Combining #NeverTrump & #NeverClinton: A new third party effort?

For all the #NeverTrump voters out there, Josiah Peterson explains how they can actually do something, particularly when it comes to support a third party candidate, in “These Numbers Say A Third Party Can Win The Presidency” for The Federalist. 

It won’t necessarily be an easy path to the presidency, and the next House of Representatives may have to step in. But, in his thorough analysis, Peterson explains how it’s at least possible. “You don’t need a majority, or even a plurality, of electors to win the presidency,” Peterson writes, going on to explain that if no candidate receives the necessary 270 electoral votes, the next House picks the candidate from the top three.

With the current state of the race, Peterson points to a “Not Trump” and “United DNC.” While “Trump likes to brag about winning more than 10 million votes,” Peterson writes, “almost 16 million people voted for someone other than Trump.” He also failed to win a majority in 33 states.

Peterson carefully analyzes and explains the numbers of which states “Not Trump” would need to win to prevent a Trump or “United DNC” presidency. Peterson is quick to note though that:

United DNC isn’t remotely a guaranteed outcome. There’s a strong Never Hillary movement and so far Bernie Sanders has shown no signs of offering olive branches. He’s even complained about his mistreatment by the Democratic Party and might be tempted to make a third-party run himself, as he has in 20 out of 20 of his past elections, 14 of them against other Democrats.