Spoiling for a Fight: Third-Party Politics in America

This book is an excellent, if anecdotal, analysis of the third party political movements that have arose during the last twenty years. Sifry is perceptive and mostly objective journalist who provides an apparently accurate anatomy of the fortunes of third parties starting with Jessie Ventura's unlikely campaign for Governor. He is especially good in his dissection of the Reform Party (Ross Perot) and the Green Party (Ralph Nader) both of which gained national prominence briefly. In the end the U.S. political `establishment' consisting of mainstream media, the established parties and the special interests supporting both proved to be too formidable for these pesky outsiders. Yet as Sifry demonstrates that is not the whole story. The third parties of Perot and to a lesser extent Nader were built on very fragile foundations. Perot in the end did much to undermine his own chances because of his desire for complete party control and paranoia over losing that control. Nader did not have the charisma to match his unflinching honesty and dedication. Both the Reform Party and the Green Party failed to develop a truly compelling national vision and a cadre of dedicated zealots to promote that vision. This made both vulnerable to the pressures of the established parties that do offer national visions, however flawed, and cadres of true believers to promote their visions. Sifry is clearly in sympathy with the idea of a third party challenger to the entrenched interests represented by both Democrats and Republicans (which he refers to as the "Duopoly"). He attempts to point the way to actually establishing a viable third party, but this reader was left thinking that his heart was just not in it. There are enormous odds against the formation of a viable third party that would actually threaten the two parties' hold on power. It would take an unlikely confluence of strong leadership, good people, long term planning and above all a compelling vision to build a viable third party. All in all this is a book to ponder and discuss.

I am not giving up on fielding a third-party team in 2008. All three of those running are part of the two party organized crime spoils system, and to mock 41, "this will not stand." This book is beyond five stars for its relevance, timeliness, and detail. It has gripped me all morning, and the level of detail including specific names, is phenomenal. Although the author does not cover the 27 secessionist movements (but does cover the Vermont Progressive Party) and I could find no mention of the The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World, I am totally impressed by the structure, the discipline, the detail. I started with the index and that alone persuaded me this was a phenomenal book worthy of every voter's attention. The book was published in 2003, to early for the author to be following Reuniting America and its transpartisaship meme, or the World Index of Social and Environmental Responsibility (WISER) described in Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History Is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World but I can say with certainty that this author, who he knows and what he knows, is an essential contributor to appreciative inquiry and deliberative democracy. I have a number of notes, and unlike many books, there is a lot in here that I simply did not know (I did not pay much attention in classes until I earned my MPA because it mattered). + Abe Lincoln was a third party candidate for president. The author is well-spo0ken and compelling in condemning the Supreme Court for several decisions that institutionalize the two-party spoils system, both within the states where Hawaii was allowed to ban write-in votes, in other states where the states are allowed to exclude all third parties from all debates + Although the author does not provide a policy framework, there is a great deal of compelling detail about how Jesse Ventura combined fiscal conservative and social liberal values in a centrist independent common sense platform that attracted the votes of the working class (the author notes that this class is bigger than most imagine, while the middle class is now smaller than most imagine). + Although I have read Don't Start the Revolution Without Me this book is in many ways better on policy details and personalities, and an ideal companions to everything written by Jesse Ventura, by Ron Paul (e.g. The Revolution: A Manifesto). I also recommend Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It) and The Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates That Define and Inspire Our Country. + Four constituencies elected Jesse Ventura: women, moderate Republicans, blue collar suburbanites, and alienated 20-30 somethings. To this the author adds "unlikely voters" and says the polls always miss them but they make the difference for third party or independent candidates and are twice as likely to branch off from either of the two criminal partie

This is easily one of the best books on late 20th century third party politics out there. As a journalist who covers third parties this election year, I found this book to be immesely helpful in its analysis of the Reform Party effort as well as a superb account of Nader's unsuccessful 2000 run. If you are reading just one book on third party politics, this should be it.

This book contains a riveting history of the Reform Party during the period 1996-2000. It seems to be the only book which has this history. It tells how Ross Perot lost control of the Reform Party to Pat Buchanan.There's plenty of other fascinating material in the book also, especially about the Green Party, and new material about how Jesse Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998, and about how a majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are hostile to new and minor political parties (this conclusion is clear from Sifry's account of the Forbes debate decision, and the Twin Cities Area decision about "fusion").

Having read Micah Sifry's articles for years in the Nation, I couldn't wait for this book to come out. And out it came! This book hits exactly the right notes, and is filled with information. If you care about politics and the way that politics effects your life, buy this book and read it NOW! It will change your life.