While third party candidates are always a long shot in the U.S. they have had sporadic success, particularly in securing non-executive offices. Generally, their weakness stems from campaign law and constituency attitudes regarding third party viability. Passive membership in a third party is arguably futile, but no more so really than passive membership in either of the two main parties. Sure, by voting Democrat or Republican your respective candidate may have a higher chance of getting the office but if they do not actually represent your views or interests then what point is there to that? Belonging to and actively working for a third party means lobbying for campaign reform and other behind the scenes work to lay the platform for your preferred party and its candidate. Most people simply do not care enough to be that deeply invested in partisan politics, regardless of party affiliation.

Eventually, the GOP and the DEM will disenfranchise a sufficient number of their own membership that the two major parties will either have to change or fold their tents. This would already happen if their members bothered to read the planks of their parties honestly, and consider all that their party expects them to accept by virtue of membership. I'm amazed that we don't already have 4 viable political parties. In any event. There are more "independents" every election cycle. Granted, these "indies" are simply Republicans and Democrats who are at odds with their parties over 1 or 2 issues. Or are tired of insider politics, and life time politicians. I voted for the candidate from the American Constitution Party (Chuck Baldwin) during the unbelievably bad choice given us between Barak Obama and John McCain. I got suckered into the party once more in the following cycle to vote for Romney over Obama. So, my vote had no effect either way. When I voted my heart, my candidate didn't win. When I voted a major party, my candidate didn't win. What I want to vote for is American conservatism, in the mold of Dwight Eisenhower, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan. Strong leadership, a vigorous economy, Sane foreign policy, and laws which are moral, and just. Better appointments for the Supreme Court. In the USA, we don't get these things from either the Democrats or the Republicans in their current states because they have become to large, to institutional and too cocky. Even though they use rhetoric during their campaigns and build smoke screens, in the final analysis, you couldn't fit a playing card in between the candidates actually nominated to represent the DEM and the GOP. They they just hate on each other for another 4 years, until we have another worthless election with milktoast candidates lacking hormones or human traits of any kind lest somebody get offended and they don't get elected.

Anyway, unless one the parties gave us real candidates we could sink our teeth into and really get behind. Another Lincoln or Reagan, or Roosevelt, or Ike, or Kennedy, then we're stuck with a bunch of Bush's and Clintons, and we're just one big glop of worthlessness in our leadership and politics.

By all means we should feel good about voting outside of the 2 parties. If it doesn't have an effect for a few cycles, so be it. At least you can sleep better knowing that you didn't have any part of the guy or gal the party forced down your throat. Eventually, people will catch on, and a strong willed outsider will get the job over the Dems and Pubs, and they the parties will either change to the will of the people, or they will disappear over time like the Whigs.

There's no wrong answer. I like what's happening in the GOP right now. They're starting to figure it out. The top three candidates are NOT politicians. We'll see what happens.

The top candidate in the DEMS, at least in NH and Iowa, is Socialist Bernie Sanders, so maybe the DEMS are starting to feel the strain as well. So eventually, maybe 3rd and 4th parties won't be necessary to get the attention of the major parties, but in the mean time, you don't lose anything. I promise that no matter what your leanings, whether Jeb Bush, or Hillary Clinton is president makes little or no difference whatsoever. So fight on. Be independent. Vote other parties. Vote for who YOU BELIEVE IN. Candidates that really resonates with you and your particular needs and wants out of this country for you and your family. Do real research. Listen to debates. Find the right candidate for you, no matter what party they are in or not in, and support them with all you've got. Tell your detractors this.

If we always do what we always did, we'll always get what we always got.

Just my 2 cents.

Peace,

Steve