They do not bring new ideas to the political arena. They are dangerously wasting the time of the electorate. Perhaps we need a None Of The Above so voters can reject not just a candidate, but the choices the system has given them. If ballot access laws were then as they are today, the Whigs would probably still be in Congress. The difference between new parties and independents is that new parties are formed around ideas, they stand for a coherent program with a broad popular base of support.
Independents work by themselves.
They want good government, or they want to shake things up, but not necessarily by bringing new programs into the arena. Both independents and new parties have an important role to play in our political system and need better access to the ballot if democracy is to really work. Discouragement and confusion of the elecorate seems to be a tactic used by some parties to keep unwanted voters away from the polls. There may vast dissatisfaction with the incumbent, and the traditional challenger may be, to say the least, not very inspiring. A real opportunity can be grasped by sending a clear message to all politicians that people of conscience will reject candidates who don't reflect the values of the people.