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The Fringies
"They’re the bottom feeders, the lowest-tier candidates – the people who are forever confined to the appendices of the history books, because they didn’t even get enough votes to make a footnote."
By Nico Savidge
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What is the point of those individuals in the presidential races that are unheard of and don't stand a chance of winning? Youth Radio's Nico Savidge explains the importance of "fringies" to the political process.
I’ve been paying close attention to the 2008 race for the White House…following poll numbers and keeping a close eye on CNN the night of every primary. Watching the debates early on, I would often wonder – who are those old guys standing off to the left?
Well, it turns out they’re not audience members who wandered up to the podium, nor stagehands the moderators got to fill up the space between the candidates that actually matter. They’re the bottom feeders, the lowest-tier candidates – the people who are forever confined to the appendices of the history books, because they didn’t even get enough votes to make a footnote.
My personal favorite fringe candidate – or “fringie” as I say – is Mike Gravel. He was a Senator from Alaska in the 1970’s and helped release the Pentagon Papers into the congressional record when he was in politics. Last year, Gravel announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination for President. And while opponents like Hillary Clinton have raised tens of millions of dollars this quarter, Gravel has managed to accumulate less than $400,000.
This means that while other candidates fly to debates in private jets, Gravel uses trains and busses to get around. He must be one of the first presidential contenders ever to “Go Greyhound” for our democratic process. Senator Gravel says that the main reason for his candidacy is his “National Initiative,” a plan he has to allow Americans to bypass Congress and create legislation themselves. Basically a way of saying to the most democratic branch of our government, “thanks for your help, but I think we’re good from here.”
But fringies like Gravel do have a purpose, since they are some of the most entertaining candidates to watch. Since fringies know they don’t have any chance of winning, they’re free to speak on whatever crazy topics pop into their heads, providing debate watchers like me with timeless nuggets of insane rambling. Like streakers at the Super Bowl, they only talk for a few minutes, but what they say can be priceless.
When Mike Gravel was asked at the CNN-YouTube debate what his thought about Chris Dodd – a fellow fringie who had the decency to drop out – he went on about how voters needed to “follow the money” and see who really controlled their government, a classic Gravel move.
Desperate to achieve his dream – which, apparently, is to finish last in every primary – Gravel does anything to stay in the race and on the ballot. And I’m glad that he and other fringies do. Think about a presidential campaign without people like Joe Biden, Ron Paul, and Duncan Hunter. If we didn’t have them, Americans would watch an electoral system filled with effective and important politicians that can actually win. And who wants that?
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