By Ben Clark
Opinion/Features Editor
Do you hate Donald Trump? Does Hillary Clinton make you gag? Don’t worry, there’s many more options in the bag!
For those of us disappointed by both the two main presidential candidates, there is another way; vote third party.
After all, third parties have played big roles in American Politics before. There are too many examples to list here, but history shows that third parties can drastically alter election results in american politics. More people than ever dislike both the front running presidential candidates, and are fed up with both Republicans and Democrats in general. This offers a rare opportunity for third party candidates to step in and prove themselves.
Now I know people reading this will chastise me for advocating that us voters ‘throw away’ our votes on people who ‘definitely won’t win’. However the reason they never win is that we don’t pay enough attention to them. The fact is, less than half of Americans who are able to vote even bother to practice this sacred right; a right that a great many people across the globe have fought and died for. Imagine what would happen if all these non-voters decided to participate. In my opinion, by not voting, you forsake your right to complain at all about the status quo in our government. I would rather see people voting for Vermin Supreme (yeah, the guy with the boot on his head) than sticking their heads in the sand. Just vote, it’s one of the most important things you can do. Apathy can only lead to tyranny.
In order to get you started on your third party adventure, I have compiled some of the more well known third parties, and a very brief description of their candidates for this year’s presidential election. There are literally dozens more parties and independent candidates out there, so at the bottom I’ve included a helpful link if you wish to continue exploring.
Gary Johnson, Libertarian: Gary Johnson stands on a political platform that blends what people like best/least about both Liberal and Conservative ideas. Libertarians are against government intervention in people’s lives. For example, they support gay marriage, and they support the repealment of all but the most basic welfare. Gary Johnson is no exception, but he’s not quite as extreme as some Libertarians are. As the former Governor of New Mexico, he helped to erase all the states debt, by not spending any money.  He did own a pretty big construction company once though, so at least he’s had a real job.
Jill Stein, Green: The Green party, as one could guess by the name, is all about being nice to the environment. Like, no matter what. You could also call Stein, the ‘Not as well known/liked female environmentally-friendly Bernie Sanders.’ She plans a FDR style government takeover of the economy with the goal of stopping all fossil fuel usage by 2030. At least she’s ambitious.
Darrel Castle, Constitution: Darrell Castle believes that after World War Two, Western Civilization was taken over in a silent coup by the “international ruling elite†who wish to totally control the world through global socialism. He wishes to stop this and other overreaches of government power if he becomes president by strictly honoring the Constitution. This guy is an ex-Marine and a successful lawyer; don’t mess with Mr. Castle.
(If you want more info, or more options, go to  http://2016.presidential-candidates.org/)
