This coming Wednesday, September 10, 2008 there will be a major announcement at D.C.’s National Press Club, interesting to note Constitution Party candidate Baldwin, Libertarian Candidate Barr, Green Candidate McKinney, and Independent runner Nader will all be in attendance. Also in attendance will be Republican Congressman Ron Paul who rocked the Republican Primaries by twice holding record fund raisers that brought in more money than had ever been raised online by a candidate in a single day, by raising more money from active military personnel than any other candidate from either party, and by holding rallies that pulled in thousands of supporters. Unlike the third party candidates, Congressman Ron Paul has stated that he will not run third party, though others have quoted him as saying that he will run for as long as his supporters want him to, the statements are hotly debated. Either way speculation swarms as to the purpose of the meeting.
Before information leaked that Nader and McKinney would be in attendance, the reigning opinion was that the Libertarian and Constitution Party would unite for this election putting Ron Paul at the head of the ticket and promising Secretary positions to the current ticket heads, VP most likely given to Barr. Highly plausible since Parties are allowed to change the names of the candidates on the ballot until fairly close to the election. Due to Ron Paul’s prominence in the Freedom Movement, his name at the top of the ticket would bring far more votes than either Barr or Baldwin could get on their own. However, with the addition of McKinney and Nader, thoughts of a Unity ticket are highly unlikely. Besides the mutual agreement that the establishment is going the wrong way, ideologically they stand at the opposite end of the room.
That leaves one very likely scenario, that Ron Paul and his newly fashioned, yet powerful, Campaign for Liberty will power a debate between the third party candidates, each candidate by agreeing to debate with the others would bring credibility to third parties in a way that has never been done before. The practicality of “fringe” ideas has always been at the forefront of American’s minds but could they be attracted by the appeal of watching an Environmentalist going toe to toe with a Libertarian over the environment? Or watching a Strict Constitutionalist and Ralph Nader debate the merits of a large government as opposed to one that holds to the Constitution.
Could we finally be seeing the beginning of the day where third parties have a place in American Politics and third party ideas are no longer discounted. A Republican fears voting third party and giving the election to the the Democrats, would he be as scared if there were Democrats on the other side doing the same thing? All third parties growing at the same rate.
By opening our minds to discounted ideas, could we become a better people?
The debate will be held Sunday, Oct. 19, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST. Please read:
Third-party internet debate Oct. 19
http://www.nolanchart.com/article5198.html
Unfortunately, Paul took the same position with the debate as he did with the March on Washington: in effect, “I like the idea but I’m not going to do it.”
However, it looks like the third-party candidates will be getting their debate after all. Please read:
Third-party debate in early October
http://www.nolanchart.com/article5032.html
Well said.
I feel it, this is the start of something big. If the Campaign for Liberty is behind it, it will go far. Now I have images popping up in my mind of the different candidates going at each other’s throats. Also if it got enough hype, and one of the major candidates was really hurting in the polls, he might join the debate as a last stitch effort to get more votes.
AMEN, this is where I feel the major announcement will lead, third parties cannot gain prominence without eachother.