Odds are against a Teabag third party

The Tea Party rallies this week have prompted an obvious question from investors and public officials alike: will the Tea Partiers seek an economic third way?

Let's put on the old political science hat for a moment to see if history and research can tell us anything about third party attempts in these United States.

"When the world is running down . . ."

Back in the 1980s, the new wave rock group The Police released a single titled, "When The World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around."