Unable to build a substantial base in either major party, Andrew Yang has decided to team with ex-Republicans for his latest misadventure.
Yang’s ex-Democratic passion project has merged with the Serve America Movement and the Renew America Movement to form a new and imp- well, new, iteration of the Forward Party, a centrist political party currently devoid of policies.
Among the folks Yang is partnering in this effort are former Trump official Miles Taylor, former Republican congressman David Jolly, and former Republican governor Christine Todd Whitman.
The odds of this party quickly drifting center-right seem high, but we’ll have to hear them come up with some ideas first to know for sure.
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Related: Andrew Yang is OK with Dave Chappelle’s transphobia because it’s just a different “point of view”
The reaction to this announcement has been pretty decisively negative on social media, with political pundits and citizens alike chiming in:
Andrew Yang is like some dude who gets turned away from a club at the front door, so he sneaks around to the Artist entrance, gets kicked-out again and is now trying to sneak-in thru the kitchen. Dude, go home. @AndrewYang
— NoelCaslerComedy (@caslernoel) July 28, 2022
I asked this of Yang a while back: “Serious question @AndrewYang what changed about Democratic party since you ran less than two years ago as a Democrat for President and last year as a Democrat for mayor? I mean other than fact voters rejected you.”
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) July 28, 2022
Andrew Yang joins with a bunch of Republicans to do his level best to siphon votes away from the Democrats in coming elections. I remember how so many on this site, liberals and leftists, thought I was too harsh on him in the 2020 race and thought he was a breath of fresh air. https://t.co/7rnGNT8kfX
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 28, 2022
Andrew Yang is a fascist enabler. He makes regular appearances on Tucker Carlson’s misinformation show to attack Democrats. And when Andrew isn’t smearing Biden, he tries to siphon voters from the left & sell copies of his propaganda book. Andrew Yang is the male Tulsi Gabbard.
— Dash Dobrofsky (@DashDobrofsky) July 28, 2022
If I’m getting this right, Andrew Yang plans to do what he can to take away votes because Democrats rightfully rejected him since we saw through his fascist enabling propaganda filled temper tantrums. What a sad end for him.
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) July 28, 2022
Andrew Yang will speak Saturday about his “Forward Party” at the FreedomFest festival, which will feature far-right libertarians with ties to white nationalists, anti-semites and members of the extremist anti-government movement.
Who else is DISGUSTED by what Yang has become? ✋
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) July 28, 2022
I have carefully studied Andrew Yang.
People say he doesn’t stand for anything. Not true.
He is for:
– some form of UBI.
– giggling when interviewing people with thin ideas who insult “the mainstream.”
– “new” ideas he can’t name.
– Andrew Yang.— Adam Davidson (@adamdavidson) July 28, 2022
The Forward Party claims to unite the two quietest, most underserved demographics in the country: 19-year old libertarian Redditors and middle-aged newspaper columnists.
— vijay 🇺🇦 (@SunnyDayCBay) July 28, 2022
I mean:
“The party, which is centrist, has no specific policies yet. It will say at its Thursday launch: “How will we solve the big issues facing America? Not Left. Not Right. Forward.””Like… they literally have a SLOGAN in lieu of ACTUAL POLICIES
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) July 28, 2022
Andrew Yang was too much of a fascist to be a Democrat & MAGA wouldn’t accept him because they’re Xenophobic, so we get the Forward Party.
Next on Tucker Carlson & Turning Point USA to grift off anyone they can.
— The Jewish Ginger Resister (@JewishResister) July 28, 2022
Related: Andrew Yang botched his appeal to LGBTQ voters so hard it’s become a meme
It’s certainly true that a good swath of Americans support the concept of a third major party; what they won’t support is another party that isn’t in favor of well-polling populist policies like access to healthcare and education, which seems to be the forecast.
If the Forward Party truly is smack-dab in the center between Dem. and Rep., it’s unlikely to make folks on either side of the aisle too happy.
That all being said, the party doesn’t seem to have a true identity or policies yet, so who knows?
dario717
Every now and again it occurs to me that Biden rejected all of his 2020 competitors except for Kamala and Pete. There were good reasons for that.
Ronbo
Because everyone is happy with everything that they did – crap on the left leaving us with a center right party that couldn’t / wouldn’t stop the Republicans.
Women lost the right to control their body – Democrats fund raised and started running over $45,000,000 in advertising in this primary season – advertising FOR extremist Republicans! You know, like how Hillary intentionally “elevated” tRump as her most extreme opponent – then lost to him.
How did that work out for the moderates in the Democratic party?
LumpyPillows
The left has no chance of winning elections, especially as they go further and further into extremes. Abortion got killed because lefties did not vote for Hillary. The democrats may very well pass a law this year in defense of reproductive rights. Not with your help, however.
Ronbo
Lumpy, is leftist support of “equality” – too much? As for Hillary, you might remember that she moved “far” right into corporate controlled healthcare (costs twice as much per person and we are ranked 23rd in healthcare worldwide). Remember her getting the nomination than immediately vowing “Single-payer will never come to pass!” Who can forget SoS warmongering with “We came, we saw, he died. Ha Ha Ha”? Her Senate speech demanding we immediately attack Saddam for 9/11 goes without question. And of course, Hillary led the cheer for both of DADT and DOMA – both of which denied LGBTQ people actual rights.
Select your Democrats by their actual history, not the image they project.
LumpyPillows
You’re “facts” are mixed up. Who was the first person to push for single payer healthcare? Hmmm. Hillary. I’ll let the rest of you half facts dangle.
Ronbo
Lumpy, Yes HRC spent an entire two-weeks preparing her presentation, then caved to corporate demands after three days and the airing of a single ad.
Wise up, it was a move to get corporate healthcare political donations for the Democratic party. Three days isn’t much of a fight. But, it did bring in millions of corporate political donations.
The public pays twice as much for the 23rd best healthcare. That’s reality.
still_onthemark
I’d call Andrew Yang the new Jesse Ventura except Jesse actually got elected to something.
ncman
This group is the same as the “No Labels” group from a while back. It’s a bunch of disaffected Republicans who can’t bring themselves to vote for Dems even though they know the Repubs need to lose badly in order to wake back up. So, they create a group like “No Labels” and con some centrist dems into it with them. But, all they give the dems are some social issues while they demand completely conservative fiscal policy.
inbama
Hard to understand why Christie Whitman, a fairly respected old-money Republican two-term governor, would get involved with this fool who can’t get elected dogcatcher.
Kangol2
The thing about this group is that it is full of George W. Bush and Don the Con administration participations, as well as Yang and corporate Dem Dave Jolly (who’s unknown to the vast majority of Democrats). That heavy dose of Bush and Don the Con allies is enough to torpedo this third “party,” because as far as I can see, neither the Bushies NOR the Don the Con enablers have apologized or atoned for the extensive damage they did to this country. Take Christie Todd Whitman: has she ever apologized or begged forgiveness for declaring the toxic site around 9/11 OK as quickly as she did? She should be sued for helping to make it easier to expose so many people, including the cops and fire department workers she and the GOP claim to love, to deadly chemicals. How many of them spoke about the Afghanistan or Iraq Wars? About the economic gambling that led to the 2008 economic collapse? And so on. Add the Don the Con gang to this and it’s nothing more than a farce. Yang really should know and do a lot better!
Ronbo
I will remain a life-long voting Democrat with one caveat. I can’t forget that sainted Hillary spoke on the Senate floor demanding that we go to war with Saddam after 9/11? We have those same people deep in control of both parties. You do seem to be (rightly) targeting all neoliberals. Remember, them from both the Democrats and Republicans?
Definition of neoliberal: in support of “privatization, deregulation, globalization, free trade, monetarism, austerity, and reductions in government spending in order to increase the role of the private sector in the economy and society.” NAFTA, TPP, cuts to welfare and shifting public risk into private profit (bailouts) did come from Democratic presidents with Democratic political support. Can’t forget their DADT and DOMA either.
The “our shit doesn’t stink” is not a valid argument – according to actual history. Time to think harder and be more choosy with your vote. Anyone can call themselves a Democrat – but only you control your vote.
Kangol2
Ronbo, neoliberalism has infected both parties but it was turbocharged by RONALD REAGAN and GEORGE H W BUSH, both Republicans, before Bill Clinton set foot in the White House. You may be too young to recall how Reagan privatized numerous industries (Carter even took a few baby steps), accelerated offshoring, and began the process of globalization that Clinton perfected. Moreover, in terms of warmongering, Reagan and HW Bush began the process before before George W Bush could declare his two disastrous wars, and he too only accelerated neoliberal policy creating the horrific economic crisis of 2007-2009, which until Don the Con’s complete debacle in 2020 was the worst economic and financial collapse since the Great Depression.
Hillary Clinton had many faults as a politician, but I am going to go out on a limb to say that she would have been a far better president that Don the Con, especially considering that he, like George W Bush, took an ascendant economy (from Obama) and manage to destroy it in four years. We are still living with the aftermath of his incompetence and malevolence, which also includes his utterly incompetent response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Everything you say about Democratic administrations is true, but you are derelict if you leave out the GOP administrations that preceded them and which they had to pick up the pieces from. I’ll say again that Yang’s alliance with elements of the W Bush and Don the Con administrations sets off giant warning bells for anyone who is considering supporting these folks. You’ll get the worst of the Democratic centrist social approaches along with the worst of the Republican right-wing economic approaches, and when we tried that somewhat with George H. W. Bush, it didn’t work out so well for the country!
Ronbo
Yes, a roach would be better than tRump. But it doesn’t mean we should promote roaches. We have millions of women who are better able to understand and take real action – not just repeat Republican-lite.
Both DADT and DOMA (pushed, passed and signed by Bill with Hillary’s full support) specifically denied LGBTQ people equality. Not to mention: NAFTA, federal welfare cuts, outsourcing of jobs, etc….
Don’t become a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. We can do better than moderate Republican leadership in the Democratic party.
Kangol2
And let’s again turn to reality, as opposed to Ronbo’s version of history. Bill Clinton had planned to repeal the ban on gay service people, but:
“Congress rushed to enact the existing gay ban policy into federal law, outflanking Clinton’s planned repeal effort. Clinton called for legislation to overturn the ban, but encountered intense opposition from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, members of Congress, and portions of the public. DADT emerged as a compromise policy.[38] Congress included text in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (passed in 1993) requiring the military to abide by regulations essentially identical to the 1982 absolute ban policy.[39] The Clinton administration on December 21, 1993,[40] issued Defense Directive 1304.26, which directed that military applicants were not to be asked about their sexual orientation.[39] This policy is now known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. The phrase was coined by Charles Moskos, a military sociologist.” (Wikipedia, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”)
So DADT WAS NOT PUSHED by Bill Clinton, as you wrongly claimed. Now, let’s go to DOMA:
“Same-sex marriage emerged as an issue in the late 1980s, drawing opposition especially from socially conservative groups. <b?Congressman Bob Barr and Senator Don Nickles, both members of the Republican Party, introduced the bill that became DOMA in May 1996. It passed both houses of Congress by large, veto-proof majorities, with opposition coming from approximately one-third of the Democratic caucus in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Clinton criticized the law as “divisive and unnecessary”, but nonetheless signed it into law in September 1996.”
and
“While his stated position was against same-sex marriage, Clinton criticized DOMA as “unnecessary and divisive”,[26] and his press-secretary called it “gay baiting, plain and simple”.[27][28] However, after Congress had passed the bill with enough votes to override a presidential veto,[28] Clinton signed DOMA. Years later, he said that he did so reluctantly in view of the veto-proof majority, both to avoid associating himself politically with the then-unpopular cause of same-sex marriage and to defuse momentum for a proposed Federal Amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning same-sex marriage.[28][29]” (Defense of Marriage Act, Wikipedia)
So AGAIN, you are completely wrong when you say that Clinton (and Hillary Clinton) “pushed, passed and signed” this bill! Are you just completely misinformed, or if not, why would you make up lies like this? Criticize the Clintons all you want, but there is a historical record here that flies in the face of what really happened.
Ronbo
Bill Clinton signed both DADT and DOMA with his wife vocal support. Youtube has over 43 separate viedos of it on record. That is reality. As Secretary of State, after her conversion to support marriage equality, Hillary scrubbed all mention of adoption by gays from policy positions from State Deptment positions. Her prior statement was “Marriage will ALWAYS be between one man and one woman.” Note that the “always” is there for a purpose – to express her thoughts. Notice the difference when the “always” is removed.
Without Bill Clinton’s signature both DADT and DOMA would not have been enacted into law. We don’t need this type of
conservativesmoderate or “New Democrats”. Conservative do one thing, then talk outside the other side of their mouth. You know, how Supreme Court member said roe was “settled law” then had a change of heart.BLAKENOW
First of all he would’ve been a way better progressive Mayor of New York City then what a joke that we have right now. I agree with a lot of the things that Yang says there are major problems within the Democratic Party and he’s right there does need to be a third-party just because he is now working with Republicans you have no idea these people are former Republicans and don’t stand by what the party represents now there needs to be a third-party and if you opened your eyes you might just be a part of it republican party needs an opposition party again some nachos the Democrats that needs to be independent party. And yang is a brilliant brilliant man you guys need to stop trolling him.
Cam
Hi Mario,
It’s cute you think nobody will remember this is another one of your screenames.
What a shock, you attack Democrats and defend Yang. LOL, as always, your trolling is sad and weak.
LumpyPillows
Yeah, he might have been a better NYC mayor.
still_onthemark
@Lumpy: And yet he finished in 4th place for some reason, go figure.
Yang can’t complain about the new ranked-choice system, either – it’s one of Forward’s very few actual policies!
LumpyPillows
So?
still_onthemark
So??? Well, that makes it one or two lumpy pillows versus 900,000+ NYC voters.
Cam
@LumpyPillows
Remember when I told you that coming in to defend your other screenames was obvious?
LumpyPillows
Lol, cam, you need help.
LumpyPillows
@still never said he didn’t lose the election. Just said, now that we’ve seen Adams stumble about, Yang might have been better. Just an opinion, no need to get your panties in a bunch.
Cam
Andrew Yang, Jill Stein and Tulsi Gabbard all have the same goal. Pretend to be Democrats to help out Republicans.
Ronbo
Cam, many of us life-long Democrats think YOU are the problem with the democratic party. You know, the way you make endless “enemies lists” and falsely accuse everyone who disagrees with you as (dum, dum, duuuum) “another one of your screenames”. BTW – that doesn’t affect anyone – unless YOU think that our community is that stupid. Do you?
That’s really dumb because the Democratic party was a ‘big-tent’ party and you seem to be kicking people out. Democrats know that everyone has a right to their own opinion. So… you definitely are NOT a Democrats. Other than a hater, what are you?
LumpyPillows
Stein and Gabbard are terrible “democrats”; Stein is nuts and Gabbard is evil. Yang is in no way similar to them. Yang may very well undermine the republicans with this move, which is a win for us.
Ronbo
Lumpy is doing the same – demanding that we vote conservative. “The left has no chance of winning elections, especially as they go further and further into extremes.”
Gosh, with over 70% support, it seems that the policies are much more popular than the person who ISN’T doing anything. Universal healthcare, environmental action, taxing the billionaires, gun law enforcement, equality under the law AND police… all seem quite popular.
Cam
@Ronbo, @LumpyPillows….
Remember, I’ve told you several times that coming in here with different screenames to try to pretend you aren’t one person is not just obvious, but it’s also sad and pathetic?
As always, your right wing trolling is sad and weak.
LumpyPillows
Rondo, I didn’t say that, now did I. What I do know us that someone like Bernie would be the McGovern failure of thus century. I want to win, not lose and be smug about my purity. To my point, which she failed to a knowledge, is that this move by Yang might undermine republicans. How is that bad?
LumpyPillows
@cam so I’m arguing with myself? No one understands your fixation with saying everyone who disagrees with you is one evil-nemesis with multiple screen names. I almost get disappointed when you don’t accuse me. Almost. I’ve begun to wonder if you aren’t mentally ill. Which concerns me.
Ronbo
Cam, please try to understand that lots and lots of people have similar ideas. To dismiss them because of that is anti-democratic. Here in America, people are free to express their ideas. It’s how gays and lesbians became equal to straights.
What’s it like where you live? Censorship, enemies lists, and failure?
Fahd
I just hope if they get any votes, they siphon more off the Republicans than Democrats. There are several small parties that get almost no votes; without any candidate who can get out the vote, this group is likely headed in that direction. Yang should realize that he won’t win, regardless of party.
Kangol2
Well, third party candidates (and a corrupt Supreme Court) helped put George W. Bush in office in 2000, and Don the Con in office in 2016 (cf. Jill Stein and Gary Johnson), so don’t think it won’t have a deleterious effect on the Democrats going forward. What’s significant to me is the number of never-Trumper Republicans linked to this new, “centrist” third party. George W. Bush left one of the worst legacies of any US president in the last 100 years (or ever), so listening to people who actively supported that debacle of an administration and have never apologized, atoned for or been indicted for their absolute f*ckery is really asking a lot of anyone. And then you add fascist, treasonous Don the Con people into the mix? You have GOT to be kidding me!
Ronbo
Kangol forgets that it was a third party (Ross Perot) that split the Republican vote helping moderate Bill Clinton win. Your examples cancelled themselves out – Jill and Gary had no impact on the actual election results – only on propaganda allowing moderates within the party to attack the left.
I like your perspective, I just want you to stick with reality, not false propaganda or what you need to believe or what you are told to believe.
Move left with compassion and acceptance for all; it’s how we acquired equality.
Kangol2
Ronbo, Bill Clinton won a plurality of the vote in 1992, in part through Perot, but Johnson and Stein together did help Don the Con win. Look up the vote totals, particularly in the states in which Don the Con barely squeaked by. Citing Stein’s role in particular is anything but “propaganda,” but I am again noting how you come on here preaching that we should speak to each other with respect, yet promptly violate that in your posts. You explain to me Stein’s ties to Putin (she was photographed at dinner with him and Mike Flynn, whose infamy speaks for itself) and her failure to give a full account of what she was doing, why she ran, her failed “recount,” etc., and then we can talk “propaganda.”
Moreover, my examples do not “cancel themselves out”; I notice you did not mention George W. Bush’s non-victory, enabled by Ralph Nader, that the Supreme Court and his brother Jeb handed to him, despite Gore’s popular vote victory and, had all the votes in Florida been counted, an electoral victory as well. If you want me to “stick with reality,” why don’t you try to do so yourself? That of course would start with understanding how “we” (whom do you mean?) gained “equality”; it wasn’t with “compassion” but through relentless struggle. That is the story of the fight for women’s equality; for civil rights for African Americans and Indigenous people; for LGBTQ people; and so on. Those brave protesters fighting the brutal, homophobic cops at Stonewall may not have been “compassionate,” but they were visionary, they were courageous, and they did not give up!
Ronbo
Your two examples got roughly the same number of votes from Dems and Repubs. I don’t know how you count, but 1 minus 1 is still zero.
Work with reality, not political propaganda. Hillary won more votes; yet, it was the Electoral College that gave tRump the win. Maybe you should ask why America is hesitant to have actual “one person, one vote”. You are aware that the Democrats have had the Presidency, the Senate and the House multiple times in the recernt past.
Why do you think the biggest win for Obama was enactment of the 1993 Republican alternative to single-payer? Search “Summary Of A 1993 Republican Health Reform Plan” and note all the similiarities – 93% according to EasyBib plagerism checker. Both sides want that sweet corporate healthcare cash. I wish one side would represent me.
Creamsicle
Ugh. More evidence that the duopoly is still alive and well. Rather than talking about his POLICY proposals, we’re all stuck talking about how terrible it is to team up with ex-Republicans.
I think Yang is doing the groundwork that will take a very long time to coalesce into something meaningful. He’s a Venture Capital startup guy, it’s his thing. I think that Yang has already added an enormous contribution to the American political dialogue by talking about Big Data as a natural resource that is used to create value for companies via data analytics, and providing raw data to train Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence models.
Whereas everyone is equally unhappy being represented by septugenareons and octogenarian who still think that the world operates like it’s the 1970s.
Kangol2
You can focus on the “POLICY proposals” but the reality is that when these ex-Republicans held positions in government and should they do so again, their track records speak for themselves. You do realize that often the past is prologue, right? Yang, whom I follow and receive regular updates from, is upset because he was unsuccessful in his presidential and mayor runs, and I agree that the two major parties have numerous problems. One, the GQP, is increasingly bankrolled by billionaires and corporations and pushes a racist, fascist, anti-LGBTQ Christian nationalist agenda. That represents a small minority of the US. The Democratic Party is still far too neoliberal, cautious, and looks to implement social reforms because it is unwilling to challenge corporate power. If a third party not full of ex-Bushies and ex-Trumpers but which includes newer generations of people who are willing to address this society’s, country’s and globe’s pressing problems, beginning with climate change, comes forward, I’ll consider supporting it. This Yang gang clearly isn’t it, though!
Ronbo
The duopoly of which Creamsicle spoke is alive and well and quite moderate. They don’t like Yang and dismiss ALL of his ideas without consideration.
We can’t forget the promise made to corporate America: “No one’s standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change.” – that’s the moderate America of the duopoly in action or inaction.
stafcoyote
This whole nonsense about a third-party is simply the efforts of Yang And a couple of out of power Republicans to deceive foolish Democrats into abandoning their party. A third party in this country is a nonstarter unless and until one of the other two parties collapses, as the Whigs collapsed in the 1850s, and were replaced by the Republicans. Now, I’m not a member of an organized political party; I am a Democrat. But I do know that the Democrats are in fact the oldest somewhat organized political Party still in existence. When we transcend our own tendency toward letting the perfect be the enemy of the good and being far, far too nice to our political adversaries, we’re formidable.
Kangol2
The US has had significant third parties in its history, and they have affected the political landscape significantly, usually not by winning seats in state legislatures or Congress, but by shifting the political discourse. The Free Soil Party, Know Nothing Party, Prohibition Party, Socialist Party of America, and Progressive Party have all at some point had profound impacts on the American polity. The Free Soilers’ efforts led to the eventual creation of the Republican Party; the Know Nothing Party also eventually gave way to the GOP. The Progressive Party, particularly in Wisconsin, helped reshape the priorities of the Republican Party in the early 20th century. The Socialist Party’s candidate, Eugene V. Debs, ran for the presidency in 1900, 1904 (he got 3% of the vote), 1908 (3% of the vote), 1912 (6% of the vote), and 1920 (3% of the vote, even though he was imprisoned for speaking out against Woodrow Wilson and the US participation in World War II). Yang’s gang’s politics and policies appear to be fairly close to what the corporatist Democratic Party is already doing, with some procedural changes, so it’s unclear what it’s supposed to offer, beyond a soft-landing for never-Don the Con Repubs.
Ronbo
Why is Kangol is working to maintain the stalemate that is the duopoly of American politics?
A lot of astro-turfers are paid to support a political system that has centralize money and power into the hands of the few. Most of the Democratic policy positions are supported by over 70% of voters – yet taxing billionaires is verboten among OUR moderates, a living wage is not supported, climate change is ignored and military spending is over the top.
Our people are in power and they are doing the opposite of what we want. Maybe we need actual Democrats – not our leadership giving campaign cash, support and campaigning for people like anti-reproduction right’s Cuellar.
I didn’t give money to Senator Sanders only to have the DNC turn around and give it to Cuellar. The system is not broken for politicians – only for voters.
Ronbo
I wonder if the astro-turfers know that Sen. Sanders ran as a Democrats and the person with full control of DNC spending was his opponent! This was not revealed to the public until after; but every single person who was elgible for the campaign cash know whose butt they had to kiss.
Machine politics are like mob politics – maybe we should change that – it’s not going to come from inside either party.