These useless symbolic runs for the Presidency underscore the intellectual vanity and lack of seriousness on the part of nearly all 3rd parties.
I guess doing the hard work of local campaigning and actually building a consituency from the grassroots up is beneath them?
I have been extremely critical of Bush on this site and the sorry state of political discourse in this country but the Constitution Party? Yeah- I agree with them on an intellectual level- but they are not even trying to win a local election in a state or congressional district that is most receptive to their view point. The libertarians are trying but they as well should not be wasting money on useless runs for the Presidency and be working on the local level.
My mother died recently at a rather young age. The local GOP Pol showed up at her wake because I had worked on local and statewide campaigns some 15 years earlier for him and he rememnbered! That is nitty gritty of politics and what third parties should be doing instead of these vain glorious runs for the Presidency! Since I live in Massachsetts - I might just vote for a third party for the Presidency (unless it looks like Bush has a chance in Mass). But to vote third party in a presidential election in a competitive state? I just don't get that. 18 year olds vote for ideological purity but adults do not.
No, dealing with the smoky back rooms where political whores ply their trade is. Why on earth should anyone with any principles at all vote for the Republicrats? They have been given everything they asked for: both houses of congress and the presidency. What have they given in return? More deficits, 27% increase in discretionary spending and a brand new, greedy-geezer drug plan. Until people start voting their conscience, they will have politicians with no conscience.