More Americans now identify as political independents than as either Democrats or Republicans. Tired of the two-party gridlock, the pandering, and the lack of vision, they've turned in increasing numbers to independent and third-party candidates. In 1998, for the first time in decades, a third-party candidate who was not a refugee from one of the two major parties, Jesse Ventura, won election to state-wide office, as the governor of Minnesota. In...
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...
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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...
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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.
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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...
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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.
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