The Man Who Could Foil Mitt Romney

The Man Who Could Foil Mitt Romney, A third-party candidate in a key swing state could derail the GOP’s presidential hopes. The third-party candidate who could derail Mitt Romney, A virtually unknown presidential candidate in Virginia could derail Mitt Romney’s bid for president. But how rare is it for a third-party candidate to influence a race for president?

Currently, Virgil Goode, a candidate running in Virginia, has about 9 percent of the projected vote in the upcoming November election, according to polling data.

With Mitt Romney needing Virginia-especially if President Barack Obama can take Ohio or Florida-Goode could become the little-known spoiler in the national election.

The former congressman has a strong enough following in rural Virginia to take votes away from Romney, and Goode has no plans to end his low-budget campaign.

Speaking with a TV station in Lynchburg, Goode said he wanted to take votes away from both candidates. He hopes to be added to a ballot in late August, as a Constitution Party candidate.

Not surprisingly, there are already challenges to Goode’s petition effort to get on the Virginia ballot. The state’s Virginia Board of Elections said on Monday it will investigate signatures on petitions. Goode’s campaign told the Huffington Post that investigation was political in nature.

“Nobody has ever asked any questions about our ballots or anything like that until Congressman Goode is doing well in the polls in Virginia,” said Mitch Turner.

In the past, third-party or independent candidates have affected the presidential election.

In 1992, billionaire Ross Perot led in the national polls at one point before his campaign stumbled. Still, Perot won 19 percent of the popular vote and kept Bill Clinton from getting a majority of the popular vote. Perot was unable to win any electoral votes, but he had a big effect on George H.W. Bush’s re-election effort.