A new, quasi-political party is aiming to form a “national coalition of peace candidates for U.S. House of Representatives” who will boot out Democrats and Republicans and then elect anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan as Speaker. Sound implausible? It is. But with Ralph Nader unveiling an exploratory website for yet another presidential bid this week, it’s clear that third parties on the left see an opening: popular discontent with the inability of the Democratic Congress to end the war in Iraq. Don’t expect many of these candidates to pull down more than a percent or two. Still, you have to wonder whether Nader or his acolytes would fare slightly better at the polls if Hillary Clinton–the Democratic bete noir of the radical anti-war movement–is the party’s nominee for President. For more on this year’s third party dynamic, check out my story on Sheehan’s congressional race against Speaker Pelosi.
