Third Party Candidate

Could We Be Facing Another 1824 Presidential Election, And Use Of The “Ugly” 12th Amendment Once Again, Where The House Of Representatives Selects The Next President?

There is growing concern that if we have a third party candidacy of Donald Trump, that we could end up with a scenario of the House of Representatives choosing the next President of the United States!

In 1824, in the first participation by all white males in the election, Andrew Jackson was first in popular votes and electoral votes, but lost the election to second place finisher, John Quincy Adams, because Jackson did not have a majority of the electoral votes, and the House chose Adams over Jackson, pure politics!

With a theoretical race of Democrat Hillary Clinton,  Republican Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump, Clinton could end up having the most popular and electoral votes, but fail to reach 270, the number required to win the White House.

The outgoing House of Representatives, with a clear cut Republican majority, would have each member have his or her own vote, and assuredly in that scenario, Ted Cruz would be elected President, even, in theory, if he ended up third in both popular and electoral vote, as the 12th Amendment provides for a choice of the top three candidates!

This would be unconscionable, but could happen, another quirk of the Presidential election process, that has not been used for 192 years, but could rear its ugly head once again!

Third Party Candidacy Of Donald Trump Could Make Historical Records!

It is 15 and a half months until the Presidential Election of 2016.

But it is clear that the possibility exists that Donald Trump will break from the Republican Party, and run as a third party or independent candidate.

A new Washington Post poll indicates, for now, that in a three way race for the White House with Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush, the results would be: Clinton 46 percent, Bush 30 percent, Trump 20 percent!

If that were to happen, it would mark the second time that a Clinton defeated a Bush in a race where a billionaire ran as an independent candidate, and was willing to spend unlimited amounts of personal fortune on the race.

If those numbers occurred, it would make Jeb Bush,or whoever was the GOP nominee, the second worst loser in American history, with only William Howard Taft, the incumbent President, in 1912 gaining only 23 percent of the vote and two states, and Progressive Party challenger, former President Theodore Roosevelt, ending up second, with 27 percent, and six states, the only time a third party nominee ended up second rather than third!

The issue that arises is could Trump, in a three way race, win any states and electoral votes, which Ross Perot failed to do in 1992, although ending up second rather than third in a few states.

Also, Ross Perot won 19 percent of the vote, the second highest in history to TR’s 27 percent in 1912. So Trump, with 20 percent, would end up ahead of Perot, and just might win a few states, unimaginable until now!

The Dangerous Mental Instability Of Donald Trump Endangers American Politics And Foreign Policy

America is faced with a political crisis that many seem not to realize exists, as the Presidential Election campaign of 2016 evolves.

Businessman Donald Trump is looked at by many as a cartoon character, someone not to be taken seriously.

This is a major mistake, as Donald Trump is a maniac and an egotist who endangers American politics and foreign relations.

Many people laugh and say there is no way that Trump can be the Republican Presidential nominee, and no way he could be elected President.

While that certainly seems legitimate to believe, the discontent of the American people with their political system and the role of America in world affairs, means that there is no way to say how Americans at large might react to Trumps’s blustering, bullying, and braggadocio.

Trump has been on the attack against every Republican candidate for President, and has not minced words in his insults, and it makes great theater.

But his insults undermine the concept of civility and decency in our politics, and will lead to a further disillusionment and deterioration of our body politic.

It seems apparent that Trump will run as a third party candidate, since the GOP will do everything it can to prevent his nomination, and that will insure that the Democrats will win, the only good result that is likely to occur from the Trump candidacy.

But Trump should not be seen as simply a laughable figure who adds entertainment to the political scene.

He must be seen for what he really is—a dangerously mentally ill and unstable personality, who could cause the spread of racism and nativism as legitimate, since he is engaged in such beliefs. He could also cause international instability with his attacks on Mexico, Russia, China, Iran and other nations, as many ill informed Americans might agree with his sentiments on these nations, and could, therefore, provoke new stresses on President Obama’s ability to control foreign relations.

We do not need a “loose cannon” who has no limits and endangers the nation, as his rhetoric could also inspire “lone wolves” to attempt to harm President Barack Obama, as well as any and all of the Presidential candidates, and even, ironically, Donald Trump himself! Do not forget that Trump still contends that Obama was not born in the United States, and “Birthers” still congregate around him and his candidacy!