The United States has a two-party system, with only two political parties calling the shots. Those are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Dozens of members of those two parties have now announced the formation of a third national party in the US. The initiators want to use this to appeal to millions of voters who, according to them, are disenchanted with the current, increasingly polarized two-party system.
The new national party will be named ‘Forward’ in Dutch. It will initially be led by two co-chairs: Andrew Yang and Christine Todd Whitman. The first is a former Democratic presidential candidate, the second a former Republican governor of New Jersey. They hope that the party will become a viable alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties that still dominate American politics. They’re waving a Gallup poll from last year showing that a record two-thirds of Americans think a third party is needed.
Ready by 2024
On September 24, the party will officially kick off in Houston and next summer the party’s first national convention will be held in a major US city. In the fall, party leaders in some twenty cities will present the new project in order to gain support for it. “Forward” aims to be in all 50 states by the end of 2024, in time for the 2024 presidential and congressional elections.
“Reviving a fair, thriving economy” and “Giving Americans more election choices, more confidence in a government that works, and more control over our future.” These are the two pillars of the new party, which situates itself in the centre. “Not left. Not right. Forward”, it sounds.
Never succeeded in the past
Third parties never got off the ground in the US two-party system in the past. However, they can sometimes influence presidential elections. For example, analysts say Ralph Nader of the Green Party took enough votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore in 2000 to help Republican George W. Bush into the White House.
Even now, political analysts are skeptical about the chances of success of ‘Forward’ in a country as polarized as the US. Many Democrats have already expressed fears on Twitter that the new party will divert more votes from Democrats than from Republicans, ultimately helping Republicans in races where the winner’s lead promises to be narrow.
Budget
In an interview, Yang said the party will start with a budget of about $5 million, with sponsors and a following of hundreds of thousands of members. “We are starting in a very strong financial position. Financial support will not be a problem,” said Yang.
According to Stu Rothenberg, an experienced non-partisan political analyst, establishing a third party in the US is no easy feat. “The two major political parties start with a huge advantage, such as their presence in 50 states built up over decades,” he says. Rothenberg also points out that third-party presidential candidates, such as John Anderson in 1980 and Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996, fell by the wayside and failed to build a true third party that helped shape national politics.
Also see: Trump hints at a return to the White House
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.