Moving Foward - a political post

Generally speaking I don’t like to talk politics on this blog, but it is one of my favorite topics to explore.  It’s just so rich in history.

Not everyone is going to agree with me, and frankly I am an anomaly in the country, so a brief explanation before I get to the gist of today’s topic.

People living in the country or rural areas generally tend to lean right politically.  Those that know me however know that I am a dyed in the wool Democrat and that I lean liberal.  I consider myself to be a Social Democrat; which differs from Democratic Socialism in a lot of ways despite the names being so similar. 

The best way to think about Social Democracy is “Capitalism with a heart.”  We are still Capitalists; we just believe that Health care is a right that every citizen has and therefore the current health care system needs reformed.     Or that no one should be homeless. 

Examples of Social Democratic programs that have been adopted by the United States over time are the Social Security System and the New Deal of the 1930’s.  The modern day Food Stamp program, farm subsidies and the minimum wage are other examples.   In other words, programs that are generally supported by many Americans are in fact Social Democratic programs.  These programs have a lot of support on both sides of the political aisle.              

We Americans have more in common than either the Democratic or Republican parties would lead you to believe.  The media has also played a role into separating us into two very distinct and hateful tribes. 

For whatever reason it seems like the extreme ends of both parties are in control, do we want A or B because C simply is not a option?   The choice of “C” however is an option if we would just stop and think for a moment, it’s going to be a combination of the two.   It’s the solution to the problem.  God forbid that we should reach some sort of compromise with our “enemy”, that’s unheard of!

It really is a matter of changing our “win at all costs” mindset to the much more rational “win – win” mindset. 

 So therefore when I learned about the Forward Party, I was intrigued.   It’s a “third party political movement” with a difference.   The whole idea behind the Forward party is bringing Americans together.  It’s a fusion of Andrew Yang’s ideas and the ideas of Right wingers like Barbara Comstock and several members of the former Bush Administration. 

To be honest, I have my doubts about it but I like the idea.  It’s such a simple one; that both the right and left have good points political and socially and that they actually could meet in the middle.  That compromise is the way forward.

You see that compromise in the platform that they have endorsed.  It’s not radical on either side, and it does address a lot of concerns that most thinking Americans have about the political quandary we find ourselves in today.  For now the Forward Party main platform is concentrating on election reform, because if you don’t have faith in the elections that will only lead to more division and distrust.  It’s not a radical overhaul either, but more common sense changes that will lead to a hopefully better election system.   Again, things like term limits are widely supported no matter what color hat you wear.

What intrigued me though is the social media sites.   Unlike the yelling and screaming and name calling that exists on most sites, when I visit a Forward Party discussion thread on Facebook, Discord or Reddit I’m seeing actual debate.  It’s as if the members are looking for common ground, because they are! 

This is true in such diverse matters as gun control, abortion and a host of other issues; although some extremist voices do get through…it’s nice to have actual thinking people discuss these issues calmly and maturity. That alone is a major victory for the party as a whole.

I’m not sure if the Forward party is trying to be an actual serious political party or more of a way to generate discussion.  Third parties generally don’t generate much heat despite the Libertarian, Green and Reform parties making a splash at various times in our history.   Various states have third parties that are associated with the big two in a variety of ways. 

The demand for a third political party has been growing steadily since 2013.  The latest polls show that some 62% of Americans are dissatisfied with the two current parties, and these numbers are only expected to grow.  The past several years have seen an explosion in the number of “Independent” or “Unaffiliated voters.”  

Generally speaking, about 54% of the voting population considers themselves to be Democratic or Republican.  Roughly 43% considers themselves to be Independent while the rest are part of “Fringe” parties like the Greens and Libertarians.

If Yang and company can pull off a miracle and actually create a true “centralist” party then I could see it breaking the hold of the two party system.   I would gladly vote for a party that puts the American people first and truly believes we can Make America Think Again.  Till that happens…I’ll be in the wings watching.  I’ll make a few suggestions and I’ll even donate time and money if I feel it’s actually making a difference. 

It’s an uphill battle and I hope, truly hope that they can succeed.