Third parties deserve some attention, too

Frontiersman editorial board

The lead story in last week's Sunday Frontiersman, "Is everything right, or is nobody left?" dealt with the changing face of political power in the Valley. The article explored the trend that has resulted in Republican domination in the Valley. In the past, Democrats held a considerable number of elected seats here, and now those seats are dominated by Republicans. It was a comparison of the two parties that have won elections here in recent years.

It is important to mention, however, that Republicans and Democrats are not the only parties running in the Mat-Su -- or throughout the state for that matter. There are also Greens, Libertarians and Alaskan Independence Party candidates on the ballot. This year, in fact, the Alaskan Independence Party has candidates in most of the Valley races, and they see themselves as a growing force in Mat-Su and Alaska politics.

While so-called third parties have not enjoyed consistent success on the national or state level, the AIP did occupy the governor's mansion at one time, and other independent parties have shown sparks of potential in recent years. These parties don't necessarily have to dominate politics to have a profound effect on the political terrain, though.

Third parties change the dynamic of elections whether they win, or not. For one thing, the two national parties leave large gaps on issues and concerns. Some of the gaps are on the left, some on the right, and some in the middle -- but they are there. State and local Democrats and Republicans must toe the party line if they wish to receive party dollars and support, and that doesn't always sit well with local voters. Independents can focus their fund raising, and their policies upon local needs and concerns. They cover the ground that the two national parties can't, or won't, and that can be very appealing to many voters.

By doing so, third parties bring issues into the debate that Democrats and Republicans would just as soon avoid. In that way, even when they don't win, they can force other candidates to move into that uncharted territory. Pay attention to those other parties. They're healthy for the process.