It plays a big role. America leans populist. The Ross Perot campaign was somewhat populist, and he would have possibly won the 1992 election if he would have stayed in the campaign. There's a lot of room at the moment for a populist third party here, since both parties have strayed away from it.
I think you mean: both parties are in it to their necks.
Are you kidding? Both parties are rejecting it completely.
Are YOU KIDDING??? The GOP is doing nothing but moving left economically and right socially in the past couple years, and so are the Democrats.
The Democrats are moving right ecnomically and left-socially.