Election Spoilers Explained

Name Recognition Isn’t Everything

Our democracy has always allowed candidates outside of the two-party system to run for president. It’s a complicated and costly proposition for third-party candidates who must successfully petition voters in each state in order to get onto the state’s ballot. Due to a patchwork of different state laws nationwide, the purposely arduous process was created to avoid voter confusion from having too many third-parties participating.

By definition, third-party candidates are underdogs. Whether populists, fascists, independents, libertarians, zealots or charlatans, they get to throw their hats in the ring if they can raise the money, build a supportive coalition, form a party platform and get on those state ballots – all the while knowing that they won’t have the firepower to actually win the election. Little wonder that they’re called spoilers.

To date, the most votes ever garnered by a non-major party candidate was in 1992 when Texas industrialist Ross Perot ran against Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. He won 18.91% of the votes and never ran again. Consumer champion Ralph Nader and environmentalist and physician Jill Stein both ran as third-party candidates four times. Some analysts believed Nader prevented Al Gore from becoming president in 2000, but as you may remember that election was also riddled with other serious problems like “hanging chads” and discarded mail-in ballots. The fate of that election eventually fell to the U.S. Supreme Court, which made George W. Bush president in a 5-4 decision.

The most votes ever won by Nader was 2.74%; Stein’s zenith was 1.07%. In the end, spoilers capture few hearts and minds but achieve their primary goal: To obtain some national exposure on the issues they care about most. This election cycle we have a vehement anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., vying for votes against a sitting and former president. Naturally, his iconic family history was his calling card, but despite the attention that initially brought, many expected him to lose steam fast.

Since St. Patrick’s Day, Kennedy has had to live with the public evidence of his family’s all-encompassing support for President Biden.

On April 18, 15 Kennedy family members voiced their opinions that RFK Jr. is out of his depth, unqualified for the job and should exit the political stage. “His candidacy poses a threat to the country that I love and the values that I hold,” said nephew, former Rep. Joseph Kennedy III.

As you ponder the fact that democracy is under threat in US, be sure you cast your vote for the candidates most likely to preserve it rather than threaten or risk it.

Post submitted by Barbara Holzer, a volunteer with The Union

Note: The views and opinions expressed by volunteer contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Union, a single-issue organization that welcomes all and is dedicated to protecting democracy.

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