In the United States, what are the origins of the argument that voting for a third party for president is the equivalent of "throwing your vote away"? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

In the United States, what are the origins of the argument that voting for a third party for president is the equivalent of "throwing your vote away"?

by tennantsmith

Is this a modern phenomenon or was it an argument used in, say, the four-way 1912 presidential election?

Aicx

To add on, I'm curious about the history of third party candidates in the US and any successes or impactful changes that have resulted from their running. With a specific focus on the twentieth century.