As President Obama's approval rating continues to slip, it is clear that he will face a much tougher race for re-election in 2012 than he ran last year. It's like an over-due pregnancy; it's been nine months, but he has yet to deliver. The markets are still fragile, and the dollar is going down while unemployment numbers are going up. Toss in our sky-rocketing debt and indecisive action in Afghanistan, and it starts to look like Obama isn't the savior he was made out to be.
One can criticize the policies of Bush, but at least The Decider actually made decisions. Recent polls from a number of sources all show one undeniable trend – The American people do not think we're headed in the right direction.
Such a difficult time for Obama, and one might be under the impression that support for Republicans is on the rise. This isn't exactly the case; CNN reported that approval for the GOP has hit 36%, down nearly 5% from the last poll taken in the summer, and almost at the same point it was in the last few months of Bush's time in office.
Discontent with the major parties seems to be a growing phenomenon. Millions have attended "tea parties" all over the country, and the philosophy and wisdom of the Founding Fathers is a recurring theme in today's political arena. Ordinary people are demanding that something be done; they demand accountability, fiscal responsibility, and the protection of our most basic freedoms. Partisan bickering and the corruption that plagues Washington has made the American people feel alienated.
As a result, there has been a re-emergence of third candidates. Not long-shots like Ralph Nader or Pat Buchanan, whose presidential runs seem futile, but viable and credible candidates with a fair share of support.
The press has taken notice. Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, in a running for New York's 23rd Congressional District, a seat up-for-grabs since Rep. John McHugh was appointed Secretary of the Army. Hoffman, a notable New York accountant, has shown favorable numbers in the polls at around 23%. This number is expected to grow as Hoffman continues to receive nationwide attention, thanks to interviews with Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Mark Levin.
His conservative principals have earned the endorsement of powerful Republican figures, including Fred Thompson and Sarah Palin, even against the GOP's own candidate. Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava, a Republican with an endorsement from ACORN, has a liberal voting record and a platform that isn't exactly a far cry from the Democratic contender's.
Hoffman isn't the only third-party candidate to raise eyebrows; in Florida's 2nd Congressional District, Modern Whig Party candidate Paul C. McKain has entered the arena in a bid for the seat occupied by Democrat Allen Boyd. McKain, a former firefighter and businessman, has gained a great deal of support among the Republican base as well as the conservative wing of the Democratic Party.
McKain promises to restore true citizen participation in government, pledging to act as a representative of the people, as intended by the Constitution, not as a mouthpiece for special interest groups. In a district where Democrats are a powerful majority, McKain fights an uphill battle, but it's a battle that he believes he can win.
And with the growing discontent among American voters, it' possible that he will.
Tom Bortnyk is a columnist for the political blog Informed Dissent.
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2009.