I think my history would show I split my vote between Democrats and Republicans over the years.  That said, I'm likely to join the Independent party soon.

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Until the Constitution is amended, your path to the white house starts by winning a plurality of the votes in one state.
Each of the two big parties unveils their candidates slowly in a way that gets all 50 states to see their candidates as legitimate, not a wasted vote.  
The good news is you don't have to follow that recipe.  
You can blow up that system!
Simply get the members of your party to pledge to support, not a libertarian candidate necessarily, but the Rep or Dem candidate that Libertarian party leadership tells them to support.
Then make it known that the libertarian party will support whoever is going to help blow up the electoral college system sufficiently to allow a third party to enter.  Watch major party candidates in close races line up to take that pledge.

Funny how other 3rd parties were able to come to power without promising the destruction of our federal election system...

The last time a "third party" came to power was 1860. That was a four-way race and only one of the four tried to win in every state.  None of them were on the ballot in all states.  The stark political differences that motivated Presidential candidates to not even try in half of the states corresponded to secession and civil war.  An unusual circumstance that no one should want to repeat.

Consider the closest third party candidates have gotten since: 1912, 1948, 1968, 1980, 1992... if it was likely to happen spontaneously it would have happened one of those five times.

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My fellow southpaw Mark Brunell will probably always be my favorite Jaguar.

Funny how other 3rd parties were able to come to power without promising the destruction of our federal election system...

The last time a "third party" came to power was 1860. That was a four-way race and only one of the four tried to win in every state.  None of them were on the ballot in all states.  The stark political differences that motivated Presidential candidates to not even try in half of the states corresponded to secession and civil war.  An unusual circumstance that no one should want to repeat.

Consider the closest third party candidates have gotten since: 1912, 1948, 1968, 1980, 1992... if it was likely to happen spontaneously it would have happened one of those five times.

Dude. I'll give you one thing. You're persistent.

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Funny how other 3rd parties were able to come to power without promising the destruction of our federal election system...

The last time a "third party" came to power was 1860. That was a four-way race and only one of the four tried to win in every state.  None of them were on the ballot in all states.  The stark political differences that motivated Presidential candidates to not even try in half of the states corresponded to secession and civil war.  An unusual circumstance that no one should want to repeat.

Consider the closest third party candidates have gotten since: 1912, 1948, 1968, 1980, 1992... if it was likely to happen spontaneously it would have happened one of those five times.

....  I need to find some breathing exercises...

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The last time a "third party" came to power was 1860. That was a four-way race and only one of the four tried to win in every state.  None of them were on the ballot in all states.  The stark political differences that motivated Presidential candidates to not even try in half of the states corresponded to secession and civil war.  An unusual circumstance that no one should want to repeat.

Consider the closest third party candidates have gotten since: 1912, 1948, 1968, 1980, 1992... if it was likely to happen spontaneously it would have happened one of those five times.

....  I need to find some breathing exercises...

There are a lot of questions on the GRE where they ask you to improve a sentence like that one.  I'm out of practice.  Have at it.

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The last time a "third party" came to power was 1860. That was a four-way race and only one of the four tried to win in every state.  None of them were on the ballot in all states.  The stark political differences that motivated Presidential candidates to not even try in half of the states corresponded to secession and civil war.  An unusual circumstance that no one should want to repeat.

Consider the closest third party candidates have gotten since: 1912, 1948, 1968, 1980, 1992... if it was likely to happen spontaneously it would have happened one of those five times.

Dude. I'll give you one thing. You're persistent.

So's he, unfortunately.

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My fellow southpaw Mark Brunell will probably always be my favorite Jaguar.

....  I need to find some breathing exercises...

There are a lot of questions on the GRE where they ask you to improve a sentence like that one.  I'm out of practice.  Have at it.

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Dude. I'll give you one thing. You're persistent.

So's he, unfortunately.

 It's like a dog whistle for ol' Mikey to come running to disagree.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Just curious. Do you vote straight party?

I do not. I vote people. I don't care what party the candidate is from ultimately.  I am registered as a republican, and I would say that I do lean that direction (70/30 ish), but I have on multiple occasions throughout my life voted a little more on the democrat majority side.

I always thought the the right people will work together, but the voters that vote one party makes it harder for those more worthy politicians to win in the partisan fight it has turned into ... It was never supposed to be this way.  We (voters) are the problem. If you vote a single party every time, you will often times vote in less qualified people to lead our country.  I hate the us versus them hate we have become ... I hate people that hate people.

If you were a GM building a football team, wouldn't you always draft the best player?

/soapbox

I'm a bit of a "political geek" when it comes to election time.  I research not only candidates, but also amendments on a ballot.

For the most part, these past two elections I voted pretty much down party lines (I am registered Republican), but party affiliation doesn't drive my choice.

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

I’m the kind of guy that assumes if you have a D next to your name you’re probably the devil. But I am pretty far right. Which I think that has something to do with it as well. If you’re far right or left, chances are the other one won’t get your vote regardless.

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Just curious. Do you vote straight party?

I do not. I vote people. I don't care what party the candidate is from ultimately.  I am registered as a republican, and I would say that I do lean that direction (70/30 ish), but I have on multiple occasions throughout my life voted a little more on the democrat majority side.

I always thought the the right people will work together, but the voters that vote one party makes it harder for those more worthy politicians to win in the partisan fight it has turned into ... It was never supposed to be this way.  We (voters) are the problem. If you vote a single party every time, you will often times vote in less qualified people to lead our country.  I hate the us versus them hate we have become ... I hate people that hate people.

If you were a GM building a football team, wouldn't you always draft the best player?

/soapbox

I'm a bit of a "political geek" when it comes to election time.  I research not only candidates, but also amendments on a ballot.

For the most part, these past two elections I voted pretty much down party lines (I am registered Republican), but party affiliation doesn't drive my choice.

I'm one of those idiots that work from 6 am to 6 pm at a polling station. No pay, all day. It's just that important to be involved (and hope to get it right). I started the thread wondering how much effort other voters put into getting it right (or as right as they can given their beliefs). Pleasantly, I have found there are those difference makers still taking the time to actually LEARN the person they are voting for ... not just pulling a blue or red lever without knowing where the candidate stands on the issues they deem important to them, and their family. Sometimes it all seems so futile, but sometimes it can still pay off. I have walked away from the polls feeling both good, and bad about possible outcomes ... But, I do try.

If I die tomorrow, and some day a guy named Mike Speedy is running for President ... Vote him in.

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