A new party vs. reforming the status quo

A fair question is to ask if it is worth the bother of trying to form a new political party. After all, we have the Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians and a few others as registered parties in California. As argued in the first post on this blog, the third parties so far have not gained much traction. Given the rather awful state of political affairs in California and widespread public discontent, one would expect one that more of those third parties would really be taking off at the moment. So far, that isn't happening.

Reform from within?

How about reforming Democrats and Republicans from within their own parties? After considering that option long and hard, it is easier to see how and why they would not make fundamental reforms than it is to see how or why they would make changes. There is just too much money and power fighting to maintain the status quo for meaningful reform to be possible.

On top of that, there is the human factor. Both the Democratic and Republican parties are dominated by hard core partisans. Those people are well-meaning and have worked long and hard in the public interest as they see it. They have devoted much of their time to their cause and they do not consider that their cause has failed or been corrupted. However, most of these folks are rigid ideologues, i.e., hard core liberals or conservatives. That makes them naturally resistant to policy changes that goes against the grain of their beliefs. This human factor is an anchor that fights to keep the status quo pretty much where it is.

What is left?

What is left to do? One thing is to do nothing new and just wait for events to play out. That is easiest for most people. Admittedly, most Californians are busy and not very engaged or interested in politics. Many Californians are struggling and have little time for it. Another possibility is to work with reform groups such as California Forward or California Choices. That is a reasonable thing to do, although reform efforts will be opposed by the usual cast of characters. Also, there is the option of starting a new political party. 

Why a new party?

A new party could provide some unique aspects. One, it would not be dominated by entrenched activists because nothing would be entrenched, at least in the first few years. It could also incorporate into its policies, the reform efforts of groups like California Forward or California Choices. A proclivity toward reform could be built into the essence of the party, which might not be a bad thing given the fluid and dynamic nature of the world and our economy. Rigidity seems to be a big enemy these days. Third, a new party could provide a central organization from which people interested in political change could coordinate and operate.

At present, political discontent with the existing parties, e.g., registered independents, does not have an obvious home base and it appears to be mostly unfocused. Providing a focus point or organization, like a new political party, should enhance the capacity of discontent to inflict change on a system that will resist.