Finally, a political party that stands for nothing. It’s the Seinfeld of politics.
Led by a former politician, the Forward Party launched in Massachusetts this week vowing to become the leading party of the state’s voters in just a few years.
There’s one small problem. The party has taken no positions on the issues and just promises to be the middle of the road between Democrats and Republicans.
The Forward Party’s website states it is “centrist” and is still in the process of coming up with a formal party platform.
“We believe a Party’s platform should be created by a process that elevates the voice of its membership. We are engaged in a process to organize, inform, and then poll Forward members to show which policies are supported,” the party’s website says.
So a party that’s wishy washy and hasn’t come up with any positions seems to be perfect for Massachusetts, where flip-flopping politicians are everywhere.
Former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (no relation to current Gov. Maura Healey) – who helped launch the party here – is the perfect face for a nondescript party because she’s never stood for much. Her press conference announcing the party’s attempt to get officials status in Massachusetts landed with a thud, overshadowed by the Celtics and a heat wave.
Healey ended her affiliation with the Republican Party the day after the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol, and apparently has now ended her search for a new home.
“Sixty percent of all Massachusetts voters have said ‘I don’t want to be labeled a Republican or a Democrat’ So the question is, what does tap into the passions of the people here in this state?” Healey said.
Well, offhand, a party with no positions is not going to stir the “passions” of anyone.
Healey describes former Gov. Mitt Romney as a mentor but Romney largely ignored her during his one term as governor and didn’t give her many duties – unlike previous Republican governors who made their second in command “co-governors.”
When Healey struck out on her own to run for governor, she was crushed by Democrat Deval Patrick and Romney was long gone to run for president.
During the campaign, she made it clear she was no Romney and tried to distance herself from him – repacking herself as a moderate who took progressive positions on some social issues.
“Now, as a candidate for governor, I can speak my own mind and I think people are getting to know me better,” she said.
Voters did get to know her and rejected her resoundingly.
Healey later became president of Babson College, quite a cushy post for a second in command and gubernatorial loser at the Statehouse.
She was a big backer of Jeb Bush (yawn) when he ran for president and then of Marco Rubio, another unsuccessful White House aspirant.
The national leader of the Forward Party is Andrew Yang, who was just a blip in the Democratic presidential race a few years ago.
Let’s just say I don’t have a lot of hope for the Forward Party. Look for it along with the Green-Rainbow party, the Pizza party and the Conservative party on a discarded ballot in the near future.
