Although the United States has traditionally been a two parties system, there are other forces such as the Libertarian Party and the Green Party who try to add their voices and represent the interests of millions of US citizens. However, these parties work with some handicap in the strictly divided US political system, one being the amount of money that the two bigger parties have at their disposal and the other focusing on the air time that media gives to alternative voices.

There have been third parties candidates in the past who were able to face these problems and gain a significant number of votes at elections. Examples of politicians who challenged the Democratic and Republican hegemony are right wing Ross Perot who in 1992 received 19% of the voters trust, or activist Ralph Nadar who obtained an important number of votes specially in the 2000 election, gaining 2,7% of the American vote.

One of the parties working on the edge of the political system is the Green Party, which on July 14 chose Jill Stein as their candidate for the Presidential elections. The decision was made at their national convention that took place during the weekend of July 14-15 in Baltimore, Maryland. Physician Jill Stein was picked over the other candidate, actress Roseanne Barr, who did not attend the convention. During the convention weekend, where approximately 290 delegates from 34 states participated, the party confirmed that they will campaign in at least 45 of the 50 states.

During the weekend in July, Stein attacked both the Democratic and Republican party, accusing them of following lobbyists’ guidelines instead of listening to citizens’ demands: “We need real public servants who listen to the people, not to the corporate lobbyists that funnel campaign checks into the big war chests.”

“That’s what brought me to the Green Party, the only national party that is not bought and paid for by corporate money,” Stein told their supporters in Baltimore.

The Green Party electoral program proposed policy ideas which they admit may seem unreachable. They are however convinced that it is possible to offer a universal health care system, free tuition for college access and debt forgiveness for students, and a moratorium on all housing foreclosure.

Jill Stein’s vice president candidate will be Cheri Honkala, a single mother, age 49, who was homeless at one point in her life and is now the coordinator of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights national movement.

The Green Party is hoping to get an important amount of votes, especially due to the Occupy Movement boom which favors some of the political ideas that the party advocates.

Image Courtesy of   Jill Stein

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The economic crisis batters a great part of the world. Countries that used to live the “American dream” now witness how the extensive wave of revelry and happiness has come to an end. Spain is one of the many countries that lived above their possibilities. The Spanish downturn has given rise to an excessive increase of unemployment and has been the perfect excuse for politicians to pull out their scissors and begin cutting public spending from their welfare state.

The Spanish people, who watch how the youth unemployment is more than 50 percent, have not taken long to point their fingers at the politicians. Spanish citizens accuse politicians of being responsible for the country’s irreversible state, which they believe is inevitable as a result of the electoral system, where only two teams play.

It is quite the opposite in the United States. Criticisms about the political ‘duel’ have not yet arrived. As a matter of fact, some citizens are proud of it. They say that in the United States, presidential elections gather the many political and social aspects that characterize this country. However, critics against the electoral system, such as Occupy Wall Street, have indeed begun to be heard and could amplify if the situation worsens.

Since George Washington set the foundations, the United States has visibly favored a two-party system, made up of two blocks in Congress. Supporters of this system see it as a way to preserve the democratic health of the country. Perhaps they may be right, but it is also true that reducing the possibilities to solely black and white might not be the best example of a democracy.

It is inarguable that in the elections more than two candidates are represented. However, these dissidents are hardly given any voice in comparison to the two giants. As if that were not enough, their campaigns seem ridiculous when judged against the big parties’ greatly funded campaigns.

In previous elections, most of the media hardly had any say about third party candidates, such as McKinney, who was parliamentary of the United States for many years, or Nader, the activist who presented himself as independent and who ended up being attacked about his credibility and pride.

The media should try to balance the budgetary instability of the current plutocratic regime and avoid instructing anyone with phrases like, “Voting for a candidate that is not a Democrat or Republican is a waste of your vote.” Let us remember that democracy is not a political calculation, but simply a way of expressing one’s support for a leader. Journalists, who are guarantors of freedom, should attempt to treat all parties fairly.

Image Courtesy of  Pete Souza (Source; Story) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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