I may have been unclear; I was suggesting that Silicon Valley types could fund local elections for third-party candidates so there would be no need for third parties to run vanity campaigns every cycle. And indeed, you've listed a bunch of scenarios that indicate why third parties will never substantially contribute…

It's more frustrating this year, because Bernie Sanders is actually a decent example of how progressives can work within the party to move it left.

Evidence of Jill Stein's idiocy:

Yes, Jill Stein wants to funnel more money towards studying quackery. Despite what those cranks at the AMA say, reiki may cure cancer!

Brilliant show, somewhat unfairly forgotten. It aired before the tropes of the 'prestige drama' really kicked in, so it still seems fresh. The David plot you mention is the nadir (not a hate crime, just a random crazy dude), but the show recovered very well. Best finale episode in television history.

I think raising funds by running a presidential candidate who can act as a spoiler in a presidential election is absurdly dangerous and probably inefficient. The Greens killed whatever legitimate momentum they had in 2000 by helping elect Bush. These days I bet it would be easier to convince a couple of Silicon Valley…

Damn if I'm parroting Dan Savage maybe I need to think my political beliefs. (I honestly don't know what he's been writing lately; I stopped following him after his 'sometimes a MAN has to kick some ass' support of Gulf War II.)

I think third/fourth/etc parties are fundamentally a bad idea, but if the Greens or Libertarians *were* serious about becoming a credible third party they'd start with local races in one-party states. That neither has any better strategy then 'let's support a potential spoiler for president every four years!' shows…

The worst thing about PBS' coverage is that they kept letting Gwan Iffil talk over the speakers and the videos. She stepped on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Michael Jordan joke! Not her fault–she's great on Newshour and NPR–but a sign of bad direction.

Thanks Alex, I do my best.

'lines like that allow the establishment media to do what’s in their interest, which is to paint the opposition to inside-the-beltway candidates as mistaken or naive. . . . . An opportunity to cast those impeding the anointed candidate’s progress as misguided—with the ostensible aim of giving equal time to Clinton’s…

538 did not have Romney in the lead head-to-head over Obama for any part of the 2012 election. It wasn't a blowout–no election will be a blowout anymore–but the result wasn't really in doubt either, although the press played it up as such. (And, to be fair, national polling had Romeny in the lead for a day or two.)

Somebody's bitter about the convention!

You can parse her support of antivaxxers anyway you want; the bottom line is that Jill Stein's an idiot.

Including Kristen Kontrol's hipster retro while ignoring Youth Code's Commitment To Complications gives this list no credibility.

And boiling denim!

Similar Fan Theories that I hope AV Club covers:

I guess homeopathy is a *kind* of science

'casting a protest vote for the Greens to send a message that people would rather move in that direction'

Don't forget that they tried to shout over Elijah Cummings! Boy those optics are helpful to progressive causes.