Trapped within a SYSTEM that is beholden to corporate interests. You don't get to dodge that bullet when running under a different party's banner. In fact, you make it even easier for corporate media to shut you out.

these are your most "progressive" figures in congress

And, who are YOUR figures in Congress?! Oh wait you don't have any. Well, that sure does make it hard to criticize them.

...until they pick up a gun and join a union.

Union membership shot up under Biden's pro-union labor department. Now that the labor department answers to Elon Musk, how do you think that will impact union membership?

If it comes down to picking up guns, I'd much rather be facing a liberal police force that at least tries to look like they respect constitutional protections. That's not what you will get from Trump.

We are in no way better off today because Trump won. Not politically, and certainly not in policy. All of your hand waving has still not even approached a discussion of how a third party strategy would work any better than all the deficiencies you rightly call out about the Democrats.