2008: ‘A time for resistance, rebellion, radicalism’

WASHINGTON – Could this be the year Americans say no to both major-party presidential candidates and trigger a political revolution that will outweigh in consequence whether a Democrat of Republican wins the White House?

That’s what WND Editor Joseph Farah is banking on with the release of his new book, “None of the Above,” a manifesto in which he makes the historic plea to vote for neither Barack Obama nor John McCain.

“This could be the year,” says Farah. “If it is, the shockwaves will reverberate for decades. We will witness either the reformation of one of the two parties or the birth of a viable third party.”

Farah says disaffection from the two major-party candidates needs to be persuasive enough to one or both parties that they nominated candidates out of step with what the public wants.

“But the numbers won’t need to be as dramatic as you might think,” says the founder of the leading independent news source on the Internet. “I don’t think Americans have really considered how powerful it is to vote ‘no.’ The Soviet Union imploded when Russians said ‘no.’ ‘No’ is a very powerful word. It is a revolutionary word. And America is in need of a political revolution – a revolution that gives voters real choices.”

Some political analysts believe the 2008 presidential election could be historic in its levels of non-participation – at least insofar as the two major-party candidates are concerned.

When “None of the Above” is released officially into bookstores nationwide Aug. 19, Farah plans to unveil scientific polling results showing the strength of the movement – even before it gets started.

With one of five Hillary Clinton supporters saying they are unlikely to vote for Barack Obama and deep dissatisfaction in Republican ranks for the nominee of their party, third party candidates have the best chance in years of scoring significant vote tallies.

But is it a “waste of a vote” to cast a protest ballot for someone other than a Republican or Democratic presidential candidate?

No, says Farah, who is leading a budding movement to encourage support for third party candidates or write-ins for the top slot on the ballot.

“I don’t deny that either Barack Obama or John McCain will become president in January 2009,” he says. “It’s just that I can’t be a part of supporting either one – not even as the lesser of two evils.”

Farah believes whoever wins among the two major-party candidates will lead America in the wrong direction.

“How can any of us be a part of knowingly sending America on the wrong course?” he asks. “I believe there is a better way.”

Farah’s better way is joining the “None of the Above” movement and making a major political statement in 2008 that will reverberate for years to come – helping Americans who believe in the Constitution, limited government, personal responsibility, individual rights and self-government to recapture the White House and the Congress in future elections.

“Many people who believe in these principles – principles most closely associated with the Republican Party – think holding your nose and voting for John McCain is the right thing to do in 2008,” he says. “I disagree. If McCain wins, he will have done it his way – with an incoherent platform that promotes global warming hysteria, embryonic stem cell research, unconstitutional restrictions on First Amendment freedoms, more illegal immigration, etc.”

He says at least one of the two major parties needs to be recaptured by freedom-loving Americans who believe in self-government – and that is more likely with low turnout for the major parties and high turnout for third parties and write-ins.

Before writing the book, Farah was behind the “None of the Above” bumper sticker, one of the most popular products in the WND online store. WND is now giving away the magnetized bumper stickers with every purchase of the book.

“We need a minimal standard of acceptability for any candidate running for president,” says Farah. “That standard for me is support for the Constitution. I don’t see that in either of the two major-party standard-bearers. That’s why I will be voting for neither of them in 2008.”