I’m curious if Clinton would have been elected under this scenario, since Perot split the vote.
On the other hand, the primaries service this purpose.
It would sure “get the money out of politics”.
And then there’s Buckley’s “first 400 names in the phone book.”
Depends on how Perot split it. See my post #8.
On the other hand, the primaries service this purpose.
No, primaries choose the party's candidate. It doesn't give someone the opportunity to rank their choice of parties in the general election.
The Constitution Party candidate is on the ballot in only 27 states this year. If you support their platform, it would give you the opportunity to vote for them, and then for Trump. You can express your true political preference without feeling like you wasted your vote.
When third party candidates get any significant support, the major parties take notice. The most recent example is the Contract For America in the 1994 off-year election: it was largely derived from the Reform Party platform.