Ron Paul Rallies Silent Majority, Discusses Third Party Candidacies At Vote-Your-Heart Press Conference

Yesterday, Ron Paul held a Vote-Your-Heart press conference where he discussed the issue of Third Party Candidacies. Although Ron Paul is not currently a presidential candidate, he does still have a large following and is continuing to advocate the issues that are important to him with his Campaign For Liberty movement. Paul was joined by three third party candidates - Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), Ralph Nader (Independent) and Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party). Notably, Bob Barr (Libertarian Party) was supposed to join Paul, but he was a no show.

In his remarks, Paul first announced the Four Principles signed onto by the Third Party Candidates involved in this effort.

Then, he recounted how the McCain Campaign contacted him on September 9th for the first time.  They requested that Paul endorse McCain at this event. Their reasoning per Paul was that “[McCain] would do a little less harm than the other candidate.”

Next, he went on to assail the two party system as not offering a real choice, saying:

The truth is that our two-party system offers no real choice. The real goal of the campaign is to distract people from considering the real issues.

Influential forces, the media, the government, the privileged corporations and moneyed interests see to it that both party’s candidates are acceptable, regardless of the outcome, since they will still be in charge. It’s been that way for a long time.

He went on to identify what he believes to be one of the sources of the problem:

The system we have today allows a President to be elected by as little as 32% of the American people, with half of those merely voting for the “lesser of two evils”. Therefore, as little as 16% actually vote for a president. No wonder when things go wrong, anger explodes. A recent poll shows that 60% of the American people are not happy with the two major candidates this year.

This system is driven by the conviction that only a major party candidate can win. Voters become convinced that any other vote is a “wasted” vote. It’s time for that conclusion to be challenged and to recognize that the only way not to waste one’s vote is to reject the two establishment candidates and join the majority, once called silent, and allow the voices of the people to be heard.

And, a call to action:

There is only one way that these issues can get the attention they deserve: the silent majority must become the vocal majority.

[...]

The strongest message can be sent by rejecting the two-party system, which in reality is a one-party system with no possible chance for the changes to occur which are necessary to solve our economic and foreign policy problems. This can be accomplished by voting for one of the non-establishment principled candidates—Baldwin, Barr, McKinney, Nader, and possibly others. (listed alphabetically)

It is certainly a well reasoned a worthwhile effort.  We’ll be watching it in the coming weeks.  A full video of the event is available here.

[Photo Credit: Wall Street Journal]