Chris Hedges is my third-party pick. Yes, he’s a bit too pacifistic. He’s no living incarnation of Mao, he’s a bit toothless in organizing, but he has name recognition and he might be equally dangerous to both Democrats and Republicans.

Hedges could overshadow any Democratic nominee by simply being the most progressive candidate in the field with the history to back it up. It would also be easy for him to look like the smartest person in the room, as he has debated Christopher Fucking Hitchens before. He has extensive media experience. He wouldn’t pansy around like Bernie. It would be disasterous for Dems if he ended up on a debate stage.

Hedges has a long history of being an ardent pacifist, even going so far as to denounce black bloc protest. He speaks to the real insecurities Americans have. He’s unambiguously Christian. He’s doomer as hell, and he doesn’t simp for Democrats. He’s been a long-time critic of the pornographic industry as well. Though we generally don’t agree with many of these extraneous positions, it does make Hedges an intimidating challenge for any Republican should he end up getting any audience. Hedges simply doesn’t fit the culture war mold for a progressive.

I know I am a bit too enthusiastic about the potential he could have as a presidential candidate, but I can’t help but think that even if he doesn’t end up on a debate stage (since the Dems have learned their lesson with Nader there), simply being on the ballot nationwide could spoil the election either way (depending on who fronts the weaker candidate).

And, with the added benefit of being one of the most traumatized and doomerpilled people on the planet, Hedges has a real chance of reaching people who are alienated from participating in democracy. Let’s be perfectly honest about Biden. Nobody expected him to win Georgia, nobody expected the black population there to be mobilized for the situation. Surprisingly productive voter drives can happen in any candidate’s favor. If Hedges manages to get into the foray, he might take up enough electoral votes to send everything to the House of Representatives to decide. After Dems most probably lose ground in the 2022 midterms, this is a cool zone event.