Walt Williams Neck wrote:
I have been voting since Nixon.....but since both parties have insulted my intelligence I will not vote for President. A vote for either Stein or Johnson is like a not voting at all....meaningless. The part I hate most is those who endorse the loser bitching about the winner for 4 fucking years
3rd parties have long played the role of early/earliest adopters and pioneers in the nation's political conversation. e.g., Libertarian Party's national platform supported the legalization of marijuana as far back as 1988.
Look at the various reforms that happened in the first half of the last century: they were all bullet points from the Progressive Party's platform.
The Progressive Party was in effect an amalgamation of all the minor 3rd parties that sprung up in the late 19th century, mostly in the midwest. People's Party, Farmer-Labor Party, etc. These late 19th century Midwestern political movements, of course, inspired the Wizard of Oz. Silver slippers on a road of Gold leading to East Coast bankers/wizards, all metaphors for the currency dispute at the heart of many political beefs at the time.
Quote:
The Progressive Party's 1912 platform called for
Strict limits and disclosure requirements on political campaign contributions
Registration of lobbyists
Recording and publication of Congressional committee proceedings
In the social sphere the platform called for
A National Health Service to include all existing government medical agencies.
Social insurance, to provide for the elderly, the unemployed, and the disabled
Limited the ability of judges to order injunctions to limit labor strikes.
A minimum wage law for women
An eight-hour workday
A federal securities commission
Farm relief
Workers' compensation for work-related injuries
An inheritance tax
The political reforms proposed included
Women's suffrage
Direct election of Senators
Primary elections for state and federal nominations
The platform also urged states to adopt measures for "direct democracy", including:
The recall election (citizens may remove an elected official before the end of his term)
The referendum (citizens may decide on a law by popular vote)
The initiative (citizens may propose a law by petition and enact it by popular vote)
Judicial recall (when a court declares a law unconstitutional, the citizens may override that ruling by popular vote).[11]
Besides these measures, the platform called for reductions in the tariff, and limitations on naval armaments by international agreement.
The biggest controversy at the convention was over the platform section dealing with trusts and monopolies. The convention approved a strong "trust-busting" plank, but Perkins had it replaced with language that spoke only of "strong National regulation" and "permanent active [Federal] supervision" of major corporations. This retreat shocked reformers like Pinchot, who blamed it on Perkins. The result was a deep split in the new party that was never resolved.[12]
In general the platform expressed Roosevelt's "New Nationalism", An extension of his earlier philosophy of the Square Deal. He called for new restraints on the power of federal and state judges along with a strong executive to regulate industry, protect the working classes, and carry on great national projects. This New Nationalism was paternalistic, in direct contrast to Wilson's individualistic philosophy of "New Freedom". However one selected, Wilson's actual program resembled Roosevelt's ideas, apart from the notion of reining in judges.[13]
Roosevelt also favored a vigorous foreign policy, including strong military power. Though the platform called for limiting naval armaments, it also recommended the construction of two new battleships per year, much to the distress of outright pacifists such as Jane Addams.[14]
Green Party and Libertarian Party consolidated ranks, they could make some real noise.
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