Quote from rew:
I was born a citizen. In case you haven't noticed this is a country where it is common for nearly half the eligible electorate not to vote in a Presidential election, and even fewer vote in the off cycle elections. Given the way the electoral college works I am unsurprised that many people don't bother to vote in the Presidential elections, since their vote is often made irrelevant. There are only two parties that matter, and they are the only ones that the press gives serious attention to. We have just one more party than the Communists had. Yet this is the country that claims the God given right to bomb other countries into democracy.
Born a citizen.
Ok, then you likely know we aren't a two-party system.
If enough people funded and voted for a 3rd party their candidate would be put on the ballot in the general election. That doesn't happen because not enough people support a 3rd party candidacy or percieve that a 3rd party candidate will just siphon votes and throw the election to one of the other two parties. Ralph Nader for instance.
In the 2000 presidential election in Florida, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by 537 votes. Nader received 97,421 votes, which led to claims that he was responsible for Gore's defeat.
What makes you think that wouldn't just occur again? I say that if Ron Paul ran as an independent he would simply siphon votes from the republican and hand the election to the democrat.
