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Politics

Can Andrew Yang make the Forward Party a viable third option?

Aug 16, 2022

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Andrew Yang–a former Democratic candidate for president and mayor of New York–has spearheaded a new political party called the Forward Party. He is working with co-chair Christine Todd Whitman–the former New Jersey Republican governor.

While campaigning as a Democrat, Yang supported universal basic income and criticized automation. Yang left the Democratic Party in October 2021 and pivoted to lead the Forward Party.

“In a polarized country, you get one senator, you can end up controlling the whole thing,” Yang said at a speaking event in New York. “It’s realistic for us to get a handful of members of congress in 2022.”

With an announcement in July, 2022, the party identified itself in relation to the two main options, writing that its platform is “not left. Not right. FORWARD.”

SHANNON LONGWORTH: AFTER RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND MAYOR OF NEW YORK.

THIS MAN WENT ROGUE–PULLING DOZENS OF FORMER REPUBLICAN *AND* DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS INTO A THIRD PARTY THAT COULD MAYBE GAIN SOME TRACTION.

IT’S A MOVE THAT’S MADE ANDREW YANG JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY.

ANDREW YANG: “HUGE NEWS: THE FORWARD PARTY HAS MERGED WITH RENEW AMERICA AND SERVE AMERICA AND WE ARE NOW THE THIRD BIGGEST POLITICAL PARTY BY RESOURCES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.”

LONGWORTH: ONCE UPON A TIME, WHILE CAMPAIGNING AS A DEMOCRAT, YANG SUPPORTED UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME AND HE CRITICIZED AUTOMATION.

BUT THE MATH HATS APPARENTLY WEREN’T ENOUGH TO PERSUADE PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR HIS PLATFORM.

HE LEFT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN OCTOBER 2021, AND PIVOTED, BECOMING CO-CHAIR OF THE FORWARD PARTY–ALONG WITH FORMER NEW JERSEY REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN.

WITH AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN JULY 2022, THE PARTY IDENTIFIES ITSELF IN RELATION TO THE TWO MAIN OPTIONS.

SAYING “NOT LEFT. NOT RIGHT. FORWARD.”

ANDREW YANG: “IN A POLARIZED COUNTRY, YOU GET ONE SENATOR…YOU CAN END UP CONTROLLING THE WHOLE THING. IT’S REALISTIC FOR US TO GET ONE, TWO, MAYBE THREE SENATORS IN 2022. IT’S REALISTIC FOR US TO GET A HANDFUL OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN 2022.”

LONGWORTH: AND WHILE THAT MIGHT SOUND APPEALING TO MANY OF THE POLITICALLY DISILLUSIONED…SOME DEMOCRATS DISAPPROVE OF YANG’S RECENT WORK…

CLAIMING HE’S SIPHONING VOTERS THEY NEED.

SO THAT’S ANDREW YANG–JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.