In rush for recount, should we examine role of third parties?
A third party to the presidential election is leading the charge for a recount, but is anyone asking whether or not the third parties may have cost Hillary Clinton the election? In six of the 13 swings states that Donald Trump won, the third party candidates collectively received more votes than the margin by which Trump won. And had the third parties not run, Clinton would likely have received more of their votes than would have Trump based on their policy differences.
Still an uphill battle, but if Clinton had been able to secure two-thirds of the third party votes, she would have picked up three of those swing states and won with 278 electoral votes.
Maybe there is more motivation behind the recount than meets the eye.
Ron Workman, Pismo Beach
This story was originally published December 3, 2016 at 7:34 PM with the headline "In rush for recount, should we examine role of third parties?."