The way for a third party to both succeed, and *not* act as a spoiler to the Republican party is very plain:
1) DO NOT run a presidential candidate. They almost can’t win. They consume all your resources. They provide a target for unfair criticism.
2) Put all emphasis on defeating weak Democrat congressmen in “soft seats”, where the Republican candidate is either weak or a RINO. This also forces the Democrats to commit more resources by increasing the number of their “at risk” seats.
3) Create a Contract With America 2. And how this is done is crucial.
To start with, the third party must develop a simple, straightforward platform of objectives, in a “bullet” format. Say, 30 things that everyone in the party wants.
Then, poll the public about that list, and select *their* top 10 favorite items, out of the 30, that both you and they support.
This list of 10 things is your platform. This is done to Keep Things Simple and Clear for the Public. And importantly, they may not entirely agree with your message, but the public truly admires clarity and honesty. This gets you a LOT of votes.
No double speak. No voting against something before you vote for it. No being mealy mouthed.
And ALL candidates for the third party agree in writing for this platform of 10 items, or they DO NOT RUN as candidates from your party.
The realistic objective here is to win a small number of seats each election, until the third party becomes a swing vote. This gives it far more power than its size, and gets its agenda items passed with the sponsorship of the big parties.
The way for a third party to both succeed, and *not* act as a spoiler to the Republican party is very plain:
1) DO NOT run a presidential candidate. They almost can’t win. They consume all your resources. They provide a target for unfair criticism.
2) Put all emphasis on defeating weak Democrat congressmen in “soft seats”, where the Republican candidate is either weak or a RINO. This also forces the Democrats to commit more resources by increasing the number of their “at risk” seats.
3) Create a Contract With America 2. And how this is done is crucial.
To start with, the third party must develop a simple, straightforward platform of objectives, in a “bullet” format. Say, 30 things that everyone in the party wants.
Then, poll the public about that list, and select *their* top 10 favorite items, out of the 30, that both you and they support.
This list of 10 things is your platform. This is done to Keep Things Simple and Clear for the Public. And importantly, they may not entirely agree with your message, but the public truly admires clarity and honesty. This gets you a LOT of votes.
No double speak. No voting against something before you vote for it. No being mealy mouthed.
And ALL candidates for the third party agree in writing for this platform of 10 items, or they DO NOT RUN as candidates from your party.
The realistic objective here is to win a small number of seats each election, until the third party becomes a swing vote. This gives it far more power than its size, and gets its agenda items passed with the sponsorship of the big parties.
A third party needs to get city council seats, county commission districts, sheriff offices, state rep and senate districts, and “soft” U.S. Congressional seats.