A story that didn’t make the New York Times’ headlines: Andrew Yang and Christine Todd Whitman, along with other politicians from both sides of the aisle, have created a new third party called Forward. The party’s first national convention is scheduled for September 24th in Houston, Texas. It is being registering with the hopes of appearing on ballets in all 50 states come 2024.
In case you felt like American politics wasn’t convoluted or crowded enough, now you have another party to follow! The primary question that comes to mind is what will be the effects of this party’s creation? Is Forward exactly the “more” we have been calling for? Will it open up our stifled political environment and revitalize American’s engagement with democracy? Or will it further clutter our political process, diluting voter’s support to prevent majority-favored policies from being enacted? Both? Neither? We are all for grey areas here.
Since a one-party system dissolved in 1817 with the help of James Monroe’s presidency, a two-party system has dominated American politics. While the names and standings of these two parties have fluctuated with time, the number of parties that have exercised substantial political control has remained consistent at two. Yang and Whitman are not the only political hopefuls who have started and promoted a third party, they are just the newest. Some might argue they aren’t even starting a new third party, but rather consolidating three existing parties; Forward will be a merger of the Renew America Movement (a party developed by former Republican officials), the Forward Party as created by Yang, and the Serve America Movement (a party made up of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents).
So why then is the creation of the Forward party significant in any way? Many pieces of news are primarily only noteworthy because of what they tell us about the health of our country. Out of all the other news, the Forward party’s rollout ultimately seems worthy of covering because it tells us something about our society AND it attempts to do something about the problems it notes. The event is an action in response to our county’s problems, rather than inaction.
When I gaze through the looking glass, with history as my guide, I presume that the Forward party will only find success at a local level. This is no small feat - mind you. As we are reminded time and time again, local politics oftentimes is the most consequential to individuals. The Forward party argues that since it’s inception is a response to the country’s demand for more — for an alternative to our current two options which are progressively getting more radical — it will be able to succeed in a way that other third parties never could. I am doubtful that the Forward party will be able to make headway on a national level, especially given the fact that the party is currently without a single policy stance. However, regardless of how it evolves, the mere fact that it exists is inspiring!!
Politicians from across the aisle have come together in defiance of the norm. They are doing *something* literally *any* *one* *thing* in an attempt to create positive change. In a political world poisoned by gridlock, the Forward party’s leader’s capacity to do anything with purpose makes them radical. We have been asking for more from our political leaders and political process, and the Forward party is one response to this request. It may not be the response you want, but I hope for a moment to simply focus our attention on the fact that it is a response. Indeed, the knowledge that it exists makes my nightly screams into the void feel a tiny bit less pointless. Similarly, I hope the next time you find yourself crying, “there has to be more than this,” you find some comfort in the thought that someone else is crying back, “hey, we’re trying!”