Well, the election results are cold and hard, and it's all over but the suing. The Democratic and Republican parties can take a well deserved break.

But, the brief respite for third parties should be over immediately following the holiday season. We have much serious work to be undertaken between now and November 2006, if we have hope of being taken seriously. Third parties usually enter people's minds immediately following the party primaries when they realize their favorite candidate didn't win either major party's nomination and begin looking for a viable alternative that meets significantly more than the "lesser of two evils" criterion, and end one day following the election when the third party candidate's name is only going to be useful for future trivia contests and barroom bets.

That needs to change now.

Enough people are disgusted with the status quo as to make a third party candidate a very real possibility if we are willing to roll up our sleeves and get dirty for the long term. To do so, however, we must address the negative perceptions that have been built up surrounding our party over the years. For my party, the Libertarian Party, that means to focus less on the controversial issues that have plagued our candidates (not drop them! NEVER drop them! Simply be smart enough not to "lead" with those issues), and to focus on the very electable positions we hold: less restrictions on personal freedoms is an attractive element to certain liberal elements (and certain conservative elements as well), and fiscal conservatism, which holds appeal to the more conservative elements (and can, if we focus on the WHOLE of the party platform, hold appeal to the liberal elements as well).

While the third parties have traditionally been reluctant to address the negeative perceptions of their naysayers, it is time we give these skeletons in the closet the proper airing they deserve and, in doing so, remove the stigma of radicalism that has been our achille's heel through the years. Many third parties are built upon common sense ideals, and only in a straightforward self assessment can they begin to build on the positives and not be held back by the perceived negatives.

The 2006 midterm House and Senate elections will hold great interest for the American public. It holds great potential for once again changing this country's political landscape, and is a very inviting opportunity for the right third party to seize a few seats and the political clout that accompanies those positions, and begin to muster a serious challenge for the 2008 presidential elections. But it must be undertaken seriously and with resolve, or it will fall flat on its face.

Respectfully submitted,

Gideon MacLeish