Every election season, voting feels burdensome when we have to choose between two lackluster candidates.

This is why many people give their votes to underdogs: third-party candidates.

The candidates of the two major parties, Democrats and Republicans, according to third-party contenders, have disavowed the populace, opting instead to serve wealthy donors and special interests.

It’s funny how many things in this country stay the same. This election isn’t different from the one over 30 years ago in 1992.

In 1992, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were set to meet each other on the debate stage, along with a new face that worried the two figures: Texas industrialist Ross Perot.

Perot was a child of the Great Depression, and he built himself into a successful businessman — the epitome of the American dream — and he grew disillusioned with party politics in the 1990s when he saw Americans being crushed under economic hardship.

His 30-minute infomercials called for a balanced budget in the wake of the economic downturn and increased unemployment, something we hear from modern-day conservatives, but he held a populist bent in his aversion to accepting donations from special interest groups; Perot also had liberal views for his time including stricter gun control and abortion rights.

On election night of 1992, though he was far from victory, Perot carried out one of the most successful independent campaigns since Teddy Roosevelt in 1912, at a popular vote of 19%. 

In the 2024 cycle, we have Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a controversial contender for the White House.

Kennedy has an interesting reputation; though he’s not the same as Perot, he carries a colorful history.

He comes from a recognizable family, known historically for being Democrats.

Throughout his campaign, he has spoken about his career as an attorney, and his trials in fighting to clean up contaminated waterways.

Lately, he’s been painted as a conspiracy theorist for his supposed views on COVID-19 and vaccinations. He’s voiced his distaste for certain components in vaccines that he believes cause damage to young children.

On the issues, Kennedy, somewhat like Perot, combines pieces from most ideological camps: fiscally, he holds fast to the idea of the American dream, and doing what it takes to lower prices affected by inflation; socially, he holds the libertarian attitude on the government’s intervention into its citizens’ private lives. 

Even if you don’t agree with Kennedy — his family has refused to support him — it’s easy to see his impact on the 2024 race. 

According to the Federal Election Commission website, his campaign has raised over $22 million in donations, many coming from first-time and small-money donors.

It’s not as much as Perot’s nearly $73 million, which he also financed himself, in 1992, but he’s behind major Republican contender Nikki Haley.

It will be interesting to see how he continues, and it would be a privilege to see an independent take part in the debates later this year.