In the mid 19th Century, the Republican Party replaced the Whigs to become a major party. It did so by embracing the anti-slavery cause. Today's third parties, aspiring to do likewise, should find one or two issues that will resonate with the voters and lead the way to victory at the polls.

What issues should be embraced? A way to approach this question is to see what issues drive the Democratic and Republican parties. Then take the opposite position on each.

The Republican party is fundamentally a party of business interests. It opposes the interests of labor and, in recent years, has pushed the idea that less government is better. The opposite position would be to develop a pro-labor position and to advocate use of government power to achieve desired ends. The goal should be to improve living standards for working men and women.

The Democratic party, in its post-1960s incarnation, is primarily a party of the Civil Rights movement and of demographic groups that consider themselves victimized by society: African Americans, feminist women, gays and lesbians, new immigrants, etc. It is also a party of lawyers and lawsuits. This has led to increased anger and division within society. The opposite position would be to insist on uniform treatment of all groups under the law, restore the rights of free speech, tolerate one's opponents, and oppose political correctness in all its forms.

A Minneapolis landlord named Bill McGaughey ran for U.S. Senate in Minnesota's Independence Party primary in 2002. Following the above strategy, he based the campaign upon two issues meant to fly in the face of the Democrats and Republicans respectively. These two issues were inscribed in a picket sign which he sometimes carried while campaigning.

On one side, the sign read: "I believe that the Federal government should reduce the standard workweek to 32 hours by 2010."

On the other side, it read: "I believe in the full citizenship, dignity, and equality of white males (and of everyone else, too)."

In summary, McGaughey was running for U.S. Senate on promises to support a shorter workweek and to oppose political correctness - positions which are anathema to the current political establishment.

McGaughey did not have a campaign committee. He campaigned for about two months and spent less than $2,000 (in a race which ultimately cost $35 million). He was not the party's endorsed candidate. The state's largest newspaper, the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune, refused to cover his campaign and refused to accept a paid ad from him.

Despite those disadvantages, McGaughey received 8,482 votes. He placed second in the Independence Party primary receiving 31% of the votes, compared with 49.5% for the party-endorsed candidate and 19.5% for a third candidate.

McGaughey attributes his relatively strong finish to his willingness to raise new issues, even controversial ones, which appeal to the forgotten voter.

McGaughey has written a book about his experiences on the campaign trail and the issues that were raised. The title is "The Independence Party and the Future of Third-Party Politics: Adventures & Opinions of an IP Senate Candidate."

See book.