Between two evils, choose neither; between two goods, choose both.
~Tryon Edwards

This election, like the two before it, has been described by many as a choice between the lesser of two evils. This statement is predicated upon the existence of a two-party system. The fallacy of the two party system has been perpetuated by the corporate sponsored media for years, and the electorate has been fed two “choices” for the office of president for the past twenty-five presidential elections. In fact, the last time we had a third-party candidate win even one electoral college vote was in 1968 when the pro-segregationist George Wallace won five deep south states, and one electoral vote from North Carolina.

I’ll come right out and say it, this is a bold faced lie. In the 2008 election, there are six potential candidates on enough ballots in the nation to win the 270 electoral college votes it takes to win the election and become the next president of the United States. (That’s not counting the ability to write-in candidates.) Of those six candidates, only two were invited to the three presidential presidential debates. Why, might you ask? Well the group responsible for the presidential debates, as we see them today, is called the Commission on Presidential Debates. The group was formed in 1987 by both the Democratic and Republican parties to establish the way presidential debates would be run.

The CPD’s rules stipulate that only candidates who garner 15% or more of the public’s support in five national polls will be invited to the debates. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that this rule, as written, keeps several viable presidential candidates from participating in even the earliest debate. As a result, the CPD creates a self-perpetuating news cycle virtually assuring the inability of any third-party candidate to receive any significant national news coverage, and keeping those candidates from reaching the American public at large.

Without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to the four presidential candidates that have the mathematical possibility of winning tomorrow’s election, but have been blacked out by the national media to the point that there is virtually zero probability of any of them getting even a single electoral college vote:

• Chuck Baldwin / Darrell Castle – Constitution Party
• Bob Barr / Wayn Allin Root – Libertarian Party*
• Cynthia McKinney / Rosa Clemente – Green Party
• Ralph Nader / Matt Gonzales – Independent

*for those of you in the state of North Carolina like myself, the only candidate besides the two front-runners that will be on your ballot is Bob Barr. You will need to write-in any of the other three possibilities.*

You’ve also probably heard the main party dogma of “throwing your vote away.” (ie: if you vote third-party, you might as well stay home tomorrow.) If you look at the poll numbers, and the statistics this argument holds some weight. However, by perpetuating these two parties as the only realistic choices for president, we set the American public up for a dismal political future consisting of back to back “lesser of two evils” elections until Kingdom Come! If you’re in this category (the I’m voting for *insert corporate sponsored candidate here* because I can’t risk *insert other corporate sponsored candidate here* becoming president, category) then please indulge me for a moment.

Regardless of which of these two main parties you’re leaning towards, you’ve probably voted for this same party before… Take a look at the results of those past presidencies, and ask yourself how many of the campaign promises these politicians have actually accomplished. Better yet, how many of those promises did your president even attempt?

It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.
~Jean-Baptiste Poquelin

Whether the key issues in this campaign for you are the Iraq War, Abortion, Civil Liberties, the Economy, Gay Marriage, or any number of other issues… I urge you, plead with you: Hold these politicians accountable. Beginning January 20th of 2009, keep track of the promises kept and broken by the new president, and hold that respective party accountable in 2012. The longer that the two party system continues in this country, the longer we will face the false choice of Democrat or Republican, and the sooner this great nation will meet its end.

The media and lobbyist groups would have you believe that you have the choice between baby-killers and warmongers, between big government and bigger government, economic freedom and personal freedom, right and left; but we can choose neither. We can choose the best of both, and the worst of neither. The fight for the office of the president of the United States in 2012 begins in January, and the Democrats and Republicans who are in power should have to fight tooth and nail for the opportunity to compete for your vote. Make them.