By Joe Darby
In answer to my headline’s question I would answer unequivocally yes. I wouldn’t bet on that happening though, because historically in the U.S., third party challengers have had dismal success and short lasting prominence.
Just in the last few decades, we had Ralph Nader trying his luck in 2000 and 2004, Patrick Buchanan in 2000, Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996, Southern segregationists George Wallace in 1968 and Strom Thurmond in 1948. A candidate of the Progressive Party — not to be confused with today’s progressives — managed to gather 4.8 million votes in 1924 and Teddy Roosevelt himself failed with his new Bull Moose Party in 1912. There were lots of false starts with third parties in the 19nth century, ranging from the Anti-Saloon Party to the Free-Love Party.
None of those outfits made any real lasting impact on American political history, although Porot may have prevented George H.W. Bush from beating Bill Clinton in 1992. But prospects for a viable new party today are not good.
But, by gosh, from my point of view, we sure need one. The two most recent United States presidents both scare the hell out of me, for very different reasons. It’s obvious, even to Democrats, I believe, that Joe Biden may be the most incompetent president we have ever had. Like many, I think he should take a mental competency test also. He appears to be a man in the beginnings of dementia.
But rather than trying to govern as the moderate the American electorate hoped he would be, he has swung to the far left with his ridiculously bank-breaking spending proposals, his war on our petroleum energy industry, which would be by far the most efficient method of meeting our energy needs for decades, and his disastrous foreign policy, in which he has committed one blunder after another. If these were not such perilous times, it would be funny. But it’s not funny, it’s as serious as a heart attack.
So, Biden is the person the Democratic Party has thrust upon us, backed up by the also scary Kamala Harris, who is also obviously in way over her head. The primary alternatives to Biden were from the extreme left, some of them admitted socialists. The Democratic Party is badly broken and I don’t see any of its politicians who might be able to fix it. (Where are you, Hilary, now that we need you? Ha! Just kidding. She’s scary as hell too.)
And what has the Republican Party, a party of which I was proud to be a member for many years, done for us lately.? The egregious Donald Trump. It is truly scary how many GOP Party members still think this man would be good for the country. The blindness with which people follow him is truly disturbing because he is a man of absolutely no principles and no morals.
I know you Trump fans are fuming now, but consider this for a moment. Many say he puts the country first. Well, that’s a sad delusion. Here’s a great example. Last year, he told Georgia voters they would be better off with the left wing extremist Stacey Abrams as governor, in lieu of GOP incumbent Brian Kemp. And that is simply because Kemp did not go along with Trump in his appalling effort to overthrow the 2020 election. So we see plainly that The Donald puts his personal pride above principle.
Even conservative members of his own team and Republican judges found that he had no basis on which to challenge the election. It was all ego — nothing else. I am pretty convinced that if Trump were to be reelected, God forbid, he would attempt a coup and try to take over as a dictator.
There are some good moderate conservatives in the GOP, but whether they can successfully challenge Trump remains to be seen.
I would like to see reasonable people, socially and financially conservative who support a strong military and ready to reach out to moderate African Americans and Hispanics, form a new party, one that would provide true leadership and not embarrass this nation in the eyes of the world, as the two most recent presidents have. I’m not holding my breath, but one can always hope.
