Teddy Roosevelt, Robert La Follette, George Wallace, John Anderson, Ross Perot, Ralph Nader, and Jill Stein. These are names that may not be widely recognized, but they have all run for president outside of the two-party system and ultimately lost.
Our Founding Fathers were aware of the dangers of party politics. They had seen how parties in Europe advanced their own interests and thus condemned “factions.”
In his farewell address, George Washington, the only president not affiliated with a political party, warned that parties “agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.” This warning became a reality on January 6, 2021, with the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Alexander Hamilton also believed parties were “the most fatal disease of popular governments,” and James Madison recognized the need for government to control the “violence of faction.”
Despite the criticisms of our Founding Fathers, the United States has been stuck with a two-party system of Democrats and Republicans since the 1860s. While many agree that this system is flawed, the real question is how to fix it.
History has shown that third parties, regardless of the candidate, are not the solution to the two-party problem. They simply cannot win. For example, Theodore Roosevelt formed the Bull Moose Party in 1912 after losing the Republican nomination, but Woodrow Wilson ultimately defeated him.
In other instances, third-party candidates like Robert La Follette in 1924, George Wallace in 1968, and John Anderson in 1980 received significant percentages of the vote but did not affect the final result. Ross Perot in 1992 had the most success as a third-party candidate, but his votes may have swung the election in favor of Bill Clinton.
Jill Stein of the Green Party did poorly in 2016, but without her on the ballot, Hillary Clinton could have won in key states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The 2000 election was also impacted by a third-party candidate, Ralph Nader, who received a small portion of the vote in Florida, potentially giving the presidency to George W. Bush.
Despite these examples, no third-party candidate has come close to winning, including Teddy Roosevelt.
Yet, the Green Party and the No Labels Party are still attempting to enter the political arena. Given the reality of the electoral system, their presence is difficult to justify.
Of particular concern is the No Labels Party, which includes former Republican governors and senators. However, their presence could potentially deny Joe Biden the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the presidency, resulting in a Republican-controlled House of Representatives handing the victory to Donald Trump.
While those affiliated with No Labels have served honorably, their continued involvement in politics may be driven by a desire to remain “relevant” rather than for the benefit of the country.
Ideally, it would be better for the Republican Party to address its current issues and return to its roots, providing a reasonable choice within the existing two-party system. However, a third-party candidate is not a viable alternative.
In a close election, a third-party effort can only serve as a spoiler and cannot win. In 2024, such an attempt may result in Trump winning, an outcome that our Founding Fathers could not have predicted.
Roger H. Hull is president emeritus of Union College.
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