Third Party Run? We Must Say NO.

I am very familiar with third party runs and…

They are a trap.

A few days ago, Dr. Cornell West announced his presidential run under the banner of the People’s Party, a party that, from what I can tell, only has ballot access in one state: Florida (fitting, on some level, because of course). His announcement had a lot of keywords and phrases that could appeal to liberals and progressives in a lot of ways:

“In these bleak times, I have decided to run for truth and justice, which takes the form of running for president of the United States as a candidate for the People’s Party,” West said. “I enter in the quest for truth. I enter in the quest for justice, and the presidency is just one vehicle to pursue that truth and justice, what I’ve been trying to do all of my life.”

That sounds good, doesn’t it? Truth? Yes, please. Justice? Uh, yesterday!

Except: no.

We can’t afford to give credence a third party run.

Across the country, there are crises upon crises unfolding. You have the destruction of the separation of church and state in Oklahoma; in Florida - well, it’s Florida, so you basically have the destruction of everything; in 22 states, anti-trans laws have passed; in 14 states, abortion is banned outright, while 11 states have tried to enact strict limitations on access; the Supreme Court has achieved an exceptional level of corruption.

What we are seeing right now is the unraveling of things - and we still don’t have the June decisions from SCOTUS, which will undeniably add to the chaos - and an enactment of a theocratic agenda 40 years in the making, since Reagan. Mix that with the lunatic fringe now in complete control of the Republican Party, the adherents of said agenda, and there is a disaster waiting in the wings (bigger than what is currently running amok).

I know that a third party sounds charming to a lot of people - myself included. Wouldn’t it be great to drop-kick both of these parties? The Democrats couldn’t deliver a convincing message to the people if they tried, and the Republicans are batshit crazy! Why wouldn’t I vote for a third party? Neither one these two are doing anything for me or the people I care about! It sucks being stuck in this two-party system!

I get it, but here’s the reality:

Voting for a third party this cycle favors putting Republicans in office because it splits the Dem vote, and that is not something we can afford to do. Realistically, third party vanity candidates like West don't have a chance, and too many of our fellow citizens - especially in red states - are already suffering under authoritarian rule because of their right-wing state legislators and/or governors who are passing laws that are only designed to be cruel and damaging - and deadly - because the cruelty has always been the point of the right-wing. They like it, they get off on it. It is major masturburtory material for them.

But we can’t allow that to happen.

A Republican presidency at this moment in time, with this cruel and degenerate iteration of the GOP would kick that suffering into sadistic overdrive.

I don’t want my name or my vote on that - I hope you don’t either.