Recent efforts to establish national political parties outside the Democratic-Republican "Duopoly" offer valuable insights. By examining both longstanding parties like the Green and Libertarian and newer ones like the Forward Party (founded by Andrew Yang in 2021) and No Labels, which attempted to recruit Senator Joe Manchin as a presidential candidate, I’ve identified key lessons that can guide the launch of a successful centrist party.
A successful centrist party should prioritize independence, electoral competitiveness, issue alignment with voter concerns, support for candidates, and internal discipline. Based on these priorities, a successful party would meet the following criteria:
Independence: Candidates should be members, not mere affiliates, of the party. Without clear party identification, candidates risk being seen as extensions of other parties, diluting the party's brand.
Electoral Success: Winning elections at state and federal levels is essential. A party that fails to win any major elections remains irrelevant.
Issue-Based Platform: The party needs clear stances on issues central to voters. Voters should understand the party’s identity and values.
Candidate Support Services: Effective support infrastructure, including fundraising, data, and advisory services, is critical for competitive campaigns.
Discipline and Accountability: Mechanisms for handling internal disagreements and enforcing party norms help maintain the party’s integrity.
Establishing a unique, recognizable party identity is foundational. Analyzing the Forward Party’s candidate endorsements, only six out of 97 candidates fully identified with the Forward Party, while the rest affiliated as Republicans, Democrats, or independents. This lack of clear branding limits recognition and weakens the party’s visibility and impact.
A more effective strategy would involve initially focusing on a smaller group of candidates who exclusively identify with the party. This concentrated effort would help establish the party’s unique identity, making it more recognizable and credible among voters.
A new party’s viability hinges on its ability to win. While both the Green and Libertarian parties have struggled, they have managed limited success in state elections over decades. The Green Party, for example, has held seats sporadically, and the Libertarians have had greater success, with a few candidates winning at the state level.
The Forward Party has not yet achieved state-level wins with candidates identifying as members of the Forward Party, and many of its candidates have only targeted minor offices or run as affiliated members. Electoral success would demonstrate staying power and relevance, expanding the party’s support base.
The Green and Libertarian parties have struggled due to rigid ideological stances, which have alienated moderate voters. Instead, a successful new party should avoid narrow ideology, taking stances that can adapt as societal values evolve. Ted Glick, a former Green Party activist, highlighted the dangers of ideological purity, noting that such rigidity limits appeal and growth.
“…the Green party became very narrow and rigid, a tiny party of true believers focused on ideological purity above all else. Back in 2004 there were 225 Green party members in elected office, now it’s 143 (the Green party has said it is 149). It’s a pretty dismal record for 20 years of existence” -- Ted Glick
The Forward Party’s approach is problematic in the opposite direction: it has avoided clear stances on core issues like immigration and gun control, opting instead to let individual candidates define their own positions. This "offend no one" approach, reminiscent of the Occupy Wall Street movement’s lack of focused demands, risks rendering the party ineffectual, as voters struggle to understand what the party represents. As Aristotle said, “If you want to avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing.”
Running competitive campaigns requires resources such as funding, data, and strategic support. The two major parties have decades of infrastructure, putting new parties at a disadvantage. However, a new party could focus its resources on a few winnable races to build its profile and credibility gradually.
Currently, the Forward Party’s support is limited to a virtual phone bank, which restricts candidates' effectiveness. For substantial impact, a new party must invest in scalable campaign infrastructure to support its growth.
Upholding values and managing conflicts is essential for a party’s reputation. Establishing clear expectations with candidates—and addressing deviations from norms—protects the party’s integrity. Without such discipline, the party risks losing public trust and credibility.
The Forward Party’s trajectory currently lacks the essential elements for long-term success. Too many of its endorsed candidates have only nominal affiliation, undermining the party’s brand. Additionally, its lack of a clear platform on key issues resembles the Occupy Wall Street movement’s diffuse objectives—a model that ultimately faded without achieving change.
A new centrist party can succeed by learning from these examples. With a strong identity, clear values, maintained independence, and robust support systems, it could engage the large, underrepresented centrist voter base and make meaningful electoral gains.
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