Declaration of the Independents: The case against a third party

Many people these days are fed up with government waste, huge federal deficits and corporate bailouts. The anxiety toward this unprecedented expansion of government has spawned a movement of political activists fueled by tea parties and town hall meetings.

People are turning in their partisan badges to be an "independent" or to join a "minor party." Independents are on the rise and this trend is expected to continue.

Many of these independent voters have been clamoring for years for the formation of a third party. With the "Glenn Beck Effect," it may be as close as it has ever been.

What may seem as a good idea at first can lead to dire consequences for our country.

In order to fully understand why a third party movement would have a negative impact have on our freedoms, one must first acknowledge that we live in a center-right country. In a recent Gallup poll, 40 percent of all voters considered themselves conservative, while 35 percent considered themselves moderate. Only 21 percent considered themselves liberal.

It doesn't get clearer than that.

Now, consider that most of these citizens attending these tea parties and town hall meetings consider themselves conservatives. Conclusion: The formation of a third party would inevitably eviscerate the Republican Party, not the Democratic Party.

Talk about unintended consequences! The biggest beneficiaries of a third-party movement would be Democrats! In a recent interview, Mark Esche, vice president of the Leesburg Area Democrats said he "welcomed the development" when asked about the formation of the official minor political party "The Tea Party."

A third party would inevitably fracture the Republican vote, enabling liberal Democrats to continue to win elections.

Think Ross Perot.

Did you ever wonder why President Barack Obama and the liberal media were so dismissive of the tea parties? Maybe it was designed to fuel our anger and make the tea party movement grow stronger. Maybe it's because they think this will inevitably advance the liberal agenda.

Here's why.

Any true third party movement would take at least 10 years to accomplish. In that time, liberal Democrats would do irreparable harm to this country and continue to strip us of our freedoms. Look what they have done in just 11 months! Can you imagine what this country would look like with 10 years of unchecked liberalism and progressivism? Can you imagine a decade of Democratic rule under Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid?

Think France.

Those of us in the Republican Party that have been leading a resurgence of conservatism are worried about a third party movement. Not for our party, but for our country.

Did you notice that with the national media coverage of the hotly contested "New York 23" Congressional race, former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed the third-party candidate Doug Hoffman but was quick to note that she does not endorse the idea of a third party. My guess is that she is worried as well.

These people who are attending tea parties and speaking out are modern-day patriots, but the answer is not a third party. The answer is working within the current structure to purge the people who do not uphold the values and core ideology of your party affiliation.

The Declaration of Independence was the beginning our freedoms. The "declaration of independents" should not enable liberals to erode these freedoms.