Assuming you're correct, and I have no reason to doubt that you are, since I've seen third-party efforts on a local level screwed over and squashed by the major parties, what does this say about the major parties' committment to true representative government? If neither the D's nor the R's truly represent you, why shouldn't you, as a free citizen, have some other choice besides holding your nose and voting for the least objectionable candidate, (I know that this isn't always the case, but it is the case too often) or sitting it out?
Where I live, on city, local, state legislative and congressional races, there is no Republican Party. The Democrats seldom, if ever, have contested primaries, so we have a situation in my part of Illinois that we would consider to be the norm only in some third-world despotism. On statewide races, the GOP does run a full slate of candidates, but more often than not it's one slate of RINO's, and the rare actual conservative like Peter Fitzgerald are practically persona non grata to the party establishment.
On my worst and most cynical days, (not every day, mind you) I look at the current political situation overall and have to say that too many efforts of the D's and R's are not designed to provide responsible government, are not designed to serve the interests of the people, but are political games designed to try to give one gang the advantage over the other in the never-ending struggle to seize power. Oh, I forgot -- and also to enhance their individual members' careers and power and bank accounts and to take care of their friends. Which apparently does not include me, a middle-class working slob from the 10th Ward of Chicago.
So if third party, or a fourth party, can gather enough steam to scare the hell out of the D's and R's or, in my dreams, take out one or both of them, then I'm all for it. It's time to stir the pot.
It says exactly what you and I think it says. They don't care about anything except getting elected to the Gravy Train. Once on the train it's all about staying elected.
Some like the power.
Some like the royal treatment ("Do you know who I am?!")
Some are there for the perks....free health care, transportation, huge retirement benefits.
Either way, 99% of them don't give a pair of fetid dingo's kidneys about "true representative government".
Our Contstitution has been raped, spat upon and used as toilet paper.
For my money it all started with the passage of the 16th and 17th Amendments. After that, we were all screwed royally.
I'm sick of it and have been concentrating my efforts at the local level and will be running for Town Meeting Member later this year.
I'm going to start looking out for Number 1 and his family.