Forward - A new US political party challenging the two-party system?
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The new party is the result of a merger of three political organizations that emerged in recent years in response to the US' increasingly "polarized and gridlocked political system."
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Former Republicans and Democrats form a new third US political party.
Dozens of former Republican and Democratic politicians announced on Wednesday the formation of a new national political third party to appeal to millions of voters dissatisfied with America's dysfunctional two-party system.
The foundation of the new party, 'Forward', was originally reported by Reuters. It will be co-chaired by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Christine Todd Whitman, the former Republican governor of New Jersey.
According to a recent study, the majority of #Americans do not want either Joe #Biden or Donald #Trump to run for President in 2024, highlighting the uncertainty they are feeling about their next president. pic.twitter.com/5cxmoaLXDj
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 21, 2022
According to founding members, they hope the party will become a credible alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties that dominate US politics.
This autumn, party leaders will hold a series of events in a dozen locations to launch their agenda and gain support. They will hold an official launch on September 24 in Houston, followed by the party's first national convention in a major US city the following summer.
The new coalition
The new party was formed by merging three political organizations that emerged in recent years in response to the US' increasingly "polarized and gridlocked political system". The leaders cited a Gallup poll from last year, which found that a record two-thirds of Americans believe a third party is essential.
The new coalition involves the Renew America Movement, formed in 2021 by dozens of former officials in the Republican administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump; the Forward Party, founded by Yang, who left the Democratic Party in 2021 and became an independent; and the Serve America Movement, a group of Democrats, Republicans and independents whose executive director is former Republican congressman David Jolly.
The new party's platform has two pillars: "revitalizing a fair, flourishing economy" and "giving Americans more options in elections, more trust in a government that works, and more influence in our future."
After years of working in parallel to strengthen our democracy, we are thrilled to announce that we are merging with @RenewAmerica & @samforus! We are uniting to build a new political party that will adopt the #ForwardParty name. https://t.co/z0BoANoypb#FWD #ForwardTogether #GSD pic.twitter.com/H43iWUiYou
— Forward Party (@Fwd_Party) July 28, 2022
The centrist party has no specific policies yet but is anticipated to adopt this slogan at its launch on Thursday: "How will we solve the big issues facing America? Not Left. Not Right. Forward."
Third parties have historically struggled to survive in America's two-party system although they can occasionally influence a presidential election. In such a polarized country, it is uncertain how the new 'Forward party' will affect either party's electoral prospects.
Andrew Yang and The Forward Party are not interested in liberating you from your corporate oppressors.
— The Vanguard (@vanguard_pod) July 28, 2022
They are a party of, by and for capitalists, and are gentrifying the third party movement accordingly. pic.twitter.com/xZ5e252FuX
This is incredibly exciting. Americans no longer have to choose between two extremes. There is a better way Forward! #FWD #NotLeftNotRight #ForwardParty @FWD_carolina @Fwd_Party https://t.co/mD6GcUBVnD
— Preston G. Ellington (@SPT_pres) July 28, 2022
