Third parties have played a role in American politics by influencing elections and bringing attention to new issues. However, no third party candidate has ever come close to winning the presidency, with only a few winning electoral votes. Third parties usually form around a specific social cause or issue and aim to influence the major parties rather than win elections. If a major party adopts a third party's ideas, it can cause the third party to lose support over time. The cartoon images show themes of third parties struggling for recognition, influencing major parties, and potentially hurting major party candidates if they gain too much support.