Outsider Question of the Week, Oct. 24

Outsider Club's Weekly Reader Question "I'm sick to death of party politics. It's just a lot of screaming and nothing getting done. What does the Outsider Club think about third parties and "protest votes?" — Elroy J. JIMMY MENGEL | Managing Editor Thanks for the question, Elroy. I couldn't agree more... I have always been a third-party guy. My very first vote was for Ralph Nader in You are receiving this email because you subscribed to Outsider Club. [Click here]( to manage your e-mail preferences. [Outsider Club logo] By Outsider Club Written Oct. 24, 2018 Outsider Club's Weekly Reader Question "I'm sick to death of party politics. It's just a lot of screaming and nothing getting done. What does the Outsider Club think about third parties and "protest votes?" — Elroy J. --------------------------------------------------------------- JIMMY MENGEL | Managing Editor Thanks for the question, Elroy. I couldn't agree more... I have always been a third-party guy. My very first vote was for Ralph Nader in 2000 when I was in college. I hated politics and especially politicians and I simply couldn’t bring myself to vote for either Al Gore or George W. Bush. It seemed like Tweedledee vs. Tweedledum. Despite being lambasted for “throwing my vote away”, and worse — handing the presidency to Bush — I do not regret my vote at all. I think people are throwing their vote and their self-respect away when they cast a vote for “the lesser of two evils” — another dishonest cliché. The two-party system is a trap. It pits us against each other and forces us to treat politics like we would a fist-fight, where — even if you win — everyone still gets blood on their shoes. It’s certainly no way to get important issues resolved. The fact is that 42% of the electorate is registered independent. We as individuals do not share the entirety of any party line. And the system has been using the two-party vice grip to squeeze the life out of us in every imaginable way. We need another solution... That’s one reason I voted for Governor Gary Johnson in the last presidential election. He’s fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He stands for the freedom to allow me to decide how I should live, as long as it doesn’t impede on others' ability to do the same. It’s the political equivalent of the Golden Rule and I believe that is something that almost all Americans can agree on. I had the pleasure of spending several days with Gov. Johnson during his recent New Mexico Senate run. He’s running as the Libertarian candidate for the swing vote in the U.S. Senate. After following him around, watching how he conducted his campaign, and getting to know him personally, I'm here to tell you that he's the real deal. Gary Johnson is an ideal third-party candidate, and has a legitimate shot at becoming the first Libertarian Senator in U.S. history. If you — like Elroy — are sick and tired of the sham "democracy" we’ve been running for years, I urge you to watch the short documentary I put together during my trip to New Mexico. You can watch it [here](: --------------------------------------------------------------- [gerardo_del_real_190x190]GERARDO DEL REAL | Editor Party politics is one of the most corrosive trends in the United States that will only be countered by eliminating the corrupting influence of money in politics. Citizens United guaranteed that those able to spend large amounts of capital will be the constituents served. It’s pay for play at the highest level. The rise of third parties — and protest votes — is an important global trend that will only accelerate and sends a message to major party politicians that the status quo is not sustainable. The ability of third parties to mobilize locally and scale will be critical. Power never concedes power, which unfortunately means that there will have to be some destroying before the rebuilding can begin. The political process is so corrupt that it will take at least a generation and a seismic shift in policy to right the sinking ship. All change has to start at the local level. Make sure you’re voting locally, make sure you vote your interests, and make sure you hold those you vote for accountable. I’m optimistic that one day party politics will become idea politics. I just hope I’m around to see it. --------------------------------------------------------------- [adam_english_2018_250x285]ADAM ENGLISH | Editor I often say I wish an engineer would run for president with an accountant as his vice president. Enough with Ivy League lawyers and businessmen. Personally, I am all for protest votes and third-party candidates, but that comes with my personal situation. Living in Baltimore means dealing with a political system that has an overwhelming amount of Democrats on the local level and a heavily gerrymandered situation on the state level. I find it telling that Gov. Larry Hogan enjoys widespread support but that the House of Delegates and state Senate are almost always on the cusp of having a guaranteed veto voting bloc. I've been a lifelong independent, and every two years I debate joining the Democratic Party just to have some say in the only election that matters in Baltimore — the Democratic primary. I've yet to take that path just because I find joining a political party too noxious. In a two-party system, you only need to be the second worst option, and any serious candidate who can bolster the legitimacy and credibility of third-party or independent influence will probably secure my vote. I think the first step to changing the status quo is a move to a more mathematical approach to drawing districts. I followed the cases going to the Supreme Court closely but don't think there is much room for big changes from them. The best option is always legislation, and I hope for a wave of such bills across the states. As for the mix of money and politics, I can certainly see how money is equivalent to free speech. I don't like it being completely unfettered, though. As Gerardo said, it is corrosive and corrupting without serious limitations. A better option in my opinion would involve contribution limitations to businesses and individuals with a presence in the district in which ads aim to influence voters. Lobbying groups in D.C. have no business weighing in on congressional elections across the country. Such a rule would allow for greater funding for supporting nominees for statewide positions and the U.S. Senate, and nationwide for presidential nominees. These changes would be far from perfect, but I think they'd be a great start. --------------------------------------------------------------- To [learn more about our editors](, visit our website. And keep an eye on your inbox for Jimmy's (Thursdays), Gerardo's (Mondays) and Adam's (Tuesdays) weekly articles. Submit a Question for the Outsider Club If you would like to ask a question of our editors, simply hit 'reply' to this email. Keep an eye out for future issues to see if your question has been chosen. Please note that not all questions will be selected, and due to the large volume of email we receive, it is unfortunately not possible to respond directly to those emails not selected. Enjoy reading this article? [Click here]( to like it and receive similar articles to read! 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