When I turned 18 I registered to vote as the first Republican in my family. Through 1998 I always voted the GOP ticket. However, following Clinton’s acquittal with 10 Republican votes I changed my voter status to “no party”. I voted for George W. Bush in 2000, but don’t plan to vote for him again.

In 2002 I offered my support to a Republican woman who was planning to challenge incumbent Corrine Brown in Florida’s 3rd CD. However, the GOP establishment in Florida did not want anyone to challenge Brown- fearing that a high black turnout for Brown would hurt Republicans in other races, namely Jeb Bush. The Republican Party harassed my candidate to the point that she withdrew from the race. I immediately began looking for an alternative candidate, but could not find one. Then within a week of J. C. Watts announcing his retirement from Congress, Jennifer Carroll, the GOP’s failed 2000 candidate, announced she would resign from her state job- effective on the last day of the qualifying period.

To insure that Brown did have a challenger I became a write-in candidate. My purpose was to harass the GOP since I knew I would not be able to campaign and had no chance of winning. Still I received about 100 votes without spending a dime.

Since 2002 I have thought about joining a 3rd party, but I cannot find one with a platform fully compatible with my views. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I am not an isolationist, but I want the United States to withdraw from the U.N. and I don’t know if NATO still serves any purpose. I insist that the United States give unconditional support to Israel and I oppose any idea of statehood for the Palestinians.

I am for free trade and would like to see a NAFTA type agreement between the democratic nations of the New World, Great Britain, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and the British Commonwealth. This being said I would like to find some way to reduce imports from China.

I see public education as a matter of national security. Conservatives have generally taken education as an issue for the state and local governments. But, I have had too many bad dealings with private schools to think private schools can ever be a worthwhile alternative to public education. I would like to have a national K-12 curriculum with national standardized exams for all subjects in all grades, national teacher qualifications and a 45 week school year.

I would welcome any thoughts and ideas as to finding or starting a 3rd party.

Have you ever considered the Reform Party? They share many of the views you stated. Although they do not support free trade. It may be somthing looking into for you. I am registered as independent but will go with whatever canidate I see as the best. One question I will you not vote for Bush next time?

What's wrong with private schools? I go to one. In public school I was harrassed, ridiculed, ostrasized, one might almost say tortured socially. My life was threatened on no less than 2 occasions, I recieved a second rate education, ansd theft and vandalism ran rampant throughout the school. I never brought anything valuble to the school, but a calculator, my clothes for P.E., my 7th grade yearbook, Magic: The Gathering cards, schoolbooks, ect. were stolen from me, alone. At least 40% of the students in the school did not care for their studies, and everyone, myself included, who did not fit in with sycophantic, popular wannabe culture was ostrasized and ridiculed, in some cases beaten. I was spit on, kicked at, had my every word twisted into a meaning a far cry from it's intention, been labeled virtually every unsavory label possible, and I am extreamly glad that I will never go to a public school again.

try the constitution party. www.constitutionparty.com

this kinda scares me though:
"I see public education as a matter of national security. Conservatives have generally taken education as an issue for the state and local governments. But, I have had too many bad dealings with private schools to think private schools can ever be a worthwhile alternative to public education. I would like to have a national K-12 curriculum with national standardized exams for all subjects in all grades, national teacher qualifications and a 45 week school year."

Our Public education sustem is horrible. after 50 years and over one hundred studies there has never been a link found between quality of learning and money yet politicians still insist on further funds, strange to the least. Public education is a disgrace. 45 week school year? Kids need to be kids. if anything they need less school, not more.

Read this guy

John Taylor Gatto.