Victor-Li.com
Author * Editor * Journalist * Lawyer
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Biography
    • Resume
  • My Work
    • Books
      • Nixon in New York: How Wall Street Helped Richard Nixon Win the White House (2018)
      • Supreme Pressure: The Rejection of John J. Parker and the Birth of the Modern Supreme Court Confirmation Process (TBD)
    • Magazine Clips/Podcast Episodes
  • Blog
  • Contact
Columbia J-SchoolPolitics

Tea for Three?

by Unfrozen Caveman Law Writer May 4, 2010
written by Unfrozen Caveman Law Writer May 4, 2010
Third party candidate Dean Barkley positioned himself between Al Franken and Norm Coleman - literally. (Image via YouTube)
256

The first person I called after Governor Charlie Crist announced he will run for the Senate as an independent was Dean Barkley of Minnesota. Mr. Barkley knows all about the obstacles facing a third-party candidate. A member of Ross Perot’s Reform Party, he served out the final months of the late Paul Wellstone’s Senate term. Running in 2008 as an independent, he won 15% of the vote despite raising a shade over $160,000. “I’m very glad Crist did it,” Barkley told me when I reached him by phone. “I don’t really care what his reasons are. It shows that the window for an independent movement is getting bigger and bigger. Most centrists or moderates don’t like either party. They’re basically exasperated with both.”

The question is whether that exasperation Mr. Barkley senses can be harnessed by candidates like Mr. Crist in a way that will boost significant numbers to power. In a Senate, where the ability to gain cloture falls short by a single vote, even one seat is significant. But that edge is not likely to last long. Mr. Crist’s departure from the GOP makes him the second major GOP officeholder to leave since the 2008 elections due to ideology (and self interest – right, Arlen Specter?) and could set the stage for the emergence for a viable third-party, something that has happened only rarely, with Teddy Roosevelt’s “Bull Moose” Progressive Party in 1912 and Ross Perot’s Reform Party in 1996. Make no mistake about it, the barriers to entry for a new political party are about as high as can be. To compete with the big boys, you need money, organization, dedicated followers, and strong candidates. As Perot found out, it takes more than just a few rich people and a strong showing in one election to build a party. No one thinks that Crist, a notoriously fickle and self-interested politician, will somehow become the leader of a political movement for all the disaffected moderates in America. His move was as much about not wanting to get blown out by Marco Rubio than anything else.

Mr. Barkley believes that the biggest problem facing a burgeoning third-party is money. “All the big money now is in the Democratic and Republican party,” said Barkley. “It’s very difficult to get the finances to compete, especially on the national stage. For us, once Perot cut off the faucet, the party died. You need a famous person like [Jesse] Ventura in Minnesota or someone rich.” Barkley pointed to a man in New York that fit that description to a T. “I think if Michael Bloomberg had run for president, then he would have done very well. Maybe he would have won if Obama hadn’t been the Democratic nominee. He’s got a lot of money, and name recognition. The question is can you bring them together under one umbrella.”

Ultimately, Barkley is optimistic about the chances for a viable third party emerging from the pack. “I think it will as long as the other two parties continue doing what they’re doing, then it’s inevitable that another party will emerge. It’s not a question of if but when.” If it happens, wouldn’t it be ironic that, in their quest for ideological purity, the Republicans, who screamed about the country turning into Europe, helped enable a multi-party system of democracy?

See Also:

Al FrankenBarack ObamaColumbia J-SchoolDean BarkleyelectionsMichael BloombergMinnesotaNorm ColemanpoliticsSenateTheodore Roosevelt
0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Unfrozen Caveman Law Writer

previous post
Here Comes the Boss! Quick, Hit the Button!
next post
Do the Evolution – A Concert Review of Pearl Jam at MSG

About Me

About Me

- Former Lawyer.

- Currently an Author, Journalist, Writer and Editor.

- Author of Nixon in New York: How Wall Street Helped Richard Nixon Win the White House, published in 2018.

- Husband, father and dog-lover.

- Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Manchester United supporter.

- Chicago via Pittsburgh, New York City and several others.

Categories:

  • ABA Journal
  • Bernie
  • Career Killers
  • Columbia J-School
  • Dessie Lisa Vito
  • Humor
  • Law
  • Law Technology News
  • Manchester United
  • Music
  • New York
  • Personal
  • Pittsburgh
  • Politics
  • Reviews
  • Richard Nixon
  • Sports
  • The American Lawyer
  • The Coin Blog

Tag Cloud:

(Legal) Career Killers ABA Journal ALM Bernie business Career Killers Chicago clips coins Columbia J-School commemorative coin concept albums contracts criminal law Donald Trump elections England exonumia George Washington history House of Representatives in memoriam John F. Kennedy law law firms lawyers Led Zeppelin litigation Madonna Manchester United Michael Jackson MTV music New York personal politics reviews Richard Nixon Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Senate soccer sports Take That Taylor Swift tech The American Lawyer The Beatles The Rolling Stones U.S. Mint U2

"Between thought and expression, lies a lifetime." -- Lou Reed

@2024 - All Rights Reserved, Victor-Li.com.

Designed and Developed by PenciDesign


Back To Top
Victor-Li.com
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Biography
    • Resume
  • My Work
    • Books
      • Nixon in New York: How Wall Street Helped Richard Nixon Win the White House (2018)
      • Supreme Pressure: The Rejection of John J. Parker and the Birth of the Modern Supreme Court Confirmation Process (TBD)
    • Magazine Clips/Podcast Episodes
  • Blog
  • Contact

Shopping Cart

Close

No products in the cart.

Close