With virtually all of the media's attention focused on the campaigns of Sens. Obama and McCain, many voters lose sight of the fact that several others are making a bid for our nation' highest office.
There are many third party and independent candidates representing a number of platforms and ideologies, and some of the more prominent ones are described below. Please note that the candidates mentioned below are only a selection of third party and independent candidates running for president. Information on some of the more obscure candidates can be found online.
Barack Obama is not the only African-American in this year's election, nor is Sarah Palin the only woman. The Green Party has nominated Cynthia McKinney, a black woman, to head its ticket. McKinney represented Georgia in congress as a Democrat. The Green Party's name is derived from its advocacy of pro-environment policies. In addition to environmentalism, the Green Party is a proponent of grass-roots democracy, meaning that political power should be wielded by ordinary citizens, not corporations or the wealthy. McKinney and the Greens also support social and economic justice, non-violence, and creating a more sustainable society.
Ralph Nader, a perennial presidential candidate, is running as an independent. Nader ran as a write-in candidate in 1992, a member of the Green Party in 1996 and 2000, and as an independent in 2004. The centerpiece of Nader's campaign is to end the "autocratic control" that large corporations hold over the political process. Similarly, he seeks to crack down on corporate crime and reform trade agreements, such as NAFTA and the World Trade Organization, that he feels benefit large corporations, while harming the interests of laborers, consumers, and environmentalists. Nader also champions the protection of civil liberties, healthcare reform, and sound environmental policy.
The Libertarian Party has nominated Bob Barr, a former Republican Congressman from Georgia. The platform of the Libertarian Party is centered on reducing the size and scope of the federal government; its main priority is to lower taxes by decreasing government spending. This includes withdrawing from Iraq as quickly as possible, and adopting a non-interventionist foreign policy. Barr and the Libertarians oppose government intervention in economic matters, as well as government intrusion into the lives of its constituents. Therefore, Barr opposes a government sponsored healthcare program, government surveillance and gun control. He is in favor of equality for minorities, and believes that the government should not have the power to dictate who can marry whom.
According to voter registration statistics, the Constitution Party is the third largest political party in the United States, behind only the Democrats and Republicans. The Constitution Party has selected Chuck Baldwin, a Baptist pastor, to vie for the presidency. The aim of the Constitution Party is to create a government that reflects our founding father's intentions, and exemplifies the ideas of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights.
Many people feel that voting for one of these candidates is "wasting" his or her vote. While these candidates stand little chance to win, the fact that they have thousands of supporters forces the mainstream parties to assess their own platforms and take the views of these factions into account.
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