Preview

Not a Vote Wasted: a Look Into Third Party Votes in 2012 Presidential Election

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
935 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Not a Vote Wasted: a Look Into Third Party Votes in 2012 Presidential Election
Not a Vote Wasted: A Look Into Third Party Votes in 2012 Presidential Election While most of the country was tied up with the competition going on during the 2012 Presidential Election between the Democrat and Republican Presidential candidates, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, many other Americans were rooting for the underdogs. The gap between Romney and Obama in the popular vote was more significant than you'd think. Growing support for third party candidates don't have the major political parties worried, but evidence shows that they should think about gearing up for competition in future Presidential elections. With Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party 2012 Presidential candidate, ahead in the national popular vote amongst the third parties and the Green Party holding the majority of offices as compared to other third parties, the mainstream parties may have to begin gearing up against growing and very real additional competition. According to 2012 Presidential Election results, Incumbent Barack Obama received 50.6% of the national popular vote, with 47.8% for Republican Candidate Mitt Romney, and 1.6% for third party votes and write-ins. That is a .3 point increase for third parties despite the lower voter turnout this year (Bryan 1), which is more than most were anticipating. More than half that, at almost 1% in the national popular vote, (Wachtler 2) goes to Libertarian Party candidate and former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson and his running mate, James "Jim" Gray. While this may not seem like much, it is more than the results for all the other third parties combined, making the Libertarian Party the leading third party and most likely the eventual real competition of the mainstream parties or perhaps even the next mainstream party, decades or even just years from now. America is due for a new mainstream party. One must remember that the United States was not always run by Republicans and Democrats, but by Federalists, Anti-Federalists, Whigs, and
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Account for the Failuree of 3rd Parties to Break the Monopoly of Power Held by Democrats and Republicans
    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Account for the Failuree of 3rd Parties to Break the Monopoly of Power Held by Democrats and Republicans

    In their most recent general election the 3rd parties of Britain and America experienced significantly different outcomes. While the Liberal Democrats are now in a coalition the American Libertarian party received 0.99% of the popular vote. The clear failure of 3rd parties to break the monopoly of power held by the Democrats and Republicans can be explained by the electoral system, costs involved and influence of the media.…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Commentary On George Wallace's Third Parties In America
    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page

    Commentary On George Wallace's Third Parties In America

    The book “Third Parties in America” discusses the election of 1968. It specifically focuses on George Wallace who ran as the American Independent Party. Wallace claimed that his party was no different or less than the two main parties. His strong racist views made him popular and when he announced that he would run 11% of the population said they would vote for him. Six months later his numbers doubled which put Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey under stress to appeal to the Southern population that supported Wallace. Even after Nixon was in office he continued to soften his view on integration to appeal to Wallace’s crowd.…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ch. 18 Apush Study the American Pageant
    • 2031 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Ch. 18 Apush Study the American Pageant

    Before, the two national parties, the Democrats and the Whigs, had had strong support from all over the nation; now, that was in jeopardy.…

    • 2031 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Shared Attributes Between the Voter and the Candidate: a Look at the Us 2008 Democratic Primary Election
    • 3394 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Shared Attributes Between the Voter and the Candidate: a Look at the Us 2008 Democratic Primary Election

    Shared Attributes between the Voter and the Candidate: A Look at the US 2008 Democratic Primary Election…

    • 3394 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Semester Exam Review Sheet
    • 763 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Semester Exam Review Sheet

    • What is a third party and what role do they have in American government?…

    • 763 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Funding, Interest Groups, Elections, and the Role Between State and Local Governments in Texas
    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Funding, Interest Groups, Elections, and the Role Between State and Local Governments in Texas

    University of Texas at Austin. (2009). Voting, Campaigns and Elections. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from Texas Politics: http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/6_printable.html#20…

    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Third Party Debates
    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Pros And Cons Of Third Party Debates

    debates have occurred regularly and are becoming institutionalized as a practice in American elections. Third-party candidates have fewer chances to join presidential debates, especially if the two major party candidates do not agree to debate them. Unless it becomes in the interest of both parties to have a third-party candidate debate, as it was in 1992 with Ross Perot, it will be very difficult for third-party candidates to become a part of the presidential debates. Even though third parties have debated each other in presidential election years, the fate of third parties in receiving national coverage or joining the two major party candidates in presidential debates is uncertain. It is also unclear how much effect debates have on American…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Political Party Vs Libertarian Analysis
    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Political Party Vs Libertarian Analysis

    As 2016 is a presidential election year, many people routinely are exposed to the major party candidates. This election season is historic, because never have the two major party candidates been so disliked. Unfortunately, most Americans will not understand that they can vote for someone other than a Democrat or Republican. The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. Due to the disdain of the major parties by large number of the electorate, Gary Johnson and the Libertarians have seen the greatest support in the history of their party.…

    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhonda Rousey Essay
    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Rhonda Rousey Essay

    “I’ll probably vote for a third party again. To be honest, in 2012 I was against both candidates so I just picked any third party because if more people voted for third parties then they would have to take third parties…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Mules vs. Elephants
    • 1603 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Mules vs. Elephants

    As George Washington retired from his presidential position in 1796, he left a grim reminder to the people of the newly independent United States of America: the independence of states, peace at home and abroad, safety, prosperity, and liberty are all dependent upon the unity between states. To promote the national strength, he urges the people to place their identity as Americans above those of their state, region, and interests. In fear of the impeding sectionalism, Washington included a fair warning to the people of the United States, the dangers of political parties to the government and the country as a whole. The idea of political parties, although warned thoroughly by our very first president, continuously solidified itself into the core of American government until it has become two standing pillars of modern politics: the Democratic Mules and its counterpart, the Republican Elephants. In 21st century politics, these two reigning parties, both having changed and altered their focus over time, have maintained a core value system, ideas beliefs, and key constituencies, which are made apparent throughout political campaigns; no better evidence than the 2012 political party platforms articulates the political position which each party represents.…

    • 1603 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Should The Electoral College Be Abolished Dbq Essay
    • 1166 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Should The Electoral College Be Abolished Dbq Essay

    In the 2000 election, Al Gore and Ralph Nader split the left wing vote. (Document 5). While Nader only won 3% of the popular vote, the election was so close that 3% more of the popular vote would have put Gore in office. (Document 5). This also happened in the 1912 election, when the Republicans split the vote between the incumbent Roosevelt, and Taft, allowing Wilson to win. The voters know that this will always be the result, so they do not vote for the party that their beliefs align with the closest. Instead, they vote Republican or Democrat to actually have a chance of winning the election. Third party candidates cannot win not only because of our two-party system, but because of our winner-take-all system. If two candidates split the liberal vote, the conservative party will win all the votes in that state. If this trend continues, the conservative party will win the entire election. (Document 6). If the United States based elections on the popular vote instead of the Electoral College, then people would be more likely to vote with the party they agree with most, not the party that is more likely to win. This would make citizens actually want to vote because they have more options and they would feel like their vote actually…

    • 1166 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Purpose Of The Third Party System
    • 97 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Purpose Of The Third Party System

    Patterson (2016) presents the idea that when a third party system arises in the United States it is short lived, mainly due to the election method that is used in America known as the plurality system, also known as “The winner takes all” (p. 226). Additionally, most third parties exhaust their funding before getting their name on the ballot. Furthermore, it has been proposed that one or both of the major parties will absorb the issues proposed by the third party causing its popularity to diminish. In this manner the existence of the third party gradually…

    • 97 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Third Party Voters Know What They Want Analysis
    • 1414 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Third Party Voters Know What They Want Analysis

    The American system of government is democratic. Democracy is a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting. In America, they hold elections at the local, state, and federal level. In the elections the voters choose among the leaders of political parties for the open office position. America has two major political parties: Democrat and Republican. There are more political parties than that, but with the way the electoral process works most third parties are doomed to fail since they will not get the popular vote. Though for President and Vice President the popular vote does not matter since the Electoral College chooses the President and Vice President. Many eligible voters have decided to “protest vote” meaning not voting…

    • 1414 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Voters In The 1960's
    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page

    Voters In The 1960's

    Before the 1960’s, Independent voters attracted no attention. They were few in number, and had little significance in any election. All of that has changed beginning around the Vietnam era to recent Presidential elections. Voters were never were equal to begin with really. Everyone only gets one vote, but politicians, campaign and media will focus their attention on particular voters while ignoring others. In recent elections, the emphasis is revolved around Independent “swing voters”. As the country become equally divided and heavily polarized, it makes sense to concentrate on a segment of voters that are believed to determine the contemporary Presidential elections. In the 2004 election, less than forty percent of voters identified strongly…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Libertarian Party Mission Statement
    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Libertarian Party Mission Statement

    The Libertarian Party is America’s third largest party and fastest growing political party. The party was created in December of 1971 by people who realized politicians weren’t living up to our founding father’s concept of liberty and freedom for Americans. The Libertarian Party beliefs are very basic: world peace, harmony, opportunity, and abundance for all individuals. Libertarians are also practical by knowing the world isn’t perfect but are aiming for ways to make it better. The party’s mission statement is to “seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics