Former Republicans and Democrats joined forces on Wednesday to create a new Centrist national party to meet the aspirations of Americans that say they are tired of the dysfunctional political system in the US.
The new party, called Forward, is co-chaired by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Christine Todd Whitman, the former Republican governor of New Jersey. Although Yang’s Forward Party was initially established in October 2021, it has now merged with two other organizations: the Renew America Movement, of former Republicans, and the bipartisan Serve America Movement.
The leaders of the newly hatched political group hope to challenge the traditional two party system in America, claiming it divides the US into different camps, while the Forward party seeks to bring them together. “Not left. Not right. FORWARD,” the slogan on the party’s website reads.
In an opinion piece in The Washington Post on Wednesday, Forward leaders sounded the alarm over the current state of the US, decrying “political extremism” that “is ripping our nation apart” and is leading to “political intimidation.”
“If nothing is done, the United States will not reach its 300th birthday this century in recognizable form,” they wrote, adding that Americans have lost faith in their government.
The United States, they said, “badly needs a new political party — one that reflects the moderate, common-sense majority.” “Today’s outdated parties have failed by catering to the fringes. As a result, most Americans feel they aren’t represented,” the article reads.