Third Parties Through History
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JoeUser Forums
Before I start this, I want to correct a piece of errata in my earlier post. I mixed up an important fact without the stats in front of me. It was Norman Thomas, not Debs who ran against FDR in 1932, but I still feel his showing influenced the Democratic party's platform.
Anyway, in defense of third party support, I decided to dig back through presidential elections and come up with some 3rd party numbers to show that third parties can and do make a difference. The missing election years are years when the 3rd party was either a nonfactor, or there isn't enough data available to make a fair historical analysis:
*In 2002, George W. Bush defeated AL Gore, with Ralph Nader posting 2.2% of the popular vote.
*In 1996, Bill Clinton defeated Bob Dole, with Ross Perot posting 8.4% of the vote, and 1.8% of the vote going to "other".
*In 1992, Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush, with Ross Perot posting 18.9% of the vote, and 0.6% of the vote going to "other".
*In 1980, Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter, with John Anderson posting 6.6% of the vote, Ed Clark posting 1.1% of the vote, and 0.6% of the vote going to "other".
*In 1968, Richard Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey. George Wallace secured 12.9% of the vote, with 1.3% going to "other".
*in 1960, John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon in one of the closest elections ever. This makes Henry Bird's .2% and the .6% that went to other quite potentially the deciding votes that gave Kennedy the election.
*In 1948, Truman defeated Dewey. Strom Thurmond won 2.4% of the vote, Henry Wallace won 2.4% of the vote, while .6% voted for "other".
*In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover, Norman Thomas won 2.2% of the vote, while "other" secured .7% of the vote.
*In 1924, Calvin Coolidge defeated John W. Davis. Robert LaFollette won 16.6% of the vote; with .5% going to "other".
*In 1920, Warren Harding defeated James Middleton Cox. Eugene Debs won 3.4% of the vote; 1.8% committed to "other".
*In 1912, Woodrow Wilson defeated William Howard Taft. Theodore Roosevelt won 27.6% of the vote, more than Taft. Eugene Debs won 6.0% of the vote, Eugene Chafin won 1.4% of the vote, while "other" won 0.2% of the vote.
*In 1908, William Howard Taft defeated William Jennings Bryan. Eugene Debs won 2.8% of the vote, Eugene Chaflin won 1.7%, "other" won 0.8%
*In 1904, Theodore Roosevelt defeated Alan Parker. Eugene Debs won 3.0% of the vote, Silas Comfort Swallow won 1.9%, and "other" won 1.1%.
*In 1892, Grover Cleveland defeated Benjamin Harrison. James Baird Weaver garnered 8.6% of the vote, John Bidwell gained 2.2%, "other" gained 0.2%.
*in 1888, Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland. Clinton Bowen Fisk won 2.2% of the vote, while Alson Jennes Streeter garnered 1.3%.
*In 1884, Grover Cleveland defeated James Gillespie Blane. Benjamin Franklin Butler won 1.7% of the vote, John Pierce St. John won 1.5%
*In 1880, James Garfield defeated Winfield Scott Hancock (by 0.1%). James Baird Weaver won 3.3% of the vote, while "other" walked away with 0.1%.
*In 1860, third party candidate Abraham Lincoln won the presidency with 39.9% of the vote over John C. Breckenridge (18.1%), John Bell (12.6%), and Stephen Douglas (29.4%).
*In 1856, James Buchanan defeated John C. Fremont, wih Millard Fillmore capturing 21.6% of the vote.
*In 1852, Franklin Pierce defeated Winfield Scott, with John Parker Hale (Free Soil Party) capturing 10.1% of the vote.
*In 1848, Zachary Taylor defeated Lewis Cass, with Martin van Buren (Free Soil) capturing 10.1% of the vote, and Gerrit Smith capturing 7.1% of the vote.
*Analysis: If you support a third party unapologetically, do not consider your vote a wasted vote. Although a third party candidate has only obtained the presidency once in history (Lincoln), history shows a number of times when third parties may have helped influence the election and certainly helped reshape the platforms of the major parties.
respectfully submitted,
Gideon MacLeish
Anyway, in defense of third party support, I decided to dig back through presidential elections and come up with some 3rd party numbers to show that third parties can and do make a difference. The missing election years are years when the 3rd party was either a nonfactor, or there isn't enough data available to make a fair historical analysis:
*In 2002, George W. Bush defeated AL Gore, with Ralph Nader posting 2.2% of the popular vote.
*In 1996, Bill Clinton defeated Bob Dole, with Ross Perot posting 8.4% of the vote, and 1.8% of the vote going to "other".
*In 1992, Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush, with Ross Perot posting 18.9% of the vote, and 0.6% of the vote going to "other".
*In 1980, Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter, with John Anderson posting 6.6% of the vote, Ed Clark posting 1.1% of the vote, and 0.6% of the vote going to "other".
*In 1968, Richard Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey. George Wallace secured 12.9% of the vote, with 1.3% going to "other".
*in 1960, John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon in one of the closest elections ever. This makes Henry Bird's .2% and the .6% that went to other quite potentially the deciding votes that gave Kennedy the election.
*In 1948, Truman defeated Dewey. Strom Thurmond won 2.4% of the vote, Henry Wallace won 2.4% of the vote, while .6% voted for "other".
*In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover, Norman Thomas won 2.2% of the vote, while "other" secured .7% of the vote.
*In 1924, Calvin Coolidge defeated John W. Davis. Robert LaFollette won 16.6% of the vote; with .5% going to "other".
*In 1920, Warren Harding defeated James Middleton Cox. Eugene Debs won 3.4% of the vote; 1.8% committed to "other".
*In 1912, Woodrow Wilson defeated William Howard Taft. Theodore Roosevelt won 27.6% of the vote, more than Taft. Eugene Debs won 6.0% of the vote, Eugene Chafin won 1.4% of the vote, while "other" won 0.2% of the vote.
*In 1908, William Howard Taft defeated William Jennings Bryan. Eugene Debs won 2.8% of the vote, Eugene Chaflin won 1.7%, "other" won 0.8%
*In 1904, Theodore Roosevelt defeated Alan Parker. Eugene Debs won 3.0% of the vote, Silas Comfort Swallow won 1.9%, and "other" won 1.1%.
*In 1892, Grover Cleveland defeated Benjamin Harrison. James Baird Weaver garnered 8.6% of the vote, John Bidwell gained 2.2%, "other" gained 0.2%.
*in 1888, Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland. Clinton Bowen Fisk won 2.2% of the vote, while Alson Jennes Streeter garnered 1.3%.
*In 1884, Grover Cleveland defeated James Gillespie Blane. Benjamin Franklin Butler won 1.7% of the vote, John Pierce St. John won 1.5%
*In 1880, James Garfield defeated Winfield Scott Hancock (by 0.1%). James Baird Weaver won 3.3% of the vote, while "other" walked away with 0.1%.
*In 1860, third party candidate Abraham Lincoln won the presidency with 39.9% of the vote over John C. Breckenridge (18.1%), John Bell (12.6%), and Stephen Douglas (29.4%).
*In 1856, James Buchanan defeated John C. Fremont, wih Millard Fillmore capturing 21.6% of the vote.
*In 1852, Franklin Pierce defeated Winfield Scott, with John Parker Hale (Free Soil Party) capturing 10.1% of the vote.
*In 1848, Zachary Taylor defeated Lewis Cass, with Martin van Buren (Free Soil) capturing 10.1% of the vote, and Gerrit Smith capturing 7.1% of the vote.
*Analysis: If you support a third party unapologetically, do not consider your vote a wasted vote. Although a third party candidate has only obtained the presidency once in history (Lincoln), history shows a number of times when third parties may have helped influence the election and certainly helped reshape the platforms of the major parties.
respectfully submitted,
Gideon MacLeish
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