Source:Larry King– former U.S. Representative Ron Paul (Libertarian, Texas) talking to longtime talk show host Larry King.
“Will voter frustration with ‘party politics’ create a wave of support for a modern day Ross Perot? Former presidential candidate Ron Paul tells Larry why it’s so difficult for a third party to succeed.”
From Larry King
I think the main reason why Independent presidential campaigns have failed and have barely won even on state when they’ve run, even the well-funded candidates like Ross Perot in 1992 and 96, or John Anderson in 1992, has to do with party infrastructure. And in the Independents case of even the Reform Party’s case, no party infrastructure.
If you are raising money not just to keep your national presidential campaign going, but money to get ballot access or get in TV debates or just to get on TV, you are digging yourself a bigger hole anytime you try to do anything. The main advantage that the Democrats and Republicans have over even the Center-Right Independents like the Ross Perot’s, has to do with party infrastructure.
The Democrats and Republicans are already on every ballot that they run for office for. Unlike the third-party candidates whether they’re Far-Left like with the Green Party or Libertarian-Right with the Libertarian Party or Center-Right like with the Reform Party candidates, who are not just struggling to keep their campaigns going and stay in business, but then have to raise a lot more money just to try to get ballot access or get into the debates or get on TV at all.