They’re TAKING OVER – Creating Their Own Party!

In the topsy-turvy circus that is the 2024 presidential election, third-party and independent candidates are running into one massive brick wall after another in their quest for ballot access. It’s a classic David vs. Goliath tale, with the major parties gleefully acting as the giant. Candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, realizing the brutal reality of the system, have taken a page out of the political playbook and decided to form their own parties to dodge the stringent requirements of state ballot access laws.


Kennedy, with his “We the People” party, and West, who’s ditched the Green Party for his freshly minted “Justice for All” party, are working the legal angles. In states such as North Carolina, where minor parties need a mere 13,000 signatures to get on the ballot, independents are stuck trying to gather over 83,000 signatures. Talk about a rigged game.

What’s driving these moves? A potent cocktail of public discontent with the current crop of frontrunners, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Polls suggest an unprecedented hunger for third-party candidates, yet experts like political scholar Tamas warn that unless these candidates latch onto a galvanizing issue, they might evaporate into political oblivion by November.

While the Greens and Libertarians stick to their predictable platforms, Kennedy and West are aiming to capture the moderate and progressive votes respectively. This could create a significant spoiler effect, especially in a razor-thin race where even a small vote shift could tip the scales. Historically, third-party candidates have pressured major parties to address overlooked issues, but their real impact depends on fielding candidates across the board, not just for the presidency.

The ballot access maze varies drastically across states, and independents face particularly high hurdles. Texas, for example, demands over 113,000 signatures from voters who didn’t participate in either major party’s primary—a Herculean task with a tight deadline. Meanwhile, states like Florida and Delaware offer more lenient paths for minor parties, allowing candidates like Kennedy and West to better maneuver these complex regulations.


As the election frenzy intensifies, the role of third-party candidates will come into sharper focus. Their potential to reshape the political landscape depends on organizational muscle and whether their platforms resonate with voters. The major parties typically co-opt popular third-party issues to neutralize their impact, but strong third-party contenders can still steer the national conversation and potentially change the election’s course.

In a nutshell, the 2024 election is showcasing a strategic pivot by third-party candidates to tackle ballot access challenges. By creating new parties and targeting key states, figures like Kennedy and West are maneuvering to leave their mark on the election, despite the historical hurdles faced by third-party campaigns. Keep your popcorn ready, folks—this political saga is far from over.

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