it's heating up

[Wojtek Sokolowski]

At 11:19 AM 10/25/00 -0400, Max wrote:
>There seem to have been two scenarios in U.S. history.
>Third parties stake out a position outside the mainstream
>and if it proves to be popular and well-promoted, it gets
>adopted by the mainstream, albeit in less than pristine
>form.  Thus much of the platforms of the Peoples' Party
>and the 1930's socialists found its way into the Democratic
>party and eventually into law.
>
>Alternatively, they begin with dissenting views but set out
>to have an ambiguous relationship with a larger party, in hopes
>of siphoning off support.  In the process, their ideas become
>ignored since their threat effect is minimal.  This strategy
>seems never to have worked, though I'd be happy to be
>contradicted.

These two strategies are not mutually exclusive and can be pursued
simultaneously.  For example, use strategy 1 where there is a real chance
of electing a thrid party candidate to office -  i.e. at a local or even
state level, but use strategy 2 in presidential elections.  

Getting a few Greens elected to county boards of supervisors or state
assemblies could have a much greater threatening effect to the status quo
than Nader's presidential campaign, which to anyone with a shred of brains
is hopeless from the start. 

wojtek