The Suicidal History of Third Parties in America

Intentionally dividing your army into two distinct, warring factions would be unthinkable for a military commander. It is equally suicidal for a resurgent conservative movement. That is why talk of a third-party run is nonsensical and defeatist.

But don't trust me. Consider the history of third-party presidential candidates in America:

YEAR	PARTY	CANDIDATE	VOTE%	ELECTORAL	OUTCOME in Next Election
1832	Anti-Masonic	William Wirt	7.8	7	Endorsed Whig Candidate
1848	Free Soil	Martin Van Buren	10.1	0	5% of the vote, absorbed by GOP
1856	Whig-American	Millard Fillmore	21.5	8	Dissolved
1860	Southern Democrat	John C. Breckinridge	18.1	72	Dissolved
1860	Constitutional Union	John Bell	12.6	39	Dissolved
1892	Populist	James B. Weaver	8.5	22	Absorbed by Democratic Party
1912	Progressive	Teddy Roosevelt	27.5	88	Returned to Republican Party
1912	Socialist	Eugene V. Debbs	6.0	0	Won 3% of the vote
1924	Progressive	Robert M. LaFollette	16.6	13	Returned to Republican Party
1948	States' Rights	Strom Thurmond	2.4	39	Dissolved
1948	Progressive	Henry Wallace	2.4	0	Won 1.4% of the vote
1968	American Independent	George Wallace	13.5	46	Won 1.4% of the vote
1980	Independent	John Anderson	6.6	0	Dissolved
1992	Reform	H. Ross Perot	18.9	0	Won 8.4% of the vote
1996	Reform	H. Ross Perot	8.4	0	Did not run
2000	Reform	Ralph Nader	2.7	0	Ran Next election
2004	Green	Ralph Nader	1.0	0	--

The Republican Party must be the vessel for conservatism to succeed. Ronald Reagan ran as a GOP outsider and won two successive landslides.

Conservatives must primary pseudo-Republicans like Dede Scozzafuzza (whatever) and boot them out of the party. We must stand for limited government, national defense, free markets, legal immigration, fiscal prudence and -- most of all -- the Constitution as the founders intended it.

That is why talk of a third party run must be dismissed. Consider it a fool's errand -- or the surreptitious work of a Pelosi-Obama-Reid Democrat.


Hat tip: Mark Levin.