Third Way
I’ve given Third-Party politics some thought lately, although only in reference to the Australian election, but this isn’t the year to go down that path, whether here or at home, and I think there are some here who now regret their choice somewhat. The Counsellor has some interesting reflections on 1980 that confirm me in my convictions since then. John Anderson, for reasons I cannot recall any longer, was also my - first and only - foray into Third Party politics. Carter, remembered as "history's greatest monster" by the neo-cons (to geek from the Simpsons), taught America a lot, pretty much all of which was forever forgotten in the twelve years of Reagan-Bush. Clinton made us feel hopeful and generous again, but there was complacency, too, and we're suffering now from a return to those self-righteous days of the 80's led by a man who doesn't understand the philosophies then at work let alone the policies that were implemented, but desperately wants to see them back again to undo what he does believe in: his father's failure.

I don’t see 41 as a failure per se, but he wasn’t the charismatic leader Ronnie was. He was, however, at least in his approach, more Presidential than Reagan (and certainly more so than W). Clinton’s arrival was just in time, and his departure rendered all the more painful by Gore’s less-than-impressive performance in the 2000 election. The Third Party factor clinched Bush II’s ability to steal the result, much the way Anderson’s candidacy affected the outcome in 1980: just enough.

While Ralph Nader is pretty much now relegated to footnote status and unlikely to affect voting patterns significantly enough to turn any state’s result, we also have the “troubled times” factor at work. As happened here, there will be a significant part of the population who will vote from the principle that the man who got us into the war needs to be the one to get us out, too. There will also be those who are insufficiently principled to do the hard thing, to vote out Bush, because they’d have to think about more than themselves. These latter people will either not vote at all or will vote to re-elect. These are the people who need to be taken by the elbow, the collar, the ear and propelled to the booth with the admonitions necessary to make them act and the information to act upon. Anyone who is not a committed right-wing reactionary is potentially susceptible to argument in favor of putting Kerry in office. If you know one, be gentle but be persuasive: get out the vote.

Update: O.k., so it's not safe to count Nader out just yet. The college campus venues Nader mainly appears at give him what might be a very effective bully pulpit among a population his candidacy would appeal to, and who aren't necessarily getting picked up in polls. He's still a footnote.