[Lnc-business] FW: Time magazine: Revenge of Third Parties

[Scott L.]

Former LNC Regional Representative Dianna Visek called this article to my
attention.

 

   Scott Lieberman

 

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFf

 

"This article appears on page 11 of the Aug. 18, 2014 issue of Time
magazine.  In the print version there's a map showing eleven states with
"Senate Spoilers":  

 

Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado,  Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, N.
Carolina, S. Dakota, Virginia, W. Virginia.

 

  Dianna"

______________________________

      


This Election Season, Revenge of the Thirds
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Extra-party politicians heat up the race for 2014


For most of the modern era, third-party candidates have acted like the crazy
uncles of American politics: fun to watch but rarely relevant. But in the
past four years, the outcomes of four Senate races have been jumbled by
outsiders, and this year is set to deliver even more disruption.

Ten of the 12 Senate seats with the potential to swing in November have
drawn third-party challengers. Nine of those races have Libertarian Party
candidates who are likely to pull votes from Republicans. That's hardly news
for Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, who is hoping his party can take
six seats and regain control of the Senate, but who may have to contend with
a Libertarian challenger of his own in Kentucky's general election.

The question now is how much of a difference third-party hopefuls will make
in the outcome of the fall contests. In the razor-thin race in Georgia,
outside candidates like Libertarian Amanda Swafford, a paralegal and former
city councilwoman who started her own newspaper, have drawn up to 7% of the
vote in early polls. In North Carolina, Libertarian Sean Haugh, a pizza
deliveryman, has rated in the high single digits in early polls, far more
than the gap separating the two major-party candidates there.

The Libertarian boom grows out of Tea Party estrangement from Establishment
Republicans and should, at the margins, benefit Democratic candidates. But
even the most strident antigovernment candidates may draw some Democratic
votes this year.

The volatile mix of angry voters and long ballots might even delay the
election's outcome. In Louisiana's free-for-all contest, two outside
candidates look likely to deprive the two main hopefuls, Democrat Mary
Landrieu and Republican Bill Cassidy, of an outright win of 50% of the vote,
forcing a runoff scheduled for Dec. 6. If control of the Senate hangs on
that race, the nation will have to wait until then to learn who rules the
chamber.

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