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How about we start with a third party that's actually serious about being a third party rather than just showing up every 4 years to syphon votes? Like, you know, a party that actually runs at the local level and participates in Democracy. One of the big differences between our "third parties" and minority political parties in Europe, for instance, is that theirs actually participate in government. They work at smaller levels of government rather than just expecting to somehow get a prime minister. They build coalitions. They foster voter confidence by actually doing something.

The closest thing we have to that is literally just Bernie Sanders on his own. One guy does a better job at being something resembling a third party than any existing third party in the United States. That's impressive for Bernie and absolutely pathetic for "third parties".

Second? Once those third parties build up some actual participation in government and develop coalitions, use that growing power to give themselves a mathematical chance of actually winning.

Third? Don't run a candidate until the first two are done. Because anything short of that is literally just enabling the Republicans to push both parties further and further to the right.

Do that and actually run on a platform I'd like to see more than Democratic neoliberalism and I'll put them in the first slot in my runoff or ranked choice or whatever vote. Until then? Not a chance in the world. I don't care how many times the DNC shoots themselves in the foot. Until the math is there and a party shows they're actually willing to participate in all levels of government I'm not interested in propping up one of two egotists and their "party".

I'd vote for Bernie in a ranked choice election in a second, though. I don't care if he's literally 100 years old.

Ranked choice voting or similar.

I will never vote for a party that doesn't stand an actual chance of winning seats. So until there is proportional representation or ranked choice, i will not be voting 3rd parties.

If not, what would it take?

A viable third party candidate. Before anyone says it, Jill Stein is not it. Alternately, a voting method that allows voting third party without just enabling a GOP sweep (again).

It'd be great if this resulted in some major revision of the Democratic party from within, but I'm not holding my breath. I will, however, continue voting for the "less bad viable option" if the "more bad option" is on par with Trump.

The last successful third party was the Tea Party, which was formed by people fed up with the GOP.

We need a Guillotine Party.

A truly progressive third party that also actually has a prayer of winning. They would need a groundswell of individual small donors making up much of their campaign funding because mainstream ain't gonna fund them, so good luck with that.

If you want another choice, start working for it today, otherwise you'll just be voting for the same lesser-evil ghouls in the next election. Run for office even if you don't know what you're doing. Be honest about it: "I may not have political experience, but what I do have is some principles that I will never compromise on." Loudly argue against those with bad or overly flexible principles. Get together with your neighbors and build things that help people and strengthen your communities. The democrats are never going to be what you want them to be. We can't afford the time it would take to maybe reform them.

I may not be 100% staunch Dem, but maybe having an election where a 3rd party gets more coverage than just the occasional passing commercial or billboard or other absolutely ineffective advertising methods would make me more likely to switch. Until then, lesser of 2 evils and all that.

Sanders got fucked in 2016 and the Democrats who get nominated aren’t great and yes it’s partially the Democrats’ fault they got so few votes in 2024. I strongly disagree that it’s chiefly their fault, but that horse is out of the barn now, and also the barn is on fire now and connected to the house with the children inside.

There will be some incredible shit going down in the next few years. It’ll be a challenge to have any sort of elections in 2028 that have anything non-Republican in any position to win anything. I don’t think it will happen.

If you want to have a conversation about how we get left-wing values to win in future elections, start with how we fight to preserve basic freedoms like elections that don’t have Trump’s election integrity squad in charge of them, and free speech online, and the military not being used against American protestors.

I hope I’m wrong but I think some real shit is going to go down real soon. I don’t think we should assume elections are going to be normal and then plan from that assumption.

I would consider voting for a 3rd party that abandons twitter and back ups their claims with credible sources.

I’ll move if they distance themselves from the platform I believe in, or if there’s a third party candidate that happens to be enticing enough.

The platform I support, in ranked order:

• Pro environment
• Personal freedoms / social liberty
• Statecraft over War
• Higher taxes on the rich, comparatively, but not to the point of stifling innovation
• Education, Internet and Healthcare as fundamental rights
• Capitalism, with competition
• Global Trade
• Pro Union
• Space exploration
• Security (only at the level needed to maintain personal freedom)
• YIMBYism
• Reducing National debt
• Federalism

As I see it, the Dems are still pretty aligned with that, perhaps just not in the same prioritized order, and that’s fair, because they have others they’ll lose first before they lose me.

this is an interesting discussion that's gone on for long enough and been substantive enough that i'll leave it be, but as an FYI this was a better fit for the Politics section and had it been caught sooner i would have told you to repost it there.

• You are not going to vote your way out of this
• There is no just or reasonable way to govern a transcontinental slave empire