Lessons Learned From The Forward Party

Recent efforts to establish national political parties outside the Democratic-Republican duopoly offer valuable insights. By examining both longstanding parties like the Green and Libertarian, and newer ones like the Forward Party (founded by Andrew Yang in 2021) and No Labels, which attempted to recruit Senator Joe Manchin as a presidential candidate, we can identify key lessons that should guide the launch of any successful centrist party.

What Does Success Actually Look Like?

A successful centrist party needs to prioritise five things above all else:

• Independence. Candidates should be members, not mere affiliates, of the party. Without clear party identification, candidates risk being seen as extensions of other parties, which dilutes the brand entirely.
• Electoral success. Winning elections at state and federal levels is essential. A party that fails to win any major elections remains irrelevant, regardless of how good its ideas are.
• A clear, issue-based platform. Voters need to understand the party's identity and values. Vague positioning helps no one.
• Candidate support infrastructure. Effective fundraising, data, and advisory services are critical for competitive campaigns.
• Discipline and accountability. Mechanisms for handling internal disagreements and enforcing party norms help maintain integrity and public trust.

Why Independence Matters

Establishing a unique, recognisable party identity is foundational. Analysing the Forward Party's candidate endorsements reveals the problem: only six out of 97 candidates fully identified with the Forward Party, while the rest affiliated as Republicans, Democrats, or independents. This lack of clear branding limits recognition and weakens the party's visibility and impact.

A more effective strategy involves initially focusing on a smaller group of candidates who exclusively identify with the party. This concentrated effort helps establish a unique identity, making it more recognisable and credible among voters.

Winning Elections and Building Credibility

A new party's viability hinges on its ability to win. Both the Green and Libertarian parties have struggled, but they have managed limited success in state elections over decades. The Green Party has held seats sporadically. The Libertarians have had greater success, with a few candidates winning at the state level.

The Forward Party has not yet achieved state-level wins with candidates identifying as members of the Forward Party, and many of its candidates have only targeted minor offices or run as affiliated members. Electoral success would demonstrate staying power and relevance, expanding the party's support base.

The Danger of Being Too Vague

The Green and Libertarian parties have struggled due to rigid ideological stances, which have alienated moderate voters. But the Forward Party's approach is problematic in the opposite direction: it has avoided clear stances on core issues like immigration and gun control, opting instead to let individual candidates define their own positions. This "offend no one" approach risks rendering the party ineffectual, as voters struggle to understand what the party actually represents.

"The Green party became very narrow and rigid, a tiny party of true believers focused on ideological purity above all else. Back in 2004 there were 225 Green party members in elected office, now it's 143. It's a pretty dismal record for 20 years of existence." Ted Glick, former Green Party activist

As Aristotle observed: "If you want to avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing."

Resources to Help Candidates Compete

Running competitive campaigns requires funding, data, and strategic support. The two major parties have decades of infrastructure, putting new parties at a significant disadvantage. However, a new party could focus its resources on a few winnable races to build its profile and credibility gradually.

Currently, the Forward Party's support is limited to a virtual phone bank, which restricts candidates' effectiveness. For substantial impact, a new party must invest in scalable campaign infrastructure.

Enforcing Standards

Upholding values and managing conflicts is essential for a party's reputation. Establishing clear expectations with candidates, and addressing deviations from those expectations, protects the party's integrity. Without such discipline, the party risks losing public trust.

The Bottom Line

The Forward Party's trajectory currently lacks the essential elements for long-term success. Too many of its endorsed candidates have only nominal affiliation, undermining the brand. Its lack of a clear platform on key issues mirrors the diffuse objectives of Occupy Wall Street, a model that ultimately faded without achieving structural change.

A new centrist party can succeed by learning from these examples. With a strong identity, clear values, maintained independence, and robust support systems, it could engage the large, underrepresented centrist voter base and make meaningful electoral gains.

The case for building something new rather than reforming existing parties rests on exactly these lessons. And the path to making it work runs squarely through reforming the primary system itself.