[Aerich]

On the topic of third/fringe parties, sometimes it's good to vote for them. As has been said before, if you want to make a statement with your vote, a fringe party/candidate is a nice option.

In four elections (two federal and two provincial), I've voted for candidates for four different parties. Twice I wished to make a statement (as the results were not really in doubt) and twice I voted for major parties because they had a fighting chance against different parties that I did not want elected.

Here in Canada, there is another good reason to vote for a fringe party, but I'm not sure it works this way in the States. If a party gets a certain percentage of the overall vote (I think it's 5%), they get some federal funding as an official party. That funding allows them to run more candidates and raise their public profile in other ways. That 5% of the vote is an important stepping stone for a fringe party to become a viable option.

Edit: In our most recent (June 30, 2004) election, the Green Party achieved the percentage it needed to get that funding.

[ 08-04-2004, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: Aerich ]