Why are americans afraid to vote a third party candidate into power?

Question

we have been voting democrat/republican for decades now and were has it gotton us? Why not try somthing new?

Answer 1

Because the majority of people in the USA don't think for them selves, they either vote with thier family and friends to fit in and to keep up with the "joneses", or they vote for the party that screams loudest about the one or two issues that concern them most in thier day to day life, weather or not that party actualy does any good for that issue. I think History will look back on these times as the "Age of MIS-information", people have lost thier ability to tell fact from opinion. Other wise I can't see anyone that is a rational American voteing for either party the way they are now.

Answer 2

People who find themselves voting for the lesser of two evils want a third party, but none have emerged that can show they can win. With our First Past the Post system it's very hard for third parties to establish themselves when they have no power to start with. Money is also an issue, Libertarians and Greens don't have the money power to go out there and run a solid campaign. The Republicans and Democrats will make no effort to reach out to third parties and help them compete because they want to keep their power. If a third party would arise, someone would have to convince either people on the right or left that their current party is terrible or bring a lot of centrists together. If a third party could ever manage to get some seats, they might be able to change the system. The problem is they would need a lot of seats to even make a difference in how we elect people.

Answer 3

The 3rd party candidate would have to be VERY strong. Look and the last two presidential elections. Some say Ralph Nader is responsible for taking enough Democrat votes to allow the Republicans to win. There isn't all that much difference between Rs and Ds like there used to be 80 years ago. People leaning liberal are more likely to vote for the 3rd party. 3rd parties are usually liberal. If they were conservative, they would stay with the republicans. Ross Perot almost got it but his family was threatened and he pulled out of the race. He got back in the race but appeared a wuss. The current republicans are doing a heck of a job showing the flaws in the party. The democratic swing is just beginning.

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Answer 4

It seems from an American standpoint that we like the two-party system. First, both parties have historic roots in our country and go back to the very beginning of the struggle between the Federalists and the Democrats. I find it ironic, however, that the ones who used to push big government now push small government. The ones that used to push for a laissez-faire government are now those who are advocating for a large government. As we look through American history, the 3rd party system just has never caught on. I think in some ways we're afraid of what it would do. We're afraid that it might in some ways bring more instability to our country. Also, because third parties have never been popular, most people view voting for a third party as a waste of their vote. We have been enculturated into accepting that it is really the Democrats against the Republicans and therefore we are timid to vote and endorse a third party.

Answer 5

If some right-leaning voters, vote for a third party candidate that more closely represents thier views than the Republican candidate, then the right-leaning votes are split between that candidate, and the Republican, virtually assuring victory for the Democratic candidate.

The same is true of left-leaning voters supporting parties like the Greens. This was borne out in the 2000 election, for instance - had some Democrats not voted Green, Gore would have won handily.

Answer 6

I agree that the two party system is broken but I think that an effective third party just hasn't been formed yet.

Currently, third parties are either not popular enough (Libertarian), unclear on their identity (Reform), or too far to either the left or the right (The Constitution Party, The Green Party). It doesn't help that the middle class is shrinking and that the current problems with Terrorism, Immigration, and Globalization are simply to polarizing to really yield a logical candidate who can stand in the center of two bickering sides.

I think that before we can move to a third party candidate, we need to start voting in or nominating Centerist Republicans and Democrats, then hopefully move into a real Independant party.

Joe Lieberman's reelection against the will of Radical Democrats is a step in the right direction but watching John McCain's campaign slowly degenerate from "Straight Talk" to "Scared of getting called a Rino" is very disappointing. While I've personally been a fan of McCain, the fact that he's doubled back on his previous statements against Jerry Falwell is down right sad. Giuliani's statements in support of Abortion might hurt him his standing with the Far Right but it makes him a far more palatable candidate for middle of the road voters.

Answer 7

I do not believe Americans are afraid to vote for a third party candidate but hopefully I can explain why they do not.
Politics runs on money,the media runs on money.
It takes a lot of money to launch a high profile campaign,a third party does not have the ability to raise unlimited funds like the mainstream parties thus they do not get the media hype as the main stream candidates.
If anyone watched the republican debates,only the top four got any media exposure afterwards,Why? They are the top fundraisers.
The democrats will soon be having their debates and you can bet only the top three or four will get the media hype,again they will be the top fundraisers.The top candidates in both parties already have the lobbiest in their pockets so the skids are aleady greased for them to slide into office.
Having said all of this,Americans are not afraid to vote for a third party but they see it as an act of futility.

Answer 8

Most Americans vote for the wrong reasons. Some vote for who they think is going to win, some vote for whoever looks best on TV, some vote for the party. Most don't vote at all.
I think people should look at a candidate as an applicant for a job. What are the qualifications and how could this affect the job performance? What is the candidates experience? Does the candidate's beliefs clash with the purpose of the office?

Answer 9

1) Ballot access. Laws vary by state, but it is usually harder for a third party candidate to get on the ballot.

2) Money. It's harder for a third party to get major funds to compete against the Democrats and Republicans because many voters won't take them seriously.

3) Tradition. We've been under a two party system for many years and people are slow to change. I think, however, younger people are more willing to try voting for a third party and as they get older, this part will become less relevant.

4) Press. The press is reluctant to focus on third party candidates unless they are rich and/or hold public office already. This holds down poll numbers and costs them debate access and valuable coverage.

Answer 10

Because our election system itself is flawed. The one-citizen, one-vote system almost guarantees that eventually 2 parties will dominate, because there is a tremendous chance that casting your vote for a third party (for a large election, say statewide or national) almost guarantees that your vote will be wasted. The only way to fix this problem is to change the way we vote; there are numerous other systems that allow a greater number of parties and more proportional representation.

Also, note major corporations and the parties themselves have nothing to gain by changing the current system, so there is almost no possibility of any positive change.