Quote Originally Posted by Storekeeper
Give us some new blood to bash on both sides of the aisle.
Would be refreshing but ain't gonna happen. The system is rigged. The GOP and Dems have a death grip on political power. Power attained via corporate contributions, Supreme Court judges beholding to them, and a media dedicated to promoting them at the exclusion of candidates who have policies contrary to the status quo.

Just getting on the ballot is a rigged process. Ballot laws are controlled by individual states. These laws where passed by state governments who are either the GOP or Dems and predictably make it very difficult for anyone other than GOP/Dem to qualify. Democratic and Republican parties easily obtain ballot access in all fifty states in every election, third parties often fail to meet criteria for ballot access, such as registration fees. In many states, they do not meet petition requirements in which a certain number of voters must sign a petition for a third party or independent candidate to gain ballot access.

Ross Perot's Reform Party is the only one I recall who managed to get on the ballot in all 50 states. He didn't win but made it a good race primarily using his own personal wealth to fund his campaign. Fed up with both major parties long before Perot ran, I voted for him more in protest than in any hope he would win in a rigged game. He added a level of common sense and entertainment to the campaign. To this day politicians use his memorable quote "giant sucking sound" re US job losses in his opposition to Clinton's NAFTA trade aggreement.

If there is any hope a 3rd party candidate will become Pres, it will have to be someone with near unlimited funds, policies appealing to a broad demographic, a political machine to get out the vote, and the charisma and speaking ability to deliver his/her message.

Come out come out wherever you are?