Articles
Proud Independents
by Peter Tharaldson
For losing the big races tonight, we won in numbers and growth. The new Independent base (spelled with a capital I) is now over 10%. Our US Senate Candidate captured got 15-16% of the vote with 1/82nd the expenditures on the other two. Yes, that's right folks, Al Franken, Norm Coleman, and their supporting PACs spent 82 times what Barkley did, and got less than three times the vote. We are now capturing an extremely large segment of independent and non-aligned voters. This is a remarkably big step in an election where everything was about the presidential race.
Now What?
Now we move forward with that new found base. We need to run local candidates in every race, in every legislative district. The 2010 election will be a one in twelve year circumstance where there is no presidential or senate race...no dirty money from Washington and no unlimited campaign expenditures.
A 10% base. Dang. We are not quite as big as the Democrats or Repulicans, but the Independence cause is no longer a third party. We have the same percentage of vote that center parties in Canada and the UK get (and they have the same electoral systems as we do). We will get those seats with this growth, it will just take a little more effort here where there is more dirty money. We will make it happen.
Congrats to all the candidates tonight, the most thoughtful, honest, and decent candidates in the race. Minnesota and the Independence Party can't thank you enought. On to our new era!