Reply #6: Too bad - a good opportunity for Nader to make an ass out of himself [View All]

[LTR]

I feel the field should be narrowed somewhat for debates. Many of those parties aren't really that serious.

The Libertarian Party, for example, has had every opportunity to become somewhat of a force, but they seem stuck in the minor leagues. Tough to get serious when your party is made up of pissed-off tavern owners.

The Reform Party (aka the Ross Perot independent movement) had the best shot. They started off rough, especially with Adm. James Stockdale's performance at the 1992 VP debates. Talk about embarrasing. They crumbled when Buchanan's gang hijacked the party and their sole major office holder, Jesse Ventura, went off on his own.

I applaud third parties, since, if they are effective enough, could help keep the major parties in check. But most of them put on half-assed performances and too often prefer to act as spoilers.