That's a rather odd perspective. Of course we have had any number of odd sods, wackos, and bitter old men who have succeeding in getting their names on the ballot, sometimes in all 50 states. But, none of these irrelevant beings have ever come close to winning any political power, much less an election. You keep score in politics by winning elections, all the rest is just useless entertainment.
Since 1900, third parties have won electoral votes in only four Presidential elections: 1912, 1924, 1948, and 1968. In 1912, Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive (Bull Moose) Party replaced the Republicans and won 88 electoral votes, coming in second to the winning Democrats and Woodrow Wilson. The Republicans only won 8 electoral votes. But, the Progressive Party didn't survive, and by 1916 the Republicans were back as one of the two dominant parties.
That was the last time any third party figured into a Presidential election. In 1924, a different Progressive Party gave 13 electoral votes (WI) to Bob LaFollette. They've been Democrats ever since.
In 1948 and 1968 a different phenomenon was in play. The solid Democrat South was at odds with the liberals in the party over the question of Civil Rights. Since the Republicans were firmly in the Civil Rights corner, these folks had no where to go. In 1948, the State's Rights Party won 4 states and 39 electoral votes. In 1968, The American Independent Party won 4 states and 46 electoral votes. Neither of these efforts had an effect on the winning party. One significant outcome of all of this is that the Solid Democrat South became the Solid Republican South and the two parties became a Liberal Party (Democrat) and a Conservative Party (Republican). The current fight is over the future of the Republican Party as a conservative party. We could end up with two liberal parties, but if that happens, a new conservative party will emerge and the weaker of the two liberal parties will disappear. We will end up with two parties.
We've had crackpots on the ballot in every Presidential election since 1968, but none have won a single electoral vote. H. Ross Perot got over 18% of the popular vote, but zero electoral votes. Even if everyone of his supporters had voted for Bush, Clinton would have still won the Electoral College.
So there we have it. I have asserted that we have a two party system in this country. I have demonstrated the facts supporting that argument. At the Presidential level, the two major parties will always produce the winner. Voters have to make their choice between two candidates. If they choose a crackpot, or if they decline to vote, they are helping one of the two principal candidates. In 2012, that was Barack Obama and dissatisfied Conservatives effectively handed him a second term. Believe any fantasy that you want, but the cold hard facts are hard to refute.
There is no fantasy to clear logic.
If enough people vote for a candidate, they win.
If you have a candidate on the ballot who you agree with but vote for someone whom you do not just to ‘win’, you are contributing to the problem.
Now go ahead and tell me that is in any way incorrect with a straight face. No amount of verbiage gets around that clear and simple fact. And all the Romney voters got exactly what for abandoning their principles? I’ll tell you.
You got a GOP that saw the base would vote for them no matter how lib thery got. See Rubio/Gang of Ocho. See the Pubs rushing to support gay marriage. See the Pubs voting with Dems on Gun control....where all such was almost unheard of pre Romney vote.
Again. Tell me that did not happen with a straight face.
See your country die as a result of it.