So without further ado, ambling up to the stage and ready to take a beating is Andrew Yang, with his new political party, "Forward." He's not left! He's not right! He's Forward. Of course Yang is trying to step on a political stage largely dominated by Donald Trump who remains busy publicly relieving himself while his rabid minions proclaim his ascension to a throne in the divine kingdom. The rest of us see it as a descent into hell, but hey, it's all a matter of perception. The funny thing is, Trump isn't even the main attraction any more. Sitting center stage is President Joe Biden, who it seems can never catch a break. He's the most famous person ever to get "Rebound COVID" – which sounds like some weird NBA charity group.
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So, why in God's name is Andrew Yang launching a third party now? Some think he did it to get the jump on a probable Democratic loss of the House majority in the upcoming midterm elections. If the Democrats lose big, then Yang can wave his sign, smile and say, "Sign up here!"
Of course, should the Democrats retain control of the House and increase their margin in the Senate — a distinct and growing possibility, Democrats remind us, especially after the vote in Kansas — then Yang would once again demonstrate how out of step he is with a majority of American voters. But Yang has a bit of the gambler in him too, and he's playing the odds. A third party created from the crusty remains of the former Republican Party is somewhat believable, but getting a lot of moderate Democrats? You'd have to down huge amounts of rancid hallucinogens that Thompson would never touch to believe such a fiction.
Here's the truth; Yang is trying desperately to get to center stage by announcing a third party dedicated to democracy. That's the big idea. A safe space. As for his party's stance on major issues — who knows? He's just building a big tent where everyone in the middle can meet, have a few beers, smile and pull the lever in his favor. He's about democracy. Well, thank God.
I mean, I guess this needs to be said if your new party mostly comprises old white Republican men, but the rest of us understand the concept of democracy — even if some of us only do so on the crudest level. Yang's Forward Party also sounds like a weird NBA charity (for power forwards), but it has bigger problems than its name going Forward.
James Carville called Yang's idea "really stupid," while White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre just gave a wide smile when I asked her on Wednesday how the president reacted to a former Democrat forming a new political party. Mind you, backstage Democrats are doing more than grinning. They're laughing. Yang is considered a lightweight opportunist by many high-ranking Democrats, when he's considered at all. One thing he has never been considered is an actual Democrat. He's an aisle-surfer who momentarily found more of what appealed to him on the left side — nothing more.
www.salon.com
[clip]
So, why in God's name is Andrew Yang launching a third party now? Some think he did it to get the jump on a probable Democratic loss of the House majority in the upcoming midterm elections. If the Democrats lose big, then Yang can wave his sign, smile and say, "Sign up here!"
Of course, should the Democrats retain control of the House and increase their margin in the Senate — a distinct and growing possibility, Democrats remind us, especially after the vote in Kansas — then Yang would once again demonstrate how out of step he is with a majority of American voters. But Yang has a bit of the gambler in him too, and he's playing the odds. A third party created from the crusty remains of the former Republican Party is somewhat believable, but getting a lot of moderate Democrats? You'd have to down huge amounts of rancid hallucinogens that Thompson would never touch to believe such a fiction.
Here's the truth; Yang is trying desperately to get to center stage by announcing a third party dedicated to democracy. That's the big idea. A safe space. As for his party's stance on major issues — who knows? He's just building a big tent where everyone in the middle can meet, have a few beers, smile and pull the lever in his favor. He's about democracy. Well, thank God.
I mean, I guess this needs to be said if your new party mostly comprises old white Republican men, but the rest of us understand the concept of democracy — even if some of us only do so on the crudest level. Yang's Forward Party also sounds like a weird NBA charity (for power forwards), but it has bigger problems than its name going Forward.
James Carville called Yang's idea "really stupid," while White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre just gave a wide smile when I asked her on Wednesday how the president reacted to a former Democrat forming a new political party. Mind you, backstage Democrats are doing more than grinning. They're laughing. Yang is considered a lightweight opportunist by many high-ranking Democrats, when he's considered at all. One thing he has never been considered is an actual Democrat. He's an aisle-surfer who momentarily found more of what appealed to him on the left side — nothing more.
Is Andrew Yang ready for his closeup? His new party depends on it
He couldn't get elected president, or even mayor. But he still thinks he can revolutionize American politics
