement cannot start. How do we get the lazy, American Idol masses to get off their butts and work for change?

Maybe it is an impossible task, but you can’t know that until someone tries.

Having spent 21 years on my life in Manhattan and the past 20 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, I have a cautious aversion to the South…just not a comfortable environment for people like me.

There are no viable third party candidates at a national level in this country. Is that what you want to hear? There are no viable third parties at the national level because the system is designed to be binary. The last viable third party candidate was George Wallace (from the South) in 1968. Wallace garnered 12.9% of the popular vote and won the following states: Ark/LA/Miss/ALA/GA.

The real fault of this system lies with the American people. They rather have 47 choices in dish-soap than a wide spectrum of political candidates. They prefer to vote on “American Idol” than they do at their state and local elections. And rather than attempt to solve their own problems, they defer them to a professional political class.

Your list is meaningless. If you looked at it a different way, for the most part you would see that the republicans from red states won their home state and the dems from blue states won their home states. The only real anomaly I see is Carter, who is a dem from a red state that won his home state. Of course, you could say that has a lot to do with the fact that the Carter election was pre-conservative revolution.

By the way, how did Bush I and II do in Connecticut?

And why are you so determined to not discuss third party candidates? You seem to dance around that whole subject. All you do is blather on about how dems suck. Most people know that already. The question is what are the third parties doing?

But let’s return to some factual evidence:

1976: Ford loses to Carter, but captures his home state of Michigan.
1980: Carter is crushed by the Reagan Juggernaut, but still wins his home state of GA.
1984: Mondale is slaughtered by the Reagan Machine , but still manages to win his home state of Minnesota.
1988: Dukakis is trounced by Bush One but wins MA.
1992: Bush One loses to Clinton but wins Texas (his adopted home state).
1996: Dole is soundly beaten by Clinton but wins his home state of Kansas.
2000: Gore loses the closest election in recent US history and LOSES HIS HOME STATE.
2004: Kerry loses to Bush but still carries his home state of MA.

To quote Sesame Street,”One of these things is not like the other…”

You know what one of the most frequent criticisms of the local democratic party is? They aren’t visible. They aren’t active. They have no message. Until that changes, they will never have a shot, not to mention a third party.

I know not all politics is like S. Carolina politics. I know in some states, a full and vibrant debate about real issues actually exists. And I know that in some states, third party candidates win elections. My point is, what are your local third party people doing on the scale of national politics? Is there a plan to nationalize and promote anyone on a large scale? So far, Nader is thinking about maybe running, but is he developing some plan to convince people who won’t already vote for him? Is he working towards anything? Or is he just a pipe dream of disillusioned folks this year?

I’m a little more plugged in to the national political debates than your average South Carolinian, and I don’t know of any serious third party candidate running next year. How, then, are they supposed to have a shot at winning? In elections, if I haven’t heard of you, you may as well not be running. Sucks, but that’s how things work. (In the case of Nader, Alabama, 2004, it also helps if you show up on my ballot.)

Again, realistically, there are not enough people willing to vote for any ONE third party. Is there a way to maybe bring several of the smaller parties into some kind of coalition party, at least for one election? Is there any way for the groups to give up their hold on their niche for a few months to work with each other towards a common goal of getting someone different elected? If not, then I have to place my vote for the person most likely to keep the republicans out of office. But I’m sure as hell not going to take my ball and go home, just quit voting.

Silence, when you have the option to speak out against injustice, DOES affirm the status quo.

Remember what Sanders did during his Senate campaign? He had campaign volunteers go to every house in Vermont and talk to them about the Sanders campaign. He went to where the people were, so that he didn’t have to rely on the media to distribute his message.

Mao conquered China without the support of the corporate infrastructure. He did it by going to the farmers in the countryside and getting them excited about change. He was building an army instead of a political party, but the concept is the same.

There is no one doing this in America. It doesn’t need to be something that finishes with the 2008 election. Sometimes revolutionary movements need a 10 year plan. But without a charismatic leader willing to consistently be where the people are, with a plan for a new future that actually looks different/better than the past, willing to put in the time it takes to build a movement, there is nothing. Who will be Bernie Sanders on a national level?

I hate to say it, but I wouldn’t expect the positive impact third party politics has had on individual townships, municipalities, counties and state legislatures all over the rest of the country to be as readily apparent where you live.
Here in New York state a Democrat doesn’t get elected without the support of the working families party. Hell, New Hampshire has a Socialist Senator!

I don’t have any answers anymore, it seems. But I sure can point to what I don’t like and say, “that’s a pile of shit.” And that’s exactly what Reid, Pelosi, Boxer, and the rest are handing us right now. They are in collusion with the enemy, an enemy who has usurped the Constitution, and I will have no truck with any of them any longer.

The country is ripe for change right now. Everyone is fed up with the two party system, yet there is no big rush to a third party candidate. Think about that. Why is that? Maybe it is because there is no one over there that is really standing up and taking the initiative for change either.