Polls show that Trump is the most unpopular Presidential candidate in US polling history, followed closely by Clinton. In fact, recent polling shows both to be EQUALLY unpopular. See HERE. Polls also show that a large percentage of Americans want another option to these two completely unsatisfactory candidates. See HERE. This presents a historically very rare opportunity to perform a sort of political jujitsu and upend this year's Presidential race.
For recent precedent, recall that back in 1992, once Ross Perot managed to be included in that year's Presidential debates, his support doubled. Until Perot suddenly, if temporarily, dropped out of the race, alleging that George H.W. Bush was planning to disrupt his daughter's wedding, it was a nearly dead-even three-way contest. This alone demonstrated that the oft repeated shibboleth that "Independent and third party candidate can't win" is utter self-fulfilling nonsense.
What to do? I propose that disaffected voters decide provisionally to support EITHER the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson; or the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein. More conservative voters can gravitate to Johnson, more progressive ones to Stein. Johnson is already polling at 11 percent, Stein around 6 percent. See HERE. Stein will doubtless receive a surge of support following the just concluded Democratic Convention.
Given this reality, if the quarter or so of the electorate who are presently undecided will affiliate with one or the other of these candidates, this will be more than sufficient to bump their polling numbers above fifteen percent. This figure is significant because it is the threshold of support required for candidates to be included in this fall's Presidential debates.
With BOTH Stein and Johnson included, it becomes a four-way race. Just as Perot's support roughly doubled once he was included in the debates, given the massive unpopularity of Clinton and Trump, we can reasonably expect the same to occur once more. This doubling will make it a nearly even FOUR-WAY RACE! Once this occurs, the possibility of a third party upset becomes quite real. Recall that Lincoln was elected in a four way race. Recall also, that his party the Republican Party, was NOT yet an established major party, having only contested the Presidency once before in 1856. See HERE.
Further, if the Libertarian and Green party leaders were to agree that if one or the other candidate were clearly leading the other third party candidate, then the trailing party would throw its support to the leading one in return for some sort of coalition government, well; quite possibly, that would make that candidate the leader in a now three way race. Once this occurs, many other voters who had refrained from supporting either minor party candidate, but who were severely disaffected with either Trump or Clinton, would find casting a vote for the leading third party candidate suddenly became an option.
Given this, the next President would almost certainly be either Jill Stein or Gary Johnson. Do this, and we make history. We shatter the iron neoliberal corporate oligarchy which is otherwise locking itself into place around us. Do this, and we can experience a new birth of American Democracy. Else, we are screwed. The choice is yours.
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