Third-Party Chestnut Won’t Fix Broken U.S. Politics: Albert Hunt

Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The disgust with Washington and theU.S. body politic is palpable as Republicans and Democrats playpetty games that imperil the nation’s full faith and credit.

With a system that looks broken, there are rising calls forbasic change. Predictably, an old saw, the need for a new partyand a centrist presidential candidate, is gaining new currency.One plan, by a new political force, Americans Elect, aims toenlist millions of citizens to vote online for a third-party orindependent candidate for president and to acquire ballot accessin all 50 states. One of the most influential Americancolumnists, Tom Friedman of the New York Times, embraced thisinitiative, arguing that it could create a “radical center”alternative in American politics, much in the same way thatAmazon.com Inc. revolutionized the book business.