Is There a Third Party Candidate Out There

Every four years as the candidates solidify for the general election we start to hear murmurs of third party candidates. This year is remarkable in that this does not seem to be the case.

Of course with countless Republicans running in the primary perhaps the field has not shaken out enough for this to become an option. Still it appears that a strong independent candidate could certainly be a factor in the election.

The problem is of course that at this point a third party candidate would be a blessing to the presumed Republican candidate Mitt Romney. A third party candidate from the left could doom Obama and it just seems unlikely that a candidate from the right would hold any traction. This is because Republicans seem to have more discipline in matters Presidential. It is also seems that energy seems to come more to the party out of power.

Still it is fun to think about who could run. Could the Wall Street protests have any long term effect on the coming election. Could a populist from the left succeed. I was putting Joe Scarborough through the Google machine and noted that about a year ago he was taken as a serious candidate for President. It seems that he does not have the desire to do so at this time. It also is clear that he could not get through a Republican primary but as independent candidate I think he could hold the center very well. I think Independents and moderates from both sides would consider him. He could raise money easily. It may be that he is four years away and he might like his job now too much but this is a man one could get behind.

Businessman running for office claiming we need to run the country like a business will never get my vote and it these days of income quality and unemployment I do not know how a businessman can win. I think this could hurt Romney. A picture just surfaced of him and his Bain Capital buddies posing with money coming out of their clothes. Not a good picture for him in these times.

We are ripe for a four candidate election with both independent candidates from the left and the right. Where they come from, where they sit on the political spectrum might well determine who our next President will be.