A Third Party Illegal Immigration Challenge?

A Third Party Illegal Immigration Challenge?

Rasmussen polling put out these eye catching numbers on Thursday:
The survey also asked respondents how they would vote if "a third party candidate ran in 2008 and promised to build a barrier along the Mexican border and make enforcement of immigration law his top priority."

With that option, support fell sharply for both major parties. The Democrats still come out on top with support from 31% of Americans. The third party candidate moved into a virtual tie at 30% while the GOP fell to 21%.

This result probably reflects unhappiness with both parties on the immigration issue rather than a true opportunity for a third party. Historically, issues that drive third party candidates get co-opted by one of the major parties as they demonstrate popular appeal. Most Americans favor a barrier along the border and enforcement of existing law prior to other reforms.

With the immigration issue candidate as an option, 36% of conservative voters opt for the Republican candidate while 35% take the third party option. Among political moderates, 34% pick the Democrat while 32% prefer the third party option.

On Saturday, this news about Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the Minutemen Project came out:

"Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, is considering a run for president in 2008 representing the Constitution Party.
Gilchrist has just returned from Florida where he met with the party's national committee.

Chairman James Clymer told WorldNetDaily the party was excited about the possibility of Gilchrist as its marquis candidate.

"Yes, indeed, we are interested," Clymer said. "Gilchrist spoke to us last weekend in Tampa and our people asked Jim then if he would be the candidate. We think it would be wonderful if Jim Gilchrist would seriously consider being our presidential candidate."

Gilchrist told WND the only candidate he would support as the Republican Party presidential nominee in 2008 was Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.

"If John McCain enters the race for president," Gilchrist said. "I will definitely run. John McCain should have forfeited his right to run for president on the Republican Party the moment he put his name on immigration legislation with Sen. Ted Kennedy."

Gilchrist and the Constitution Party both agree on the need to secure the southern border with Mexico. Commenting on the street demonstrations planned for tomorrow, Gilchrist said they are nothing more than "a declaration that we are no longer a nation governed by the rule of law, but that we are being ruled by mob rule."

Asked whether he felt President Bush's "guest worker" program or the administration's "pathway to citizenship" were reasonable compromises, Gilchrist reacted sharply: "The Republican Party is going to pay a huge price for pandering to what they think is going to be an illegal-alien vote and for their reckless disregard for the rule of law. The Republican Party has sold out our sovereignty."

Gilchrist told WND that he thought his third-party candidacy could be viable, noting "the country is ready for a third-party candidate, just like the country was ready for Ross Perot in 1992."

Sigh.

First of all, a third-party candidacy isn't really "viable" and even if it were, Gilchrist wouldn't be the one to lead it as evidenced by his 2005 loss in a run for Congress. The work he has done with the Minutemen Project has been fantastic and much appreciated and moreover, we share a lot of the same views about illegal immigration. However, no one can ride the illegal immigration issue alone to the presidency. Tom Tancredo, who has talked about running for President, has acknowledged as much and has said he may run to focus attention on the issue, not because he believes he can win.

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I strongly disagree with the author of this piece. Once upon a time the Republican Party was a 3rd party and it did not take them long to win the White House and Congress. The Republican Party started out as a one or two issue party. The Republican Party held the majority of the anti-slavery people and by 1860 were in affect the Abolitionist Party as well as the Republican Party.

Both of the major political parties in the US today no longer represent the American people. Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are firmly in the grasp of the multi-national corporations and their trillions of dollars. We need a clean sweep from the White House right through Congress as we remove every Republican and Democrat from office. Both party's have had chance after chance to set things right in this nation and they have squandered every chance. I say the time for change is here!