The candidate, admittedly a little nervous, fumbled a bit with the microphone upon taking his place behind the podium during a recent speech at the University of Maine in Orono.

“It’s time to reject the Republicans and the Democrats,” Carl Cooley, a socialist running for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District seat, told the 30 or so people who were gathered in a large room on the second floor of the Memorial Union.

It was perhaps Cooley’s largest audience to date. As a third-party candidate – and a long shot at that – he hasn’t been particularly sought after for the circuit of Chamber breakfasts and community center forums that typify campaigns in Maine’s 2nd District, the largest east of the Mississippi River.

But there’s not much typical about the candidate or his shoestring campaign.

For Cooley, a 77-year-old former autoworker, math teacher and sheep farmer, the public appearance in Orono was a relative rarity. Voters shouldn’t expect to see him in a political ad, such as those routinely released by his major-party opponents, Democrat Michael Michaud and Republican Brian Hamel.

Besides not having the money to buy the normally coveted airtime, Cooley said he deplores the format, which he said offers little value – and even less information – to voters.

“There’s not one thing about socialism you can explain in 30 seconds,” Cooley said during an interview at his home in the Waldo County town of Jackson, where he lives with his wife.

Indeed, a review of Cooley’s Socialist Equality Party Web site finds dozens upon dozens of lengthy articles, many concerning the party’s anti-war stance or its disgust with both major parties, which Cooley said offer few if any differences – particularly over the war in Iraq and their penchant for corporate money.

“The only difference [between the parties] is a difference in style,” said Cooley, who blasts both his opponents for their parties’ complicity in what he calls an unjust war.

“They have to be held responsible for that,” said Cooley, who supports the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all U.S. troops from the Middle East and Central Asia.

Cooley believes his staunch anti-war stance will win some votes, particularly among college students, whom he said signed his nominating petitions in droves. In order to qualify for the Maine ballot, Cooley had to submit 2,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office. He submitted 3,000 signatures, 2,250 of which were certified by election officials.

Cooley’s presence in the race, if anything, could cut into Michaud’s support, say analysts, although none give Cooley any chance of winning, and few predict the political unknown can break 5 percent of the vote.

Although Cooley will take part in at least two debates, he isn’t even listed as a candidate in recent polling. Nevertheless, he takes some generic inspiration from one poll showing that 7 percent of voters would choose “another candidate” over Hamel or Michaud.

L. Sandy Maisel, a Colby College political scientist and author of “Two Parties or More?” said Cooley’s campaign – like those of other third-party candidates – could play only a “spoiler role” in the two-party system.

“The public should be making its choice between people who have a chance to win,” said Maisel, a Democrat. “The chance of the socialist candidate winning this race is about the same as Ralph Nader winning [the presidency] – zero.”

Cooley is realistic about his chances, but plans to step up the campaign in the coming weeks. Besides participating in debates in Lewiston on Oct. 15 and Fort Kent on Oct. 18, Cooley will hold a public meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, at the University College in Bangor.

It’s there he hopes to further spread his message, a harsh rejection of capitalism he said received a warm reception from those who stopped to sign his petitions.

“I found if you want to stop people, say the word “socialist,” Cooley said, recounting the early days of his campaign. “Don’t be afraid of that.”

On the Net: www.wsws.org.

Cooley on the issues:

Iraq War-terrorism: Supports the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all U.S. troops from the Middle East and Central Asia.

Abortion rights: Supports a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy without restriction.

Economy-taxes: Supports the “nationalization” of companies worth more than $10 billion, thus making them publicly owned businesses. Supports public ownership of all banks and large insurance institutions.

Supports repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and restoring the estate tax.

Health care: Supports using public money to provide universal comprehensive medical coverage.