If Independents Really Want to Make an Impact They Need to Change the Field of Play

Field of Dreams

In the movie Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, hears a voice that tells him, ‘If you build it, they will come’. He plowed down enough of his cornfield to build a baseball field and the spirits of the legends of baseball appeared and kept coming back each day to play. One of the legends was his father.

It wasn’t really a movie about baseball. It was about trusting the message and believing in something when others didn’t. ‘If You Build It, They Will Come’

The problem with effecting change in our political system is the field of play is fixed by the two parties. They have decided what the playing field is and how it is laid out, they have set the rules, only they get to play the game, and if there is a dispute they are also the umpire. America has been a two-party system since Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860. No third party has a chance to develop into a significant force due to the rules in place at the state level and the requirements for one to be recognized.

The last time any 3rd party had a significant share was Ross Perot in 1996 with his Reform Party when he received 18.9%. (I voted for him). The largest percentage in U.S. history was Teddy Roosevelt in 1912 with 27.4%. Only two other candidates have garnered more than 10%, 1924 and 1968.

President Trump learned this lesson when he first ran for President in 2000 in primaries for the Reform Party. He won the two primaries he entered even though he had previously dropped out saying he didn’t want to run a campaign that couldn’t win in the general election.

Independents need to create a new field to play on. They have to rewrite the rules and make the Democratic and Republican parties play their game.

It’s easier (at least for now) for an Independent to run for the House of Representatives than it is for a new 3rd party candidate. The threshold to run as an Independent is much lower. In most states the filing fee is low and the number of signatures required achievable.

Want to run for a House seat in:

California? $1,750 or 1,000 in district signatures

New York? $250 and 1,250 in district signatures

Tennessee? $500 and 1,000 in district signatures

Texas? $5000 and 1,000 in district signatures

See the table below for a listing of each state and its requirements for running for the House. This table was created with ChatGPT and I have not confirmed the accuracy of every state. (Many states have varying requirements and confirmation needs to be made by checking out the state websites)

If all Independent candidates running for a local, state or federal office would support, and include in their campaigning the need to increase the size of the House of Representatives to properly reflect the tripling of America’s population since 1929, they could literally force both parties to support it also.

The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 set the number of Representatives at 435. Since this is a law that Congress passed, it does NOT require a Constitutional Amendment!

But it does require ‘We the People’ to support those candidates that support ‘Sizing Up the House’. WE need more of US governing US and less billionaires setting the rules. It’s not time for a Civil War — it’s time for a second Revolutionary War — at the ballot box!

The only way forward I can see is WE have to force the change we want and we can only do that with appropriate Representation — which is the fundamental reason our ancestors fought the British Crowne and won.

Check out PROJECT1305.org — it’s not about politics or policies — it’s simply about OUR right under the Constitution for OUR Representation.

Special Note to Elon — it’s too bad you really don’t understand American politics. If you actually care about the American People, and want to pay us back for helping you become the richest person on the planet, instead of trying to create a 3rd party — FUND INDEPENDENTS. Even if every state charged the $5,000 fee that Texas charges, with 435 House seats that’s only $2,175,000. That’s chump change to you — but seismic change for America.