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Stop the Third Party Insanity
Townhall.com ^ | January 28, 2021 | Kurt Schlichter

Posted on 01/28/2021 4:07:38 AM PST by Kaslin

Ditching the GOP is a bad idea born of justifiable frustration, and we need to stop being emotional and start being ruthless in our campaign to retake this country from these liberal establishment aspiring fascists. A third party is not the way. It is a bad idea, one that is technically impractical and which is strategically inept. It will lead to disaster. And the Democrats know it, which is why they love this third party palaver. The only thing that makes the tooting likes of Eric Swalwell coo in delight harder than some mediocre Chi Com honeypot is the thought of us conservatives committing ritual suicide by splitting our half of the country in two because some of the 50 percent of Americans in our camp are insufferable sissies.

News flash, folks. We’re going to have to suffer the sissies forever. The question is whether they run the party apparatus, or whether they are consigned to the fringes, scribbling in their blogs about how True Conservatism™ requires that we go to war everywhere, that we allow giant corporations to limit our speech, and that we all wear vinyl gimp suits with ball gags and address Nancy Pelosi as “Mistress P.”

Just kidding.

The part about “we” going to war is a joke. You and your kids get to go to war while they, with very few exceptions, who never shut up about it, get to stay home and fight their endless war against push-ups and testosterone. The rest is pretty dead-on.

Let’s look at the big picture. The design of the Constitution essentially mandates a two-party system. A third party has never won the presidency, and one rarely wins legislative seats. Usually, such candidates call themselves “independents,” but Democrats know they are really Democrats and understand this is just a ploy to appeal to the suckers.

There is always going to be a party of the left, and a party of the right, with the battle over the middle. A party getting 55 percent of the vote is considered to have won in a landslide. America is that closely divided. For our sins, the party of the right is the Republican Party. And math says we are stuck with it.

You cannot divide the 50 percent of America on the right up and hope to beat the 50 percent on the left. It does not work, and all the hopes, dreams, and krakens of a million outraged conservatives on Twitter will not make it so. Politics must be about addition, and that implies we need to add people who are not as conservative as we are. If you want purity, date a nun. This is politics, and if you don’t win, you lose.

I propose we win.

Third parties do have a track record of disrupting elections. The Left blamed the Greens for Bush in 2000, and some blame the Libertarians, among other factors, for President * in 2020. Clinton won in 1992 because Perot split the vote for George H.W. Bush. But these events all have one thing in common – the third party never wins. Nor will one.

Trump himself seems to understand, walking back the “Patriot Party” stuff in order to settle in as a GOP kingmaker. He knows he loses in 2024 running as a third party candidate – 50 percent of people already hate him and some percentage of the GOP will stay GOP out of habit if nothing else. You can’t expect to win if you start off, best case, losing 50 percent + 1. But by remaining in the GOP – as its most popular figure by far – he has real power to influence events.

The third party talk also ignores the practical reality of the GOP’s irreplaceable infrastructure. A competitive national political party is a Broadway play, not a show some kids put on in a barn. While some imagine a sort of spontaneous, math-defying movement materializing out of the political ether, the reality is that a party structure performs essential tasks and there is no substitute for it. Who has the donor lists, the volunteer lists, the organization to drive get out the vote efforts? The party. You can’t patch one together overnight out of fervor and contempt for the squishes.

There are many things that are critical that go into a campaign and go on behind the scenes that most of us never even imagined. For example, who are the lawyers who worked for the GOP who know election law who will be leaving their GOP contracts to come and keep the “MAGA Party” candidates out of jail? You think the Establishment will give the “Constitutionalist Party” a pass for not understanding the campaign finance laws? And who pays these lawyers, assuming any really good ones want to flush their career in electoral law down the toilet to go all-in on a losing one-shot cause?

That’s just one example of many of the things a party infrastructure does, and no one is going to build another national structure (not to mention a structure in each of the 50 states) in the next four years. It is appealing to leave the jerks in the GOP behind, but if you do, you are choosing irrelevance.

But hey, you’re angry so you gotta cater to those feelz.

That’s stupid and weak. Tighten up. Yeah, the GOP establishment sucks – and no, you’re not the only one who has noticed. We are always going to have people near the center who frustrate us. That’s the reality, and being angry about it is like yelling at clouds. But what we can do – and have done – is slowly force the party to conform more closely to our vision. It’s like turning the Titanic, an apt metaphor if there ever was one, but it is happening already.

Look at the GOP just five years ago and look at it today. Yeah, we have the rump Renfield contingent with tiresome goofs like Mitt (R?-Miracle Whip). We have others who alternate between establishment-curious moderate wimpiness and coming through for us at many key junctures – Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham. But look at what we don’t have – Jeff Flake is gone. Jeb! is a flabby footnote. And as hard as Nikki! is trying to make herself happen, she’s not happening. The GOP has shifted our way – on wars, on culture, on tech, on playing to win. We have earned the support of Americans of all races in unprecedented numbers because we have focused on people who – remember this? – work hard and play by the rules. That’s progress. Not enough, not nearly, but to deny the progress because you are angry only empowers the people you are angry at. We can’t throw out what we have already achieved simply because we have much more work to do. Take the W, people.

We need to do more. We need to infiltrate the infrastructure and remake the Republican Party from the inside into a party for working Americans of every demographic who love their country and demand their rights, as opposed to the 2015 party that shafted working Americans so Democrat-donor big corporations can rig the system and let SJW twerps endlessly hassle us for the crime of being normal.

But Kurt, we do vote and sometimes we lose!

Yes. You will lose much of the time. This is called reality. People who compete often lose. The ones who don’t compete never lose, but they never win either.

Here’s your action plan. If you are a registered Republican, stay that way. If not, register Republican. Then vote in the primaries to rid ourselves of squishes. Then take the next step. Find your local GOP organization and join, then run for local party and then government offices. We need to build our farm team, and that means traveling along the American cursus honorum from GOP precinct captain to county GOP committee member to city council to state assembly to Congress and beyond.

Gee Kurt, that sounds like hard work.

It is. It’s a lot easier to declare you are never ever voting GOP again on Twitter. But I was under the impression that we are the faction that is not averse to hard work, especially when it is our country at stake. So, this is a test – if you’re serious about winning, you stay GOP.

A third party hands total control over to the left, and if you want to see what that scenario looks like, check out my newest novel Crisis, as well as my other four novels of America splitting into red and blue nations, People's Republic, Indian Country, Wildfire, and Collapse!


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: backstabberromney; donaldtrump; gop; kurtschlichter; nevertrustaromney; republicanparty; romney4dnc; schlichter; teamromney; thirdparty
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To: Blennos
OK. Without a third party, then, for me, and millions like me, there will be no party. I am through with the republicans.

I count myself among this group as well. I'm totally finished with spineless pubbies as well. They stopped representing my values and viewpoints by 1996 and I then said enough is enough and decided I could no longer in good conscious keep supporting a party that refused to even remotely represent any of my viewpoints or ideas as a social conservative. They are dead to me.

101 posted on 01/28/2021 5:49:18 AM PST by Ron H. (No cencorship of free speech at Gab.com)
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To: mewzilla
We don’t have a SECOND party.

This is true. We've had a Uniparty for decades now with a lot of Kabuki Theater pretending that the Democrats and Republicans are not the same. Even the term Republican In Name Only (RINO) was an attempt to pretend that Republicans who clearly supported Democrats were still Republicans.

The Uniparty needs to keep up the pretense that people need government because if people walk away, they're not coming back. When votes don't matter, neither do politicians. The people will they'll rightfully demand action directly from the cause of the problem instead of wasting time wringing their hands over the "the system" and "ineffective politicians".

"This is a problem that needs to be fixed."
"Our useless and corrupt politicians will do nothing about it."
"Forget those clowns. YOU caused it and YOU need to fix this."
"We swear Lucy will help you and won't pull the football away this time."

102 posted on 01/28/2021 5:50:32 AM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: central_va

I am contemplating polemical hari-kari by voting Democrat just to screw the GOP. I want to see you RepubliCANTS crying. I I am starting to like it.


Republicant? I like that. There is something about the flaccid nature of the GOP that attracts weak and surrender minded voters. Dems would never tolerate their party undermining them the way the GOP undermines conservatives. These low info “conservative” voters will be the death of this country.


103 posted on 01/28/2021 5:51:41 AM PST by lodi90
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To: Kaslin

We have been told this same claptrap for at least two decades now.

This is the same as the media gaslighting us about everything. The GOP and republican party is dead.

With ingrained and sanctioned vote fraud there will never be another legitimate election.

If we would’ve taken action 20 or more years ago things might look different today.


104 posted on 01/28/2021 5:51:56 AM PST by jurroppi1 (The Left doesn't have ideas, it has cliches. H/T Flick Lives)
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To: Kaslin

The Republican brand is far too toxic to be rescued/redeemed/reformed/rehabilitated.


105 posted on 01/28/2021 5:55:10 AM PST by Tonytitan ( )
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To: Kaslin

Third party?

We only have one right now it seems.


106 posted on 01/28/2021 5:55:24 AM PST by Pollard (Bunch of curmudgeons)
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To: T.B. Yoits

The only reason parties exist is to give voters the illusion of choice.

That said, it doesn’t mean we can’t use the existing infrastructure against them.

As long as the vote counts aren’t rigged.

And that problem has to be dealt with first and permanently.


107 posted on 01/28/2021 5:56:13 AM PST by mewzilla (Break out the mustard seeds. )
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To: lodi90

Trump was the GOP’s Viagra infusion. The temporary potency lasted four years. Better put some ice on it.


108 posted on 01/28/2021 5:56:26 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: RC one
Once people are forced to pay Biden’s gun taxes...it’s a new ballgame. Failing to recognize this will be another big GOP mistake. It will be their last mistake I think.

If you are one of the millions of Americans that have bought an AR 15 with 10 magazines (capable of holding more than 10 rounds) AND a semi auto pistol with 6 magazines (also capable of holding 10+ rounds), you will owe LOTS of money in federal transfer taxes via ATF Form 1 to the NFA registry:

$200.00 to register your AR 15 or other semi auto rifle
$2,000.00 to register your ten (10) standard capacity AR magazines.
$200.00 to register your semi auto pistol.
$1,200.00 to register your six (6) standard capacity pistol magazines
$270.00 for each double set of passport photos for each ATF Form 1 (assuming $15.00/per pair at Walgreens/CVS)
$180.00 in fingerprints. (In some states, they charge you to do fingerprints, say $10.00 for 2 sets).
~$1000.00 to laser engrave all your magazines compliant with ATF engraving standards
Possibly another fee to visit Sheriff/CLEO to get sign off unless you have an NFA Gun Trust drawn up (Approx $500.00).

Total to unconstitutionally register your 1 rifle, 1 pistol, and 16 standard capacity magazines: ~$5,050.00-$6,000.00

Those that don't register? Now they have a BIG fine and federal pen time hanging over you like with the Atkins accelerator turn in, the Striker/USAS-12 Destructive device reclassification, like the shoulder stock ban, etc.

If you get caught with that, you are toast and face ten (10) years in the Federal pen AND a $250,000 fine EACH.

So if they pinch you with the above "arsenal" you'll serve 180 years in prison and be forced to pay $4,500,000.00 in fines alone.

We used to have expost facto and bill of attainder thingys....come on, man!

109 posted on 01/28/2021 6:02:13 AM PST by DCBryan1 (Delete FB, TWTR, GOOGL, AMZN, YHOO, Gmail/chrome. Use Gab, Brave + DDG, VPN, Freerepublic )
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To: mewzilla

I would argue that parties exist to contain the various coalitions that could not and really cannot exist on their own.

Currently, Americans exist under the Republican party. Socialist Euro wannabes exist under the Democrat party.

If one is truly American, he has no viable chance of success outside the Republican party

America is not Israel ot Italy there there are tons of small irrelevant parties


110 posted on 01/28/2021 6:02:51 AM PST by bert ( (KE. NP. N.C. +12) History: Pelosi was pitiful vindictive California crone)
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To: Kaslin

This guy loves click bait titles and way too long articles. My attention span is much too short to read this. John Hanoi Kerry turned me against his rabid party. The GOOP left me long ago. We the people are the rulers of this country not the liars that turn their backs on America as soon as they are in office. I am waiting to register for the Patriot party.


111 posted on 01/28/2021 6:03:51 AM PST by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: Kaslin
This is wrong. The RINOs ran the train off the rails. There is no recovery without radical change. This is negotiating where we have been provided a deal we cannot live with and the only way to negotiate is to show them that they are dead and you are going elsewhere with a third party - unless they provide a much better deal.

It's a classic move in the evolution of cooperation. They defected for the ultimate time. Now you punish them. Savagely.

3rd party is the lose-lose move. No 3rd party is the you continue to lose while they win strategy.

112 posted on 01/28/2021 6:11:18 AM PST by AndyJackson
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To: Kaslin

Who’s talking about another 3rd party? I am ready to join the new party the will replace the Republicans. Just like the Republicans replaced the Whigs, and the Whigs replaced the Federalists. One to 3 election cycles, and the only “Republicans” left will be the RINO’s finishing a 6-year term in the Senate.


113 posted on 01/28/2021 6:11:28 AM PST by Bernard (“When once the guardian angel has taken flight, everything is lost”. – William H. Seward, 1/12/1861)
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To: Kaslin

We lost the presidency, House and Senate. How could we do worse that we already are?

In the UK, a new party, the Brexit party changed things. I say give it a try.


114 posted on 01/28/2021 6:13:59 AM PST by Fido969 (,i.)
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And the beat goes on and/or the drummer keeps a marching.

In the 59 presidential elections since 1788, third party or independent candidates have won at least 5.0% of the vote or garnered electoral votes 12 times (21%); this does not count George Washington, who was elected as an independent in 1788–1789 and 1792, but who largely supported Federalist policies and was supported by Federalists. Occasionally, a third party becomes one of the two major parties through a presidential election (the last time it happened was in 1856, when the Republicans supplanted the Whigs, who had withered and endorsed the ticket of the American Party): such an election is called a realigning election, as it causes a realignment in the party system; according to scholars, there have been six party systems so far.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_third_party_and_independent_performances_in_United_States_elections

Essentially the National elections will be dominated by a two party system.
Once in a while on a state/local level a 3rd party will have some success.


115 posted on 01/28/2021 6:15:31 AM PST by deport
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To: Jim Noble; Adder
Everyday since, I would say, the election, just about, a message pops up on my phone that an extremely innocuous person in my contacts list on my phone has joined Telegram.

What's that tell you?

It warms my heart.

116 posted on 01/28/2021 6:17:43 AM PST by riri (Hope is not a strategy at this point- Sam Andrews)
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To: TexasFreeper2009
the way to fix the situation and stick it to the RINO’s like Liz Cheney is to PRIMARY them out!

The GOP will throw up a lot of placeholder candidates to dilute the challenge and she wins again. Happens every time. Same song, different verse.

117 posted on 01/28/2021 6:18:01 AM PST by Sans-Culotte (11/3-11/4/2020 - The USA became a banana republic.)
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To: central_va

Trump’s defeat was that he had to choose people from the dirty GOP.

“NPA” No Party Affiliation

Trump doesn’t need to run for office to be elected, simply announce his candidacy, do nothing else and see how many votes he gets election day.

He doesn’t have to debate - field questions from dirtball reporters - do any of the hokey rituals of the US election circus.

The purpose of a political party is to train politicians to play the Congress Game.

That game destroyed the republic.

Death to all political parties.


118 posted on 01/28/2021 6:20:04 AM PST by hank ernade (armchair macho bravado EverTrumper)
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To: Blennos

Unless a candidate has an endorsement from President Trump, they’ll not have my vote. Family and friends (so far) feel the same way. We are in agreement.

The republican party is DEAD. Let the surviving poltroons join the dems.


119 posted on 01/28/2021 6:24:10 AM PST by Toadman (To anger a Conservative, tell a lie. To anger a liberal, tell the truth.)
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To: DCBryan1

Exactly, if I end up effed like this, I will conclude that there is no party in this country that represents me and I will IMMEDIATELY transition into an enemy of both of these parties. I will use my vote or lack of vote as a weapon against them both. We ain’t gonna be buddies no more GOP. Guaranteed.


120 posted on 01/28/2021 6:24:30 AM PST by RC one (Lying, cheating, deceiving & manipulating are as natural to Democrats as swimming is to fish.)
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