From the Gainesville Times, Sunday May 19, 1996, Page 9A (Op-Ed section)

You have more than two choices

Guest Column by David Matthews

It can be said that a lie, when told enough times, can be believed to be true. When it comes to politics, there are plenty of lies being told to people that are passed off as truths. An incumbent could say they are for the environment, when their voting record says otherwise. Political action committees have been known to hide their true intentions behind deceptive names, such as calling one’s organization the "Committee to Preserve Sea Life," when in fact they lobby on behalf of commercial fishermen.

But perhaps the biggest lie being foisted on the public is that the 1996 presidential election is down to either Bill Clinton or Bob Dole. Liberal or Conservative. Democrat or Republican. Incumbent President or incumbent Senate majority leader.

Never mind the fact that there are a significant number of people who aren’t happy with either candidate. Never mind that a whopping majority would like a third party candidate. Nope. Between now and Election Day you will be told there’s just two. Clinton or Dole. You have to pick the lesser of two evils. And if you don’t like it, don’t vote.

Of course, the truth of the matter is that there ARE alternatives. It isn’t just a Clinton VS. Dole race. There ARE other candidates besides Bill Clinton and Bob Dole.

Ever hear of Heather Harder? She’s a 48 year-old mother of two in Indiana, and founder of Small World Child Care Centers. How about Bruce Daniels? He’s an author of seven books, and professor of history at the University of Winnipeg, Canada. Still haven’t heard of these two? President Clinton should. These are only two of eight other candidates campaigning under the banner of the Democratic Party. So much for the myth that Clinton is running unopposed.

While Senator Dole may have the number of party delegates to secure the "official" nomination for the Republican Party, his isn’t the only name on the GOP list. Jack Fellure, Arthur Fletcher, Robert Lovewell, Jack Mabardy, and Tom Shellenberg are also running as Republican candidates.

Or perhaps you don’t care for either of the two parties. Ever hear of the Libertarian Party? There are four candidates currently campaigning for that party’s nomination.

Not too long ago, consumer advocate Ralph Nader made the news by announcing he is running for President on behalf of the Green Party, another little-known political party.

And while Sen. Dole may tout his military service, he isn’t the only veteran currently running for office. Ernest Easton, a veteran of the Vietnam War, is currently campaigning as the Veteran’s Industrial Candidate for President. And yet another military veteran and founder of a military academy in Arizona by the name of Frank Berela is currently running as the People’s Revolutionary Candidate.

Project Vote Smart, a non-partisan organization dedicated to providing information about national and state politics, lists 9 different political parties all in the running for the White House- including the Democrats and the Republicans- in their World Wide Web site. Amongst those political parties, and those considered as "independent" or "unknown," some 41 candidates are listed. That’s right, FORTY-ONE! And that’s not counting the possible re-entry of H. Ross Perot, the wily Texas businessman who’s trying to get his "Reform/Independence" party on the ballots of every state in the country.

So why haven’t we heard too much from any of these groups? Well, part of the reason could very well be a lack of financial support. While the two major parties can rack up campaign funds in the millions of dollars, even the largest of "minor" parties have a hard time raising a fraction of that amount. Harry Browne of the Libertarian Party has amassed almost $250,000 for his campaign, of which he gets neither contributions from political action committees nor matching funds from the federal government.

Perhaps part of the reason has to do with a lack of public exposure. Without massive campaign funding, it’s nearly impossible to be seen in the media, either in print or on television. Political pundits, columnists, and even journalists have also taken it upon themselves to only report on the candidates they deem to be "worthwhile." Perhaps that is also why there is a growing argument that the media should provide free advertisement for all political candidates. Rupert Murdoch, owner of the Fox Network, has already proposed dedicating whole sections of air time for political advertisement. This would go a long way in providing a more level playing field between all the political parties.

And perhaps part of the reason why we haven’t heard about any other campaigns is because it’s to suit the two major parties. Arcane election laws play a huge part in supporting this two party lie. Both Democrats and Republicans have written these laws to help ensure that their respective parties enjoy the maximum amount of campaign funding, and permit only those who qualify for matching funds from the federal government to participate in national debates or even to be listed on primary ballots in certain states like Delaware. Political campaigns are easier to run if it’s one candidate against another instead of one trying to sound better over a whole group. And as the campaigns become nastier and nastier, the party leaders would like to be reassured that they can sling mud at each other and still have people vote for their candidate- even if the voters would yearn for a much better choice.

Either way, it’s important for people to know that there are indeed alternatives to the two major parties. It DOESN’T have to be between the lesser of two evils. In fact, the only choice that can be considered evil is choosing not to vote at all.

Between now and November you will hear only of two people, possibly even three. But don’t forget that this Presidential race is more than just between two insulated politicians, and more than just two overbearing political parties. You do have a choice, and you CAN choose the candidate that is "none of the above."

David Matthews 2nd is a freelance writer living in Gainesville. You can also read his articles on the Internet at: http://members.aol.com/DJM2/D2Cage1.html For more information about the other poltical candidates and other political parties you can check out Project Vote Smart on the World Wide Web at: http://www.vote-smart.org

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