I received an invitation to this event via a Facebook friend.
Join us in Marina del Rey for an organizing meeting at Jerry’s Deli. We will begin mapping out our California ballot access strategy, filling vital positions and assigning tasks.
Here is the Citizens Party “About Us” page. Here is their “Platform” page.
Red Philips, while I favor a neutral position on social issues your point that paleopopulism is exclusive to right wing social conservatives is not quite accurate. I have met plenty of liberals who are fed up with illegal immigration and job outsourcing. They don’t like the Republicans because of the wars and tax cuts for the ultra wealthy but I could see them being attracted to the Citizens Party.
Thats sounds like a pretty good description I just hope they don’t have the infighting like the Reform Party did. That can happen with parties that have differant coaltions. While the Reform Party was neutral on social issues it looks like the Citizens Party tends to take more liberal positions on issues like gay rights. I would prefer a neutral postion but out of all the existing third parties this one is the closest to my views. Libertarians and Greens suck on immigration and the Constitution Party is full of theocrats and isn’t that great on the environment.
What makes the party unique is that it is focused on middle class economic issues and American self reliance rather than political ideology like most of the other third parties.
They seem to be the most active in Penssylvania and Southern California. I have a feeling its because Penssylvania has been hit hard by manufacturing jobs going overseas and Socal by illegal immigration. It does seem to have similar planks to the old Reform Party but a much more detailed platform and unlike the Reform Party which revolved around Perot this party is starting from the bottum up rather than top down.
I just discovered this party. I think they have what it takes to sucsessfully bring together aspects of the left and right. There is a large demographic that is anti-war, anti-police state, anti-illegal immigration, anti-nafta, pro-environment, fiscally responsible, and socially moderate that doesn’t have a voice. It could also appeal to a lot of moderate libertarians who find the LP to extreme.
There are members who are working on drafting candidates such as formerr Colorado Governor Dick Lamm.
http://www.votecitizens.org/group/draftdicklamm
and former Congressman Jim Traficant.
http://www.votecitizens.org/group/DraftTraficant
I contacted them on general parameters, but had exactly zero influence or impute on their founding or development or lack there of ……….
Redphillips,
The Citizens Party was indeed the New American Independent Party. The NAIP was founded in Valley Forge, Pa. in Nov. of 2004. No former reform party members were involved in forming the party and no former reform party members are involved n0w. No one named Don Lake is involved.
There was a Citizen’s Party in 1980, which was pretty left-wing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_Party_%28United_States%29
Of course, this is not that.
This used to be the New American Independent Party, which, if I am not mistaken, was formed by ex-Reform Party members who were uncomfortable with the social conservatism of the very Buchananite America First Party.
The platform is paleoish populist and crunchy in general, but also pro-choice and pro-gay rights. In my opinion, the constituency for this combo is very limited. (Although it includes Don Lake I believe.) The natural constituency for paleo populism is generally conservative on social issues as well.