Reform Party Candidates Are Not Spoilers

The Democrats and Republicans, as well as some talking heads in the media and advocacy groups, frequently refer to independent candidates as “spoilers.”

Calling a candidate a “spoiler” is a way for Democrats and Republicans to:

• Attack political competition and label challenges to their power as a threat to Democracy.
• Shift the blame for not fielding a better candidate from their party to a challenger.
• Convey their entitlement for votes cast by people.

The concept that there is such a thing as a “spoiler” candidate or candidates is just a way for Democrats and Republicans to reduce the choices voters have on election day, and limit their own accountability.

With that said, there is no doubt that when elections feature deeply ideological independent candidates, such as a Green Party or Libertarian Party candidate, voters who are deeply displeased with a Democrat or Republican candidate may cast a ballot for an alternative. In some cases, that could mean that if given fewer options – a person may have voted for a Democrat or a Republican. However, it is just as likely that the same person would not have voted in the election at all.

Lastly, ask yourself these questions:

• Why would you vote for any party or its candidates that believes your vote belongs to them and not to you?
• Why vote for a Democrat or Republican who believes you need to make their desire for power more important than you voting for what you want?

Reform Party candidates represent the broadest selection of the electorate

At the end of the day, if you are considering running as a Reform Party candidate OR you are considering voting for a Reform Party candidate, you can do so knowing that unlike deeply ideological candidates, our Party nominates candidates who most often represent the broadest and most balance cross-section of the electorate.

Consider these important facts:

In the 1992 election for President, which featured H. Ross Perot, President George Bush, and Governor Bill Clinton, Perot was leading all candidates in June of 1992 with 39%, compared to 31% for Bush and 25% for Clinton.

A November 5, 1992 New York Times story cited exit polling showing: “If Mr. Perot had not been on the ballot, 38 percent of his voters said they would have voted for Gov. Bill Clinton, and 38 percent said they would have voted for President Bush,” while 24 percent would not have voted at all.

On Election Day 1992, Voter Research and Surveys asked a national sample of 3,900 voters leaving the polling place “if they would have vote for Perot if [they] thought he had a chance to win:” 40% said they would have voted for Perot, compared to 31% for Clinton and 27% for Bush.

In other elections, Reform Party candidates consistently attract large numbers of independent voters, as well as a roughly equal number of registered Democrat and Republican voters.

In fact, if Perot had not suspended his campaign the the summer of 1992, he could have won the 1992 presidential election.

Join the Reform Party

If you believe that the Democrats and Republicans have become too extreme, and that they are running candidates too focused on ideology and not listening to their constituents and working to solve the problems facing our communities, now is the time to join the Reform Party!