Our political system is unusually complex considering only two major parties are involved. For many, the frustration of having to choose between only two real candidates leaves little to be desired.
While many believe that the current system should be modified to better accommodate multiple parties, I feel we would do better simply to cut the number we have now in half. Perhaps consolidate both parties in to some kind of National Party.
But being the political junkie that I am, I decided to look at some of the lesser-known candidates running for president.
One name that seemed to pop up repeatedly was that of Ralph Nader, who was instrumental in founding the Environmental Protection Agency and Public Citizen, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group. It’s not really my cup of tea, but since I’ve already thrown my support behind Hillary Clinton, and most hardcore Democrats seem to almost shrivel up and die at the mention of his name, I decided to read what exactly it was about this man that made everyone cringe. What I found was nothing short of horrifying.
Aside from advocating an immediate withdrawal from Iraq – something, thankfully, no major candidate still running has endorsed (Ron Paul and Mike Gravel aside) – he wants to completely reshape our foreign policy focus from reconstruction through repeated bombing to reconstruction through humanitarian efforts and global aid. I’ve got news for you, Nader: You can’t construct a new building until you bulldoze the one you want to build over. The same goes for sovereign nations. Sounds like someone’s never been in construction.
He is also an advocate of what is called a “living wage,” which is meant to replace minimum wage laws. I’m not sure exactly what his yardstick is for determining what wage can be considered “living,” but in 2004 he wanted to double the minimum wage, from $5.25/hour. One can only imagine what that would do to business revenues.
This is a dangerous platform on all fronts and, thankfully, our major political parties are taking steps to ensure that it never gains traction. In 2004, the Democratic Party filed a grand total of 24 lawsuits and five FEC complaints against the Nader/Camejo ticket, a tactic Green Party co-chairwoman Liz Anderson decried as “vicious” and “comparable to the Republican manipulation of national elections” in 2000 and 2004.
But I don’t think that either party has anything to fear from independent and third-party candidates this year. With major news media so wrapped up with Obama, Clinton and McCain, nobody is even going to know the alternative parties exist, let alone work up the courage to vote for them.
As a good friend of mine once said: “If you want to frustrate a liberal, vote Republican; if you want to infuriate a liberal, vote Green.”
Matthew Kirchner is a junior English major and a columnist for the Daily Forty-Niner.
