Could Obama win on a third party ticket?

[gdaerin]

I don't even know if this is possible, I'm just curious! What do you guys think?

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. If he can't win on a 1st party ticket, then what are the chances?

[gdaerin]

3. Well, he obviously carries a Lot of the democratic base

and he brings in independants and republicans

[niceypoo]

14. Oh yeah, the republicans are just lining up to vote for him...lol

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[gdaerin]

16. don't laugh, I know some!

on edit: several actually, my whole family

[Why Syzygy]

2. No.

Conventional wisdom says no one can. Still people vote for a third option. I don't think Obama would appeal to that demographic.

[lapfog_1]

4. No.

Third parties that come from a democratic / progressive side to the balance never do well...

The other side is much more unity minded than this side, so all it would do is split the democratic vote and attract some independents... see Nader 2000. (and he only splintered off a little bit of the democratic vote, which, in the time before massive voting irregularities, wouldn't have meant anything).

Now a Huckabee running as a "Christian party" or "Theocracy party" candidate, that might throw the election to the Dems.

[mahina]

5. He would never do that.

Only someone who had nothing to lose and didn't care about the people would do that- say, Joementum as one example.

[Barack_America]

6. With or without Bloomberg's money? lol....n/t

[gdaerin]

11. With! A Obama/Bloomberg ticket

think about it, unlimited finances!!!!

[OHdem10]

7. To win an election you have to reach at least 51% of the votes.

Unless there are more than 2 candidates.

This means you have to get a $ White, Black, Latino, Asian etc to total
51 % of all the people voting.

This is a difficult feat. Third Parties have not been successful
because they cannot reach 30%. Ross Perot, was able to get 20%

[ursi]

10. if it was just between him and Hillary, the numbers would have been different

[amandabeech]

12. NO!!! A candidate must get the majority of the electoral votes.

Each state has electoral college votes equal to the number of their members of the House of Representatives plus 2, representing their 2 senators. D.C. gets 1 electoral vote.

It is entirely possible to win the popular vote and lose the electoral college. That was the big story of 2000.

Third parties compete for electoral votes in the states, just like major parties. There is no 30% rule! They just have to win the largest number of popular votes in the states that have a majority of electoral votes!

Please don't spread inaccurate information around. Check your facts, please.

[ShadowLiberal]

8. Unless Bloomberg funds it (meaning he'd be the head man), and the repubs nom the right person, no

Unfortunately I don't think this is possible, Obama and Hillary and a GOPer on the ticket would almost certainly insure the republicans win.

I mean look at the election of 1912, the republican party got so divided under Taft's conservative rule, and angered many progressives in the republican party, so Theodore Roosevelt decided to run against Taft for the nomination. When Roosevelt lost the nomination to Taft (because party leaders chose the nomination, and Roosevelt jumped in after they had promised Taft the nomination) Roosevelt decided to run against Taft as a third party candidate, and won more votes and states then Taft.

However Roosevelt's decision to run doomed the party's chances. Democrat Woodrow Wilson was easily able to win most of the states and the presidency, and Taft ended up becoming the first and only incumbent president to finish in third place (and that was with Theodore Roosevelt unable to campaign in the last few months of the campaign to).

I think the only way Obama could stand a chance at a third party run is with Bloomberg funding it, and the republicans nominating someone totally unacceptable to most people (like Mitt Romney). I read somewhere that Bloomberg believes a Hillary vs Mitt Romney contest would give him the best shot at winning.

[ursi]

9. yes, I know alot of Repubs who liked him but not enough to be a Dem for a day

to vote for him.

It might be worth it. Didn't he meet with Bloomberg about this recently?

[Meldread]

13. I don't think he would do it.

Not unless the Primaries got really ugly. Of course, if we go into the Convention and some shit is pulled by the Clinton's, where basically they whip out the Super Delegates to over ride Obama if he's chosen by the people...

Bloomberg / Obama could pull it off. Obama has Bloomberg's message. As long as the Republican's don't elect John McCain, I think a Bloomberg / Obama ticket stands a better chance of winning the White House than the Republican Party. So really the race would be between Bloomberg / Obama and the Democratic Party, with the Republican's playing the 3rd party role.

I can almost wish for such a situation... something to finally break the two party system.

[gdaerin]

15. Exactly, the 2 party system has a strangle hold on our democracy! nt

[AndyTiedye]

17. The Repigs Would Win For Sure with HRC and BHO Splitting the Democrats

Our best hope then would be not to lose the House due to party-lever effect.

[JI7]

18. he would do better than most or anyone else, but it would depend

on many things such as who else was running. and Obama would still have a better chance on the Dem ticket. and there is no way he will ever run on any third party ticket.

[jackson_dem]

19. Bloomberg-Obama?