Niall Stanage, a journalist from Northern Ireland who writes about U.S. politics for readers both in Great Britain and in the United States, has this unusually perceptive and original article about third partes in the United States. The piece is in Capital, a New York politics periodical.
I like the article, however he completely ignores that fact that many third parties are crippled from the start by ballot access laws. I do understand though, that he is talking more about why they seem to not gain traction once they are established though.
I was particularly struck by the comparison to Britain where a centrist grouping, the combined Social Democrat and Liberal Parties, developed and grew over twenty years and the Labor Party’s response was also to move toward the center. I can’t help but think that a similar trend is happening here, but on the right this time. The Tea Party wasn’t bashful about fighting “centrists” in the Republican Party and the Libertarians, if I can place them on the right as well, are no longer a negligible force in certain parts of the country. Ron Paul is a national figure who could galvanize millions across the political spectrum if he took on an independent presidential campaign.
Due to the zillion third parties in the U.K. the gerrymander Cons/LibDem party hacks in the U.K. House of Commons are pushing their IRV scheme for a 5 May 2011 referendum — i.e. de facto wipe out ALL of the marginal third parties / independents.
For some uniquely moron Brit reason the U.K. party hacks have not directly limited ballot access.
Niall Stanage wrote (in the article mentioned above):
“Ross Perot had already mounted the more successful of his two presidential bids when he set up the Reform Party in the mid-1990s. It still exists, but it is a negligible force.”
Phil Sawyer responds:
The main reason that the Reform Party is no longer a significant force is due to all of the factional and personal infighting that took place within the Party and the subsequent splintering of the Party. I think that this fact speaks volumes about the nature of human beings (on Earth, in general; and in the United States, in particular).
It would be very difficult to put the Reform Party back together again; however, it would be much more possible to begin anew with a brand new, reform-type, national, political party. Jesse Ventura and the Independence Party of Minnesota could form the center of such an endeavor. Mr. Ventura would be a very strong candidate for president in 2012.
Whether that takes place or not, I think that the Republican Party will be a minor-sized party by the year of 2016. There will certainly be some new force that will come in to fill the void (this will be the party that happens to be the most organized – and best connected to the mass center of the American voters). That is one of the major reasons why people should not give up hope.
Phil- with all due respect I would point out that all “third” parties in the US which have sprung up around a personality as you suggest with former Governor Ventura (ie: Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive Party; Ross Perot’s Reform Party and to a lesser extent the LaFollette Progressives and the Henry Wallace Progressives as well as John Anderson’s National Unity Party) simply died out when the founder either went back to a major party or otherwise threw in the towel. Why do you believe this has changed?
In 2008, when the 4 small National Parties were able to agree on SOME fundamental issues in the campaign a way was shown to at least PARTIALLY deal with the current duopoly existing in the United States. Each of the four candidates were strongest in various areas of the country. So while the 2 Major American parties are built as an internal coalition of interests, the 3 Nationally organized minor parties are to a similar degree an EXTERNAL coalition of interests.
If each of them were to concentrate their efforts in states were the electorate is more amenable to their particular concerns and issues, it is possible that an INFORMAL alliance regarding issues of common concern could be worked out among their members elected to State legislatures. From there, successful candidates for Congress could emerge. With the U. S. Senate being so evenly balanced during the past 2 decades, 2 or 3 more none major party members could wield a great deal of clout on many issues, particularly treaties. The House although seemingly relatively easier for a non-major party candidate to win a seat has not worked out that way.
Out here in California the ramming through of Prop. 14 necessitates a completely new approach for candidates from the 4 currently ballot-qualified small parties. In addition to challenging Prop. 14’s legal and structural basis, somebody needs to step up and build some sort of battle strategy for the minor parties to use in the 2012 election season. The Presidential campaigns, of course, would be independently run by each party’s Central Committee.
Thank you for your very excellent question, “Casual Bystander.” I think that the thrust of the implication contained in it is correct. There has been up to now no qualitative change in our situation. There have been tons of smaller, quantitative, changes that have taken place since 1968. By combining all of those with the major shift that will happen when the GOP becomes a minor-sized party in 2016 (and, certainly, other cultural, economic, political, social, and spiritual changes that will have happened by then), you then will have the right ingredients for a major quantitative change.
The national Reform Party, I believe, was on the very cusp of becoming a major political party in the United States and displacing one of the two current larger parties. It is a real shame that that did not happen. It would have been a dream come true for so many of us. As the late, great, Norman Mailer would say, however: “Heaven help us when we do” win our struggle. (See the last page of his great book, “Miami and the Siege of Chicago.” While at it, one should also read another one of his great works, “The Armies of the Night.”)
By the way, here in California, the American Independent Party is still going strong – forty-two years after it did so well with George C. Wallace as its presidential candidate. The main thing that has held this Party back is its seeming inability to embrace practical politics and reach out more to the center (where most of the voters can be found). I think that the current affiliation struggle (between the Constitution Party faction and the America’s Independent Party faction) is irrelevant. AIP-CA should, instead, affiliate with the Independence Parties of Minnesota, New York, and so forth – and form a brand new, national, political party.
AIP-CA was one the parties that I tried out after the Reform Party of California lost is ballot status. (I was even on the State Central Committee for awhile.) Currently, I am back in the Peace and Freedom Party of California, serving on the Sacramento County Central Committee, and pushing for that Party to affiliate with a national political party. It is a real struggle but PFP-CA is where I feel most at home.
The main thing is that people do not give up hope for real change. If we keep doing our work (as mundane as it often is), logic and reason will eventually prevail. “The writing is on the wall” and “the truth is out there.”
Thank you, “Deemer from California” for your very good message (#6, above). We really do need a new approach since we now have to deal with that “top-two” monster. I would love to see the four smaller (ballot qualified) parties – and other (non-qualified) parties also – get together and map out a plan for victory at the polls!
I agree, we must not give up hope. The people need viable political representation and are awakening to the reality of the current systemic failure of the D&Rs. I have worked within the Republican, Libertarian, Reform, AIP and Constitution parties. If we can only galvanize our opposition to the status quo based upon common interests and issues we will prevail. First though, we must overcome our vicious infighting. We will be working on that in Alaska in preparation for 2011 & 2012.
Phil- Duh… I guess I did miss another party that formed around a personality. George Wallace founded the AIP and despite its continued existance in CA it really has not been the same since Wallace returned to the Democrats. Nationally it has vanished. I do share your sentiment that we must not give up but I am not overly optimistic.
To “Casual Bystander” (#10, above):
In spite of the fact that George Wallace contested some of the Democratic Party primaries in 1972, there seems to be considerable evidence that he may have run on the American Party/American Independent Party ticket again in the November General Election that year. I think that is the main reason why there was an assasination attempt against him. He was a real threat to the establishment. The same holds for President John F. Kennedy (even though he was President of the United States); Malcom X; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. For more information about much of this, people should read, at least, the following two books: “American Conspiracies” by Jesse Ventura (with Dick Russell); and “JFK And The Unspeakable: Whe He Died And Why It Matters [He Chose Peace. They Marked Him For Death]” – by James W. Douglass. I own both books; I have read the former and I am now in the process of reading the latter. They are truly “mind-blowing” experiences to read and let sink in.
You are correct that these “third” parties we have discussed have, to some extent or another, revolved around a central personality. I think that the Reform Party and the American Independent Party of California, though, have gone beyond that. The Reform Party could have really made it, I believe, if all of the people involved had tried to get along.
Thank you, and “Alaska Constitution Party” (#9, above), for sharing my sentiment that we have to keep hoping and working for our goals of liberation from the two-party oligarchy. It may not get any easier for a little while yet. However, when things begin to change in a significant matter, it will probably happen very, very quickly. Who knows? It may even be before 2016; it may be very soon. Most of us can not see the future all that well; however, we are the ones who will, God willing, make that future!
In my comment (#11, above), I should have added that George Wallace was crippled and paralyzed for life in the assasination attempt mentioned. Also, for those that may not know: President John Kennedy; Malcom X; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Senator Robert Kennedy were all actually killed by assasination.
“The truth is out there.”
Phil- Not to belabor this but why do you believe the Republicans will fall to minor party status and not the Democrats?
In California, the dmocrats won handily. The republican vote was not split and some thought by the AIP candidate “Chelene Nightingale.” The reason for this was Nightingales xenophobe diatribe (in a state where the hispanic vote is needed to win). AIP candidate also was not seen as viable as many of her “views” were deemed “ridiculous, and to some frightening” ie: Chemtrails, Birther, truther (9-11 was planned by the U.S. Gov) She became a fringe candidate and did not garner even 2% of the vote. So, If third parties are to be taken seriously, they need to find people that don’t “wear tin foil” hats, and reek of bigotry.
Casual Bystander asked:
December 20th, 2010 at 7:03 am
Phil- Not to belabor this but why do you believe the Republicans will fall to minor party status and not the Democrats?
Phil Sawyer responds:
That is another very good question and it deserves a thoughtful answer. My thinking had been that the Republican Party had been made irrelevant by the eight years of the Bush-Cheney Administration – and that it was holding on, essential, because it was being propped up by the large corporations and the establishment news media (even more so than the Democratic Party). Then with the elections this year, the GOP got very lucky because the economy has been so bad. (The Democrats forgot their own mantra: “It’s the economy, stupid.”) It is possible that the Republican Party can now transcend the Bush-Cheney era. Let me give this some more thought and get back to you.
In any case, we have to keep our optimism about our chances for liberation from the two-party oligarchy. We really do not know what the future will bring; we have to remain confident, keep organizing and working, and always be ready to take advantage of any openings that come along.
What I meant to write above was “esentially,” not “essential.”
Researching history for the Libertarian Party’s 50th year, I learned [from Richard Winger, Administrator for this site] this:
The only U.S. parties that existed for at least 50 years, and ran candidates for at least 50 years, are
1. Democratic,
2. Republican,
3. Prohibition,
4. Socialist Labor,
5. Socialist,
6. Communist, and
7, Libertarian.
Of those, the Libertarian Party is the only one besides Dem and Rep that still run candidates for all levels of office.
Perhaps the LP is worthy of note as it’s reaches it’s 50 year mark on Dec 11. 2021.
BTW: I could not find the article. I especially wanted to read it as I am half way through Leon Uris’s books on Ireland. Up to 1907 in the first of the two books. gkl
Why did LP National have its 50th Anniversary party in Colorado in August? I thought the party formed in Colorado in December.
The LP of California is having a 50th Anniversary Party on December 11th in Fresno.