But that will not fill the ideological void. Never in recent memory has there been a better time for the emergence of independent candidates and new parties. Unfortunately, Ross Perot's Reform Party has imploded over factional infighting, and smaller parties like the Libertarians and Greens are not well-positioned to capture the votes of many restless independents. One has the sense of a tribe wandering in the desert, looking for water, waiting for a leader who can lead them to the oasis. Instead, they will probably atrophy, like grapes withering on the vine.
Voter turnout is likely to decline.
Already less than half of eligible voters voted in 1996, and less than a fifth of young people now vote. Sadly, such cross-cutting candidacies don't happen more often because the rules of the game have been rigged by the major parties to silence legitimate voices. Indeed some may be entertained by their machinations and by watching two leopards try to change their spots to win those voters mobilized by John McCain. But we think a lot of people are going to miss that senator from Arizona. 6930 Carroll Ave.