http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_elec... (Executive Summary - Teddy Roosevelt costs Taft the presidency and ushers in Woodrow Wilson) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixiecrat (executive summary - by splintering off from the Democratic party in the name of segregation, Strom Thurmond cost Dewey the election against Truman, while also starting the long slide of the South from Democratic to Republican) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace_presidential_cam... (executive summary - for "Strom Thurmond" substitute "George Wallace", for "truman" substitute "Humphrey" - George Wallace put Nixon in office) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Nader#The_.22spoiler.22_c... (executive summary - the "edit war" over whether or not Nader cost Gore the presidency in 2000) I remember Perot. I remember 2000. And I don't see a 3rd party candidate - unless it's Jesus Christ himself - doing anything other than costing Obama the election in favor of whoever the Republicans put against him.