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Party! Party!! Party!!! A review of the parties that aren't donkeys or elephants By Matt Hourihan "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." So said Joe Vogler, the founder of the Alaskan Independence Party. Formed in the 70s and officially recognized by the Alaskan Government in 1984, the party boasts 19,000 members. They are not nearly as powerful as their older brothers, the Democrats and Republicans, but they feel just as passionate about their goals, if not moreso. Upon first discovering this political party, I felt the same surprise and had the same initial impressions that you're probably having right now: Alaskan Independence? Are you kidding? True, they may sound like a bunch of yahoos, but, like most other minor political parties, any sort of research can tell you otherwise: They emphasize that they are not for secession, they are only in favor of a vote for secession (although one wonders, if you're a member of a party which contains the words "alaskan" and "independence" in its moniker, is there any way you would vote against secession?) They say that Alaska did not have its fair choice of a true vote, and the vote which did take place in 1958 was corrupt and biased. They also say that a federal government run in a place as far away as Washington, D.C. couldn't possibly understand the needs of the Alaskan people. All of this is arguable, of course, but it is not necessarily laughable. The membership of this party has grown greatly in the last 20 years--fact that serves as a testament to the validity of their claims. These Alaskans are just a small percentage of those American citizens who are fed up with all of the "damned institutions" which so many accept without thought, simply because of tradition or simply being uninformed. The amount of third-party candidates in all levels of government has increased greatly in the last decade, due in no small way to the growing amount of Americans disillusioned with constantly wasting their vote trying to figure out which candidate is the corporate Democrat, and which is the corporate Republican. If you're looking for true democracy at work, take a look at any of these minor political parties. There's the Buffalo Party, America's Party (who have a candidate chosen for Vice President in the upcoming presidential race, even though they aren't much more than a few dozen people making phone calls), American Party (different from America's Party); there's the Confederate Party, the Internet Party, the ACE Party (whose logos include people playing golf, people rowing, and people sailing); the Pansexual Party, the Nationalist White Patriot Party, the American Nazi Party (formerly the American Redneck Party). The list goes on. None of these parties really boast any sort of honest
power, however. Often times they are simply a small group of people
with like-minded ideals, and want for nothing more than to offer alternatives
to the standard political process. On the other hand, the larger third
parties (Greens, Libertarians, Democratic Socialists of America, Reformers)
give serious thought towards their candidates, offering them in every
governmental position, from local to state, all the way up to the President.
Each of these Parties has increased its number of candidates in the
last four years, in the Libertarians' case doubled. They are definitely
gaining ground. Even the largest third parties, however, experience
added obstacles, namely those of exposure and ballot petitioning, as
well as various legal hurdles. While they don't stand a realistic chance
of actually winning the Presidency, they can be seen as a hopeful sign
that out there, somewhere in America people who are not Democrats and
not Republicans know better. The Reform Party, former home of Jesse "The Body"
Ventura, and current home of H. Ross Perot in the last two presidential
races, has arguably been the most powerful third party in recent years,
at least based on voter turnout. In '96, Perot bagged 8.4 percent of
the popular vote, third behind the two major party candidates. This
year, unless Perot jumps in once again at the Reform Party Convention
in August, their candidate for the presidency will most likely be Pat
Buchanan, who you may remember from his days in the GOP. Buchanan recently
jumped Republican ship and now waves the Reform Party banner. There
are a dozen other Reformers who are also running for the Reform candidacy,
but Buchanan is the only one who has begun the petitioning process required
to receive a nomination. Also, he already has national notoriety, and
probably has brought some of his Republican following with him from
the GOP, giving him higher chance of success and visibility. The Reform
Party, as its name suggests, is primarily based on reforming current
government practices, including paying off the debt, balancing the budget,
forbidding any unbalanced budget to be passed, eliminating corruption,
and keeping the federal government closely tied to the Individual. In
essence, they want to keep alive and strengthen any notion of Democracy
that America still feels, while at the same time bolstering America's
economy. They are considered conservative.
The problem the Reform Party faces now is not unlike the McCain-created schism in the GOP earlier this year. In essence, the Party is split into two factions, the Perot faction and the non-Perot faction. While Perot states no desire to run this year, there are many Party faithfuls who believe otherwise, and are wholeheartedly trying to persuade their former leader to jump back on the saddle again. The schism has fueled speculation of the Party's impending demise, not to mention the ousting of the Party's chairman last year. The fact that Buchanan is a recent high-profile addition to Party ranks does not sit well with some Reformers either, a fact that may be contributed to the simple fact that a year ago he was a part of the GOP power structure, not mention a bigot. When considering this, one must wonder whether how reform-minded he truly is. He probably could be seen as a reformer moreso than Gore or Bush, but whether or not he really should bear the name is at worst questionable. Buchanan might bring votes over from the GOP, but he also may drive away voters as well. Many are saying that the Reform Party would stand a better chance with McCain as their candidate. Further, the two major parties tried to keep the Reform Party out of the debates this fall, until a recent court decision which will allow the Reformers to participate if they should so desire. Besides Buchanan, the most quickly recognizable name
is probably that of Ralph Nader, of the Green Party. Nader has run (somewhat
half-heartedly) in the last two presidential elections. Some consider
Nader to the Prince of the Left--a tag he probably deserves. After all,
he's been crusading against the Evil Empire of Washington and big business
for four decades and in over a dozen books, championing consumer rights,
civil rights, ecological causes--a Progressive if you have ever seen
one. The basic fire that fuels Nader's exploits is very similar to that
which fired the Seattle insurgence months ago. Nader's platform rests
on the defeat of corporate influence and power, while at the same time
maintaining an economy that is fair and provides for all while protecting
the environment and a true grassroots democracy. A criticism of Nader has been the fact that he is
somewhat disembodied as a presidential candidate--meaning that when
he runs, he doesn't really run. His campaign in 1996, for example, was
never really taken seriously, almost as an afterthought. At one point,
he actually admitted to never having read his Party's platform. He also
spent less than $5,000 on his campaign. I don't care how in love you
are with creating a new kind of grassroots democracy, the fact of the
matter is that you're not going to influence anybody if nobody sees
you. At times, he also seemed to make a point of avoiding many civil
rights and health issues, focusing his campaign on fighting NAFTA and
preserving the environment. One must question the emphasis he put on
these issues, taking away from others. Still, even with these missteps,
he came in fourth. The truth about Nader is that if he can get his presidential
act together, and make use of the Green Party's power structure--an
organizing structure already proven to be top-notch--he could make some
serious waves in the upcoming race. The question is, will he?
The other Green candidate worth mention is Jello Biafra, the official nominee of the New York Greens. Biafra's campaign is based around the same basic values--known as the Concord Principles--behind Nader's campaign, but is somewhat more extreme and somewhat ... weirder (like it's a bad thing.) His platform includes the "systematic nonviolent eradication of the rich through a maximum wage", the elimination of the War on Drugs and subsequent legalization of the aforementioned, the end of corporate feudalism, and the destruction of all SUVs. Go, Jello. The Libertarians have doubled the number of candidates
they feature nationwide, and are the only party besides the Democrats
and Republicans who are already going to be featured on the ballot.
Libertarians, as the name suggests, base their political beliefs on
universal liberty--meaning both personal and economic freedom. They
believe that the government's main responsibility should be to protect
people from force or faux, to prevent oppression, etc, but otherwise
are opposed to much government regulation in various areas. If you love
Ayn Rand, you're probably a Libertarian. With poor reading taste. Harry Browne is once again running as the front-runner
under the Libertarian banner, as he did in '96, when he finished in
fifth place, behind Nader. Browne knows that he does not stand a real
chance against the established political powers, but believes that if
he can win 4 percent of the vote, it will change the face of American
politics--a very ambitious number for a campaign that four years ago
won half a percentage point. Browne's goal is to prove that there is
a large faction of Americans who are tired of the government "sticking
its nose in every aspect of our lives, with no constitutional right
to do so."
These groups represent just a small portion of the candidates in this year's race. Other parties worth looking into are the Constitution Party, the Natural Law Party, and the Democratic Socialists of America, all of which have experienced increases in membership. This year's election will certainly surpass all prior precedents toward third party choices. With a race as close as the Gore/Bush fight is shaping up to be, those 15 or 20 million votes could end up making a difference. Don't expect anything to change in the near future, however. The Democrats and Republicans still control D.C., and it will be a struggle to wrestle that power from their grip. But in essence, that is the real fuel in the guts of the Third Parties: they don't really expect to win, but they will provide a struggle against things they, and many Americans, feel are wrong with the current habits of government. And if you ask them, they probably won't admit, but deep down they know that someday, years from now, somebody else will win, and things will be different. And maybe then they could do something about those damned crazy Alaskans. Matt Hourihan is a freshman at Ithaca College. |
