Unfortunately without massive voter reform, of which we have been sold reforms in the opposite direction, the two party system stopped being an illusion almost two centuries ago.

At this point no third party can survive in the presidential election for longer than two cycles without displacing another. There can be only two until we.

1. Switch past a first past the post voting system.

2. Remove or severely limit funding capabilities from parties as they currently exist.

3. Stop encouraging people to vote who don't feel self motivated to do so. Everyone should be able to vote, but when you encourage people to vote that wouldn't of their own volition, you get votes that will only be along their party lines. They are not self motivated to vote, so they will similarly lack motivation to do due diligence and research. They are easily manipulated into voting, so they are similarly easily manipulated in how they vote.

I'm actually quite moderate and slightly left leaning. I am fairly liberal though, which is an entirely different access. I have never registered Republicans nor Democrat. But I don't delude myself into thinking anyone else has a shot at the presidency excepting extreme circumstances. If Trump ran third party for example, he would possibly have a chance. Especially if he could spin a narrative that he had to run third party in order to not have to play by party rules or something like that.