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After the 2000 presidential election in which Ralph Nader garnered a whopping 2.7 percent of the popular vote, and as high as 10.1 percent of a state's popular vote in Alaska, Democrats were blasting the Green Party and Ralph Nader for the loss of Al Gore. They claim that Nader took enough votes away from would-be Gore supporters that Nader cost Gore the election.

Although, it wasn't that long ago that Ross Perot was getting 18.9 percent of the popular vote, and as high as 30.44 percent of a state's popular vote in Maine. Many Republicans believe that Perot acted as a spoiler to George H.W. Bush, casting the election to Bill Clinton.

Instead of griping about third parties picking up the disenfranchised voters, the two major political parties need to be working to attract those voters. They need to actually present a reason to vote for their candidate as opposed to against the opposing candidate.

Third parties have always played a peculiar role in American politics. For instance, the Prohibition party never had control of Congress nor did they ever occupy the White House, but they did manage to get the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution enacted. Unfortunately for them, after the passage of the 18th Amendment, the party faded into obscurity because its core platform was no longer an issue.

As another example, the Populist Party was formed in 1876 by a coalition of the Farmers' Alliance and the Knights of Labor. The party was formed after the collapse of agricultural prices in the wake of the Panic of 1873. Their major reforms centered in the opposition of the gold standard to help counter deflation in agricultural prices, direct election of Senators, and regulation and reform in national politics. They reached their peak strength in 1892 when they nominated James B. Weaver for president.

Ultimately James B. Weaver carried four states in the general election (Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, Kansas), and a few electoral votes from other states [see this pretty picture]. In 1896, the Democratic Party adopted many of the Populist Party's planks and the Populist Party declined in the national political scene.

Third parties serve the purpose of driving the two dominant political parties. Whether a third party can become one of the dominant players depends upon how fed up with the major parties people become. If unrest is sufficient, the third party could replace a major party as happened with the Republicans replacing the Whigs in the mid-1800s. Otherwise, the role of the third party is to tell the major parties where the citizenry is feeling disenfranchised.

After all, like five-time Socialist Party candidate for US president Eugene V. Debs said, "I'd rather vote for something and not get it than vote for something I don't want, and get it." For that reason, I am proud to have been one of 241 people to cast a write-in ballot for David Cobb during the 2004 presidential election in Illinois. I will only vote for whom I think ought to hold the office.