Fringe Candidates

[jamesdiggy]

Candidates like Dennis Kucinich, Al Sharpton, Morry Taylor, Ross Perot, Ralph Nader, etc, are they relevant? Do they take up issues and positions that the mainstream candidates won't? Or are they more like those really bad singers who audition for American Idol? People seeking out any sort of attention and publicity. Every election has them, I mean Lyndon LaRouche has been a candidate since I was in grade school. Are these candidates good for democracy or an embarassment to the process?

<IMG SRC="http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/diggy.gif">

A Ted Knight in Shining Armor
I am now blessed with an ADF sigpic

[KC2OSO]

I'd argue that they, the 'also-rans' are the only real choices and the so-called nominated 'mainstream' were really just a bunch of charlatans shoved down your throat by corporate America, the Knights of Columbus, the Bilderburgs, the Club of Rome, and the Intelligencia. It's all a fucking joke. Relax in the realization that your vote means absolutely nothing.

http://www.njmikec.com/Fester1.jpg

[NewYorkDragons80]

Well, Perot was actually a "mainstream" candidate. At this time in 92, he was beating Clinton in the polls.

<marquee>
"To insist on strength is not war-mongering. It is peace-mongering." -Senator Barry M. Goldwater "If gold should rust, what will iron do?" -Geoffrey Chaucer "Worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings.-Romans 12:1</marquee>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/cityhawk80/images/nydragonssig.bmp?mtbrand=AOL_US>

This message was edited by NewYorkDragons80 on 2-3-04 @ 12:04 PM

[Se7en]

I wouldn't say that their vote means "nothing". As much shit as we all give these fringe candidates at some point or another, many of them do present ideas and policies that represent certain groups of people.

<center><img border="0" src="http://se7enrfnet.homestead.com/files/bigosmelt.jpg" width="300" height="125">
<br>
<br>
<marquee behavior=alternate bgcolor="#FFFFFF">CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD, YE NOT GUILTY</marquee> </font>
</center>

[TheMojoPin]

Perot and Nader most certainly kept two serious candidates out of the White House, so I think that counts for something when it comes to influence.

<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=TheMojoPin">
2% << December boys got it BAD >> "You might tell some lies about the good times we've had/But I've kissed your mother twice...and now I'm working on your dad..."

[Tall_James]

Perot and Nader most certainly kept two serious candidates out of the White House, so I think that counts for something when it comes to influence.

Don't forget John Anderson.


<img src=http://home.comcast.net/~jamesgpatton/34.jpg>

Why am I always on a plane or a fast train
Oh what a world my parents gave me

[MizzleTizzle]

are they relevant?


Sharpton? Hell Yeah ! ! !

Say what you want about the guy, and I got mostly bad to say, BUT in the early debates he brought Race and threw it right up on the Table, and it would not go away.

I would hope any political party would have someone that willing to call the motives and actions of their fellow candidates.

And in South Carolina, which has a large minority voting block, ears will be open. Whether Al has anything good to say remains to be seen, but in the early debates, he was most relevant, if only in that small context.

And he had a classic Zinger. I forget who was listing off all the african-american endorsements they had, and Sharpton fired back, "You Only Need Co-Signers When Your Credit is Bad !"

Classic.

---

--

just below the surface of what we might call our ordinary lives lie riches

[TheMojoPin]

Don't forget John Anderson.

But DO forget Gary Trudeau.

<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=TheMojoPin">
2% << December boys got it BAD >> "You might tell some lies about the good times we've had/But I've kissed your mother twice...and now I'm working on your dad..."

[A.J.]

Don't forget John Anderson.

The lead singer of Yes?

<IMG SRC="http://www.silentspic.com/images/sighost/ajdcsig.jpg">
A Skidmark production.

Red Sox Nation

[curtoid]

Perot impressed me because when he was allowed to participate in the 1992 debates he helped steer the discussion to real issues, and away from the rhetoric and attacks. Those were excellent, focused discussions about real issues, and I really credit that squirley little Texan.

There was a moment or two in October of that year that you would not have been surprised if Ross had really taken off.

Bush 1 had lost many of his moderate base, many of whom were furious that he lied about "no new taxes," but they weren't ever going to vote for a Democrat, especially Clinton. I'm sure there were a few possible Clinton supporters, or potential ones, who went to Perot (just as I'm sure Nader took a few votes from Bush 2 too), but by and large, the common belief in the GOP is that Perot cost Bush 1 the election.



[KOP]



http://img1.photobucket.com/albums/1003/mikeyboy/KOPsig.jpg
Always respect yerdaddy...thanks for sig!

This message was edited by KOP on 2-3-04 @ 11:08 PM

[NewYorkDragons80]

True, though I suspect Perot took A LOT more votes from Clinton than Nader took from Bush. Perot was a genuine centrist, but his support was rooted in right-leaning people. Do you think Perot would have made a stronger run had he not dropped out?

I don't know if I mentioned this in another election thread, but I recently read a book about Perot's candidacy, and according to it, there were counties of Southern states in which the results of 1992 were almost identical to 1968. The third party candidates, (Perot and Wallace respectively) won the county with the Democrat and Republican finishes also nearly identical to 1968. It just goes to show that many of the votes to a Perot or Wallace and to a lesser extent a Nader reflect frustration with the two parties rather than a solid agreement with the views of the candidate. I would vote for Perot just to put a great man like Stockdale in office.

<marquee>
"To insist on strength is not war-mongering. It is peace-mongering." -Senator Barry M. Goldwater "If gold should rust, what will iron do?" -Geoffrey Chaucer "Worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings.-Romans 12:1</marquee>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/cityhawk80/images/nydragonssig.bmp?mtbrand=AOL_US>

This message was edited by NewYorkDragons80 on 2-3-04 @ 11:38 PM

[curtoid]

Stockdale's performance at the VP debate hurt Perot; Perot dropping out of the race and then coming back hurt Perot; in the end, though, I don't think he would have won, but he didn make it fun.



[KOP]



http://img1.photobucket.com/albums/1003/mikeyboy/KOPsig.jpg
Always respect yerdaddy...thanks for sig!

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

You want a fringe candidate? I'll give you a fringe candidate! (http://www.dioforamerica.com/)

m/

<IMG SRC=http://atamichimpo.50megs.com/images/deathmetalfuzzybutt.jpg>

She said Jesus had a twin who knew nothing about sin.

[A.J.]

www.dioforamerica.com

He shouldn't be "The Last In Line"!

<IMG SRC="http://www.silentspic.com/images/sighost/ajdcsig.jpg">
A Skidmark production.

Red Sox Nation

[ADF]

I dunno about you but there's no way I'm going to vote for a kitchen appliance. Well, maybe a Cuisinart.

<center><img src = "http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/friars.gif"><br>I'm so glad the cheat is not dead.</center>

[El Mudo]

Lets not forget Teddy Roosevelt was a 3d party candidate when he split with the Republican party....that caused Woodrow Wilson to be elected(Taft and Roosevelt combined outpolled Wilson), and i believe Teddy got more votes than Taft...

Also for many years the Populist Party was big in this country on a grassroots level, but they kinda faded away after the whole "Free Silver" fiasco...

http://midatlantic.comcastsportsnet.com/images/maryland_logo.gif
<marquee> M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D MARYLAND...WILL WINNNNNN!! </marquee>