“Do the math...”
You are quite correct.
My questions for the 3rd partiers are:
-What in God’s name makes you think the new party will be different?
-Is it some magic, patriotic sounding party name?
-Is it a new, heretofore unknown, source of infallible and ever faithful candidates?
Not to mention the simple realities questions:
-Do you realize how much work is involved just to get on all the state ballots?
-What is the strategy to accomplish goals assuming a 3rd party prez and two opposition parties running the Hill?
And the kicker for me is:
If you can’t win a majority of the party which actually has a platform (at least on paper) similar to your views, how on earth are you going to win a majority of the general population, two-thirds of which strongly identify with one of the two existing parties?
It seems to me that if we spent as much time and energy attempting to make the most conservative headway in primary elections, then the goals of the 3rd partiers could be pursued without condemning the nation to more spoiler spawned presidencies.
Remember Ross?
Remember who his siphoned votes helped to become boss?
Twice.
History speaks louder than any shouted word. Well said.