Go on the Americans Elect website and their slogan comes up: "Pick a President, not a party." O.K., but who? They say the candidate will come later. Next June, to be precise, when Americans Elect will hold the first-ever Internet primary open to all registered voters.
That's putting the cart before the horse. What defines a third-party is the candidate. He or she draws the voters. You need a Theodore Roosevelt or a George Wallace or a John Anderson or a Ralph Nader or a Ross Perot.
A third-party also needs a cause. Does Americans Elect have a cause? Yes. They insist that their nominee embrace "centrism." That's not a bad cause. Millions of voters are fed up with the bitter division in American politics. Especially after witnessing the disgraceful spectacle of Democrats and Republicans trying to hammer out a deficit deal this year.
Americans Elect: The False Promise of a Third-Party Candidacy
