Political Parties, V

Third parties

haven't existed

in any real sense

since the two party system

was codified

in the wake

of the Civil War.

And this is

a kind of shame.

Anytime

someone has tried,

and here I think

of Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose,

the Green Party,

all the many small parties

that crowd out

the instant also-rans

every election ballot,

even Ross Perot,

whatever he was,

they forget

how hard it is

to compete

with the two conventions

that get all the coverage

the summer before

we vote.

To be effective,

I think,

you've got to participate

in both these things,

even if they can't vote for you,

you've got to appeal

to both parties

and to neither.

You've got to pretend

you really want

to find some way

to unite

the United States.

Crazy, I know.