# 3rd parties in the US become viable.  How does this effect the two main parties?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3rd-parties-in-the-us-become-viable-how-does-this-effect-the-two-main-parties/511057>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [September 22, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3rd-parties-in-the-us-become-viable-how-does-this-effect-the-two-main-parties/511057 "2009-09-22T07:26:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3rd-parties-in-the-us-become-viable-how-does-this-effect-the-two-main-parties/511057/41 "2009-09-25T05:08:51Z")

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> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> If you were just trying to say that a third party needs a powerful, popular leader, then I have no beef with that.

That pretty much is all I said, but you viewed it through the partisan goggles that are welded to your head and responded as such.

> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> My point remains that you will not have a viable, successful third party that comes from the far left or the far right. It will have to be a party that occupies the gap between the other two parties. Do you disagree with that?

I said as much pretty clearly.

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