Las Vegas -- The upcoming presidential election may be one of the most important in U.S. history, as Americans are more divided then ever before. Industry observers feel the Democrats are a shoe in for the top spot, however trends from the last two elections also paint a new picture.

Third-party candidates had the biggest gains in 2000 and 2004, with more than one showing substantial growth. America has pretty much been a two party system for the last 100 years, with Democrats and Republicans sharing power. Unlike other democratic countries, third parties are more or less treated as circus acts, never achieving serious recognition.

One major factor of course is the media, who completely ignores third party candidates, unless they are high profile players such as Ross Perot or Ralph Nader. The problem is, they are always branded as long shots and spoilers, and never treated seriously in the public eye.

The truth of the matter, today we don't just have two parties, but really five! Alternative parties have really benefited due to the last two elections, and most Americans are fed up with the same ole song and dance in Washington. Three parties have really shown major growth in the last 10 years due to voter frustration: Libertarian, Constitution, and Green.

With such growth of new political voices on a national scale, one would hope the media would expand coverage on these emerging parties. However, it's business as usual for the news services, as they cover wall-to-wall political analysis on the Democrats and GOP.

C-Span has at least broadcasted national conventions for some of the fledgling parties, but mainstream broadcasters shy away from the unknown candidates.

The media also can be bias, as many networks reported Ralph Nader (who ran on the Green ticket for President in 2000, generating 2.7% of the popular vote) as a spoiler, giving Bush an edge over Gore. The news media really grabbed onto that, following stories in which a vote for a third party candidate was just throwing away your vote.

The majority of American voters see third party candidates as just independents, which plays into the hands of the media, keeping information as vague as possible. Most voters are not completely educated on their choices, giving into a purely two-party system. Sadly, third party choices are usually backed by grass-root action groups, and limited financial pockets to raise awareness for their candidates and party brands.

With those odds against them and voter turnout stagnant, then what is fueling the growth of these parties? Many disfranchised and disgruntled Democrat and Republican voters have changed allegiances, rather than not vote at all. In addition, former candidates from the big two parties have joined alternative choices, bringing more attention in the media to their new platforms.

Case in point, former Republican and member of the United States House of Representatives Bob Barr, is the Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 election. His running mate is Las Vegas business mogul Wayne Allyn Root, who runs quite a large media stable as well. These two are sure to make noise with name recognition and resources previously unavailable to a Libertarian candidate.

The other parties may still have to campaign under the radar, as the Constitution Party has voted to elect the lesser-known Dr. Chuck Baldwin to serve as its 2008 Presidential candidate. Also stealing the spotlight from the Green's Cynthia McKinney, is ex-party presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who will once again run on an independent ticket.

How much attention will broadcast news outlets such as Fox News, CNN and MSNBC give to these guys? What about the press? New York Times, USA Today? It's a good bet it will be business as usual, however third parties are using new media platforms such as the internet and mobile devices to make their case known.

For those who wish to vote for another party, ballot access laws exist in the U.S., which do make it difficult for third party or independent candidates just to get their name on the ballot. So it is still an uphill battle, however many inroads are being made to secure at least two of the three alternative parties nationwide.

Now that the two major parties have settled on their presidential candidates, it is wise to consider the entire political spectrum for a new leader. Not to say that John McCain or Barack Obama aren't solid choices, we just need to acknowledge that we do have alternatives. Can we really elect a third party candidate as president? What opportunities have we missed out over the years by only choosing one out of two players?

The only way we can truly be certain is to be educated about all of the candidates, and in order for that to happen, our media conglomerates need to be more responsible in reporting the whole picture.

Finally, regardless of what the media says, voting for an alternative is not throwing away your vote, it is merely voting your conscience, don't forget we still live in the United States, and we do have a choice!

Listen to Libertarian Vice Presidential Candidate Wayne Allyn Root discuss his campaign.    Courtesy of KDKT/DSN Radio