Given the way politics works in America, it is extraordinarily difficult for someone who is not a Democrat or a Republican to get elected to public office.
The duopoly of the two major political parties, combined with the power of incumbency, keeps independents and third-party candidates from having anything more than a minor role in the political process.
Over the past decade, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, re-election rates for the U.S. House have averaged about 96 percent, and about 85 percent for the U.S. Senate. In Vermont, only one incumbent governor has been voted out of office in the last 50 years - Republican Ray Keyser in 1962.
Running for political office takes a certain amount of nerve, but to run for public office outside the two-party system takes even more nerve.
Take Daniel Freilich of Wilmington, a retired Naval doctor who is running as both a Democrat and as an independent against Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy.
On the surface, Freilich's candidacy is pure folly. Leahy is one of the most popular politicians in Vermont and hasn't lost an election in since his first race for Chittenden County State's Attorney in 1966. He has raised about $4 million for the 2010 campaign. He is as close to unbeatable as any candidate in Vermont.
By comparison, Freilich has raised about $17,000 and has made little headway against Leahy. Yet, in Vermont, he can be taken as seriously as any other candidate.
This state's tradition of giving ballot access to candidates from outside the two-party system has allowed a third party - the Progressives - to grow strong enough to elect its members to the state Legislature, and has allowed others, such as the Liberty Union party, to have a voice in Vermont politics.
That's why we're disappointed with the dismissive attitude of Leahy toward Freilich.
According to Freilich, when he asked Leahy why he would not agree to a public debate, Leahy responded that he would debate on Vermont Public Radio prior to the Aug. 24 primary and with all candidates prior to the general election and that Freilich was an independent and “not a real Democrat.”
The aberration of the dozens of candidate forums in the Democratic gubernatorial campaign aside, few politicians want to host public forums or debates with their opponents. This is especially the case if you are an incumbent who has such a commanding lead that you gain absolutely nothing by holding a public forum.
Just the same, Leahy ought to give Freilich, and Republican opponent Len Britton, multiple chances to hold public forums. We think Vermont voters deserve to hear from their candidates, which is why the Democratic gubernatorial forums have been so successful and why Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, the presumptive Republican candidate, has been justifiably criticized for ducking open public forums.
Freilich said he supports the restoration of fair and progressive taxes that favor working and middle-income Americans. He is an advocate of single-payer health insurance and favors strict regulation of the banking and finance sector. These stances deserve a hearing, and they deserve fair responses from all the candidates running for the Senate seat.
We believe this because, historically, third-party and independent candidates make vital contributions to the political debate even if they don't win. They bring up issues that the so-called mainstream politicians avoid and force voters, and the news media, to confront these issues.
That's why we need these candidates, and we need to allow them to be heard.