Many betting lines for the presidential election are often impacted by third party candidates. From Ross Perot in 1992 to Ralph Nader in 2000, many third party candidates have impacted the election in some way, thus making it easier for betting lines to be influenced in some way. Whether or not this is going to happen in 2016 is unclear. This is especially as one big name could run as an independent.
Will the Presidential Donald Do It?
The biggest story about third party candidates is that there’s a chance that Donald Trump may actually run as an independent candidate. This is provided that he does not win the Republican nomination. The bombastic and outspoken candidate has led the polls in many places but there are concerns among women and Hispanic voters over many of the comments he’s made about them; this is especially the case with him suggesting that a reporter from Fox News who was critical of him was bleeding out of “her whatever.”
Any Actual Candidates?
While there aren’t any major third parties running for the presidency, there are still plenty of candidates going after it. Jill Stein of the Green Party is the most noteworthy one. The physician had a little less than half a million votes in the 2012 election.
Various smaller parties are running as well. Alan Errol Spears is running for the American Independent Party while Matthew Borman and Thomas Irwin are competing for the American Party candidacy.
Of course, there are plenty of other parties out there but those are parties that are on the extreme radical fringes of society and often get just a few hundred votes provided that they actually make it onto ballots. These include such extremist groups as the Communist Party USA, Prohibition Party, National Socialist Movement and Workers World Party.
If anything, the big question as to whether or not third parties will be impacted will involve Donald Trump’s future. The potential for him to actually go out there and run as a third party candidate could really put things in a whole new angle.