Interesting thoughts over at Instapundit on the prospect that Governor Palin’s resignation is preparation for founding a new political party. In the back and forth of it all between Reynolds and his reader Paul Lee it is very intelligently laid out in the sense of the plus and minus of the concept. Its impossible to quote it without diminishing the full effect, so go read it – then come back and read this.
All done? No, seriously, go read their stuff first. Its important.
Now, are you really done? Ok. I’ll have to trust you on this.
The failure of the third party efforts are due to two things:
1. Those parties which stake out a kook platform and thus can’t gain any traction with non-kook people (ie, Green Party, etc).
2. Those parties which shoot for the moon right out the gate (ie, Reform Party, etc.).
If you really want to start a third party, your key will be first to gain at least 300 State House seats and 30 US House seats – preferrably with a couple Senate seats and a governorship or two, as well. Once you have that, you’re for real – you’ll probably hold the balance of power in the US House and if you have those governorships you can start to implement some policies to give a track record for public consumption. If you can’t do this, then don’t even try – and if you want to have the White House, don’t waste your time (the White House will come, in the by and by).
First Commandment of Third Party Success:
THOU SHALL NOT BE IDEOLOGICALLY PURE
In other words, you can’t be either single issue kooks or overwhelmingly committed to a particular world view. You have to allow for the fact that its hard to get even 51% of Americans to agree on anything, let alone those enduring majorities necessary to change America. So, you have to allow for differences. Certainly, you have to have core principles and there are some people who are just going to be beyond the pale, but there must be a bit of “give”, or you’ll take nothing at all.
If anyone is attempting to build a TEA Party for 2010 and beyond, you must start today. Like, get off this website this very moment and start working on it. Just to get candidates on the ballot will take an enormous amount of time. So, if someone isn’t seriously working on this, then its not going to happen – at least, it won’t happen in time for 2010.
So, what about Sarah? I, personally, don’t see her seeking a third party route – but I do see her doing something I’m going to do (in my much smaller way)…run an insurgent campaign from below and outside the GOP establishment and secure power without owing the old guard anything. This doesn’t mean “don’t work with the old guard” it just means “old guard doesn’t run the show”. The smarter part of the old guard is already seeing the winds shift in American politics and will swiftly fall in line – the dumber part will be rolled over. To me, it is time for new people to get into the mix (even you pinkos can do it, ya know? Unless, that is, you really think Pelosi is doing a swell job…you can call it the Green TEA movement…come on, admit that its a cool name). We have to take back our government before the fools in it destroy this last bastion of liberty in the world.
The key to success for Sarah Palin (and for any of us who wishes to make a try) is to capture the moment – Bismarck said he wasn’t all that smart, he just heard the hoofbeats of history and latched on to the horse’s mane. Its a bit like that for us – the people are rising up. I’ve never seen so many people happy at the thought of a Second American Revolution; I’ve never seen government so unpopular; I’ve never seen people more disgusted with the way things are. All we have to do is put forward leaders who can speak to the people’s concerns and who aren’t tainted with the “insiders” brush. But a Third Party doesn’t seem the way to go – a revolutionary capture of the GOP provides us with the best national platform, already built in to all 50 States…and with fresh leadership, we’ll no longer concede certain areas to the liberals, nor believe that sabotaging ourselves with RINOs is a good idea.
We need a diverse coalition, to be sure – no one is to be turned away, sight unseen. Our requirements will have to be short and sweet…limited government, local control, sound money and a few other things, clearly enunciated as to why they’re good and what particular benefits they’ll bring to average Americans. Within this broad framework we can put up with a lot, even some rather stark divergence of opinion.
Service to America – meaning service to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and we’ll get it all back.
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