Submitted by Deirdre Purdy
Goodbye, Joe, you gotta go, me oh, my oh
Joe Manchin will not run for Senate. Is a destructive third party in his future?
WV Democratic Senator Joe Manchin announced this week he would not seek another Senate term. In July, he flirted with the No Labels party. Now he’s traveling the country and speaking out to see if he can “mobilize the middle.”
Straight talk: Manchin’s looking for a 3rd party presidential run for – Joe Manchin,
Manchin’s always been a spoiler. Longtime WV Dems remember 1996 when Manchin lost the state Democratic primary to progressive Charlotte Pritt. His ego badly bruised, Manchin supported Republican Cecil Underwood, who won. Spoiler alert!
You have to presume he’s not running because he fears losing in this state that’s become so deep red and for which he’s done so very little. (Joe Manchin, you’re no Robert Byrd.) And we’ve seen how he hates losing. By quitting without a fight, he gives the Republicans an easy, uncontested pickup of a Senate seat, presumably by Jim Justice who’s been a do-nothing governor with more financial problems than Baby Dog has fleas.
But why shouldn’t Manchin start or join a third-party once he finds Middle America?
Simple answer: in the United States, we have a two-party system. Third parties do not win. Ever. They spoil.
Dissatisfied with the Republican and Democratic parties or candidates, third-party voters want to express their dissatisfaction without taking real responsibility for our leadership. But whomever you vote for, other than R or D, simply takes votes from the two main parties. One of them is going to win.
History is clear. Even Teddy Roosevelt, former president, candidate for the Progressive Party that he formed, got only 27% of the vote. George Wallace in 1968 got 13.5% on a segregationist platform. There’s no forgetting Ralph Nader who got 97,000 votes in Florida in 2000, the decisive electoral college state that Gore supposedly lost by 538. Nader now supports Biden, but Jill Stein is back after winning enough votes in three swing states to turn them to Trump in 2016.
So far, four third-party or independent spoiler options are offered for 2024.
There’s No Labels, a centrist group that doesn’t disclose its donors, claims it’s not a political party so it doesn’t have to follow the rules, is supported by hedge fund managers, and says it would be advantageous to have a Republican at the head of the ticket. (Sorry, Joe.)
There’s Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., noted anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist, who’sbeen making millions off his nutty crusades backed by the power of his name. Once a Democrat, now an independent, Republicans supported him till they realized he was siphoning votes from their nutty base.
Jill Stein, again, running on the Green Party ticket on a platform of workers’ rights and the failure of the two major parties.
And Cornel West, an independent and progressive who argues America is far too unequal and both major parties are far too beholden to the interests of corporations and wealthy folks.
I agree, Cornel. Your critique is correct.
But voting in this presidential election is not a chance to act out politicalfrustrations. It’s not an opportunity to vote for an “ideal” candidate who has no chance of winning. Voting is not performance art. It’s not a vanity project.
In 2024 if Biden and Trump are the nominees, we have a clearcut choice between President Joe Biden and an authoritarian who gloats at bringing down Roe v. Wade,and has promised to use what he believes are the unlimited powers of the presidency to wipe out leftist “vermin” (Democrats), put undocumentedimmigrants in camps and deport them, reinstate the Muslim ban, fire unelectedbureaucrats (federal workers), and “rip up” any gun control measures. He has called for termination of the Constitution so he can be restored to office.
This is not a good time to whine that Joe Biden is too old. And if you can’t figure out whether you like the President or the dictator, maybe you should stay home on election day.
