Four years ago, Al Snook never would have run. He was a "common man" who didn't have the money or desire to claw his way through what he calls an alienating political process. And so he stayed out of it, figuring his third-party message never would be heard beyond the walls of his humble Garden Grove house.
But this year, as it has been for scores of other third-party candidates, the Internet's cheap and easy access has made him a player. With $300 in his wallet and a Reform Party Web site, "I have got a real slim chance," he says.
Snook, running for Orange County's 68th Assembly District seat, is part of a bigger-than-ever pool of third-party candidates that will appear on Election Day ballots Tuesday. Their ranks have doubled and tripled in the last two years, unprecedented spikes that political experts, party leaders and local and state election officials attribute to the World Wide Web.
Still relegated to fringe status, third-party campaigns have yet to master the art of raising the funds needed to launch television commercials and glossy mailers. So instead, they have latched on to the power of the Internet as a way to get their message across.
Convinced that Americans are looking for something different, third-party candidates rely on snazzy Web sites to detail their political platforms. They send out mass e-mails with a few keyboard clicks. They make widespread use of political chat rooms to spread the word. And collecting the signatures needed to ensure a place on the ballot is far easier with the help of the Web.
It helps third-party groups do their best to compete with mainstream Republicans and Democrats by making the possibility of political life more realistic--and less costly--to the common person, candidate data shows.
"It allows us to move away from the idea of the professional politician; the housewife can click on the tab 'Become a Candidate,' " said Robert Roth, press secretary for the Natural Law Party in Fairfield, Iowa.
Gerry Moan, vice chair of the Reform Party USA, agreed: "You still have to gather signatures to get on the ballot, but you can put up a Web site in a couple of hours and save thousands of dollars. It really opens up the process."
The Natural Law Party boasts some of the most dramatic increases. There are 1,200 candidates nationwide, a threefold increase compared with the 1996 roster. The Libertarian Party now has 1,700 candidates, a twofold increase over the same period. Others, such as the Constitution Party, the Green Party and the Reform Party, show similar increases.
