March 5, 2007
by Steve Hammons

Time for independent and third-party candidates to emerge, transcend and unite?

As the 2008 elections draw nearer, many citizens are looking with grave skepticism at both major parties.

Maybe it is now time for legitimate independent, centrist and third-party candidates to provide options to polarized politics, corrupt special interests and lobbyists, and some of the worst elements of American society that have infiltrated our government.

Is now the time for independent and common-sense third-party candidates to emerge? Or, would they do more harm than good, as we have seen in the past?

For example, in past presidential elections, Ross Perot and Ralph Nader appeared on the scene as third-party candidates. Although they had support from many people who felt the Republicans and Democrats were distasteful choices, Perot and Nader didn't have a reasonable chance to win. However, they did affect the elections in ways that some people viewed as unfortunate.

Yet, don't forget the lesson of Jesse Ventura's election as governor in Minnesota. Many Minnesotans did not want the Republican and Democrat professional politicians who also ran, with their traditional positions, backers and fund-raising machines.

Many Minnesotans wanted a straight-talking former Navy SEAL like Ventura and he was elected.

In the recent election, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman took a somewhat similar course, though he was thoroughly involved with traditional party politics of both parties and many special interest groups. In fact, some people might feel Lieberman gives third-party, centrist and independent candidates a bad name.

THIRD WAY

Still, solid leaders are needed for new independent and third-party efforts. Maybe honorable people who transcend the traditional political parties would have the support of Americans who are fed-up with the Democrats and Republicans and want an honorable and ethical "third way" or some kind of "center path."

Why? Because, to understate the case, neither the Democratic Party nor Republican Party seem to be serving the people of the United States as well as they could.

Many of the domestic and foreign policies espoused and implemented by politicians from both parties sometimes seem counterproductive, destructive and even immoral. Many Americans are fed up with both parties at the local, state and national levels.

Are there honorable, brave and intelligent women and men out there who can run as independents or under the banner of centrist-oriented or other reasonable third parties? There must be.

If they were to step forward, how much support would they receive from American voters?

Maybe it is now time for a substantial third party because both existing major parties seem to be run by people with their own rigid and sometimes extreme and polarized agendas and values - agendas and values that do not necessarily represent the views of mainstream Americans.

This polarization seems to have taken place on many issues. Two polarized views on many social, economic, psychological, moral and other issues split the discussion and rob the centrist middle ground, where most Americans stand.

And, the Democrats and Republicans don't seem to always be able to put forward the best candidates for public office, including for the offices of president and vice-president of the United States. Again, I may understate the situation.

LUCRATIVE LIVING IN WASHINGTON

There are good, decent and honorable people who serve in office as Democrats and Republicans. Likewise, party members and independent citizens who vote for certain candidates of the two major parties are good and honorable people.

Yet, we can point to many officeholders, career politicians and people behind the scenes to see that there is a dark side to both major parties. There seems to be financial corruption, political corruption, even moral and spiritual corruption in both parties.

Both parties are full of professional politicians who make a lucrative living and even a killing (sometimes literally when it comes to war and other issues). These politicians benefit financially and in terms of power from playing the games of Washington and doing favors for special interests in exchange for large campaign contributions.

Many of these politicians from both parties seem nearly "bought and paid for" by special interests such as large multinational corporations, war profiteers, neoconservative war mongers and even lobbying groups of foreign governments and others who need favors.

Some take huge bribes. Others remain just outside the boundary of illegality and take elaborate precautions to launder funds coming their way. This can happen at the federal and local levels.

These politicians sometimes see to it that their friends, cronies, families and associates get government jobs as well as jobs in companies doing business with the government.

It's all very profitable. All very cozy.

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Sometimes the politicians in Washington and in local government look so much the same we can't tell the difference: equally beholden to special interests, equally willing to spread disinformation and confusion.

At other times, they seem unreasonably polarized, taking extreme opposite views, neither of which may make much sense to the average American.

Citizens rightly give Congress very low ratings in public opinion polls. Dare we say it? Our government and both parties often seem inept and corrupt.

A CENTRIST PLATFORM

What might independent and centrist third-party candidates look like? What policies would they promote to affect the problems we face? How could they bring Americans together instead of playing the people against one another?

Maybe a reasonable centrist platform would look something like this:

National Defense: Maintain a robust military that is adequate for the defense of the U.S. Maintain a reasonable presence around the world without seeking dominance and empire. Attempt to truly create peace, not just mouth the words while creating war. Spend on weapons systems that make sense, not just to increase profits of companies making campaign contributions. Cease unilateral attacks, invasions and occupations of other countries.

Diplomacy: Reach out to our allies, who have become so disillusioned about the U.S. over the past few years. Negotiate where possible with opponents to understand their positions and grievances. Engage the international community with a sense of honor and integrity rather than deception, intimidation and conquest.

Intelligence: Continue an active intelligence-gathering capability which is crucial for sound decision-making to protect the U.S. and to create peace. Discontinue torture and offshore prisons.

Economic Fairness: Take steps to increase the earning power of the middle class and expand the middle class. Develop international trade agreements in ways that do not unduly harm Americans. Provide incentives for companies to do business within the U.S. instead of going off-shore and outsourcing.

Health and Medicine: Craft some kind of health care safety net for all Americans. Work out the best way to structure it and pay for it. Continue to strongly emphasize preventive health and wellness, fitness, safety and accident prevention, and other efforts for children, teens and adults that reduce the need for unnecessary health care expenditures.

Environment: Return to the values of conservation of our natural resources. Recognize that climate change is becoming a very serious problem and take steps to remedy the situation. Increase clean air and clean water efforts. Clean up toxic sites.

Education and Youth Services: Review elementary and high school curriculum for relevance. Today's high school students often drop out because they find no value in what is being taught. Increase apprenticeship and training programs and develop other innovative programs that keep students in school, provide valuable experiences and keep them out of trouble.

Crime and Prisons: Review the immense mandatory prison sentences, especially for non-violent offenses, which have dramatically increased the incarceration rate in the U.S. These laws have made us into the nation that imprisons the highest percentage of its citizens in the world, at huge social and financial costs.

We could also imagine centrist and common-sense ideas for science and technology research, agriculture, social programs and other areas from candidates for federal and local offices.

PATRIOTS UNITE

Again, although we see honorable and intelligent people from both major parties serving in all levels of government, we also see those politicians in both parties whose self-serving agenda is transparent.

Neither side holds the exclusive claim to morality, honor, intelligent thought, courage and working in the best interests of local citizens and the American people.

While some Americans are not ready to give up on their party, their "team," there may also be a growing willingness to consider independent and centrist third-party candidates.

The desire to "kick out the bums" in power may extend to many politicians of various stripes. The awareness that the entire political system needs some kind of significant reform is dawning on many Americans.

Can it be reformed by those in the established and entrenched major political parties and their cronies who are bellying up to the hog trough of the U.S. Treasury in Washington or their local political and governmental system? Maybe, maybe not.

What then are the tactics and strategies to reform these systems?

It is up to citizens at the grassroots of our country as well as good leaders to decide if independent and third-party candidates can be viable and can create solutions.

If the answer is yes, recruit candidates and do what is necessary to get them in front of the public. Then the voters can decide.

And maybe new third-party and independent candidates and many Americans can find a center path. The center path, avoiding extremes on all poles of thought and behavior, can be a good path, whether in politics or the many other aspects of our lives.

Finding and following the middle ground can be transcendent. That is, we can rise above the extremes, often preached by poor leaders and those who support them. We can then arrive at a more unified and healthy place, as a society and as individuals.

This idea applies not just to American society, but to other cultures in our world and has universal applications for all people.

So, third-party and independent candidates in American politics are more than just business as usual. They might be a step away from foolish polarization of consciousness. And this might be a step toward a more unified kind of social development in the U.S., and maybe elsewhere around the world.

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Steve Hammons [send him email] has worked as a journalist, editor, counselor, juvenile probation peace officer, public safety urgent-response specialist, teacher, instructor and US Government researcher. He graduated from Ohio University with studies in communications/journalism, health education/psychology and pre-law. Hammons's two novels, Mission into Light and Light's Hand, tell the story of a US joint-service military and intelligence research team investigating emerging special topics. Visit the novels' home page at: www.navyseals.com/community/members/ohio52