Election races for seats in the Houses of Congress are starting to gear up, so Ranty McRanterson decided to highlight some parties to watch in the coming elections and perhaps even in the 2008 Presidential election. You may want to jump on the bandwagon now with some of these groups, our political analysts see these being competitive with the major parties in the United States within the next few years.
The Light Party (link)
The Light Party is is a generally liberal party and seems strongly centered around of party founder “Da Vid, M.D., Wholistic Physician, Human Ecologist & Artist” (he was also a write-in candidate for President in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 — and seems to be the only visible leader of the party). This San Francisco-based party’s platform promotes holistic medicine, national health insurance, organic foods, solar energy, nuclear disarmament and a flat tax. Da Vid claims the party has “millions” of supporters — but he counts everyone who supports any position advocated by the party. In terms of votes, the party has nothing to show for all of Da Vid’s White House runs. The party does not seriously seek to elect candidates but advance an agenda. Not that it has anything to do with politics, but the party does sell a nice CD of relaxing New Age music.
The Workers World Party (link)(not to be confused with the popular PC game, Worms: World Party) (link)
The WWP was formed in 1959 by a pro-Chinese communist faction that split from the Socialist Workers Party. Although the WWP theoretically supports worker revolutions, the WWP supported the Soviet actions that crushed worker uprisings in Hungary in the 1950s, Czechoslovakia in the 1960s and Poland in the early 1980s. The militant WWP believes that “capitalist democracy produces nothing but hot air” and that “the power of the workers and the oppressed is in the streets, not in Washington.” FBI Director Louis Freeh attacked the WWP in his May 2001 remarks before a US Senate committee: “Anarchists and extremist socialist groups — many of which, such as the Workers World Party — have an international presence and, at times, also represent a potential threat in the United States” of rioting and street violence. The well-designed site features regularly updated news stories from a pro-Cuba/pro-China communist perspective, so expect lots of dogmatic stories denouncing the US government, sexism, racism, the police and capitalists.
The Pansexual Peace Party (link)
The PPP is a generally left-wing party that has yet to field any candidates — they don’t take themselves too seriously — and, oh yeah, and the PPP is founded on Wiccan (i.e., witchcraft) roots. Check out the PPP platform plank on sexual issues, which carries the title: “Sex is Good! Sex is Great! Yea, Sex!” The PPP site also contains a short but harsh anti-libertarian essay. To date, the PPP’s political activities seem confined to printing some PPP t-shirts and bumper stickers. Jimi Freidenker is the founder and “Chairentity” of the PPP.
The Pot Party (link)
The Pot Party is exactly what you’d expect — a bunch of marijuana legalization advocates (“mandate pot growing”) ranging in age — seemingly — from late teens to middle aged. In fact, their current tag line seems to be: “A movement to pretty much legalize marijuana.” One profile of a Pot Party leader boasts that he won High Times magazine’s “Bong-of-the-Month” Award. Unlike the denials of a certain recent national politician, these people quite obviously, proudly and regularly inhale. They also seem to be actively involved in an online fantasy government entitled the USA Parliament (official description: “A coalition of US voters based on votes cast, where 1/100th of the votes cast elects one of the one hundred members of parliament”). The party currently has state chapters formed in California, Illinois and Virginia.
Party descriptions for the above were taken from the Politics1 Guide to American Political Parties.
The Ranty McRanterson Party (link)
This party was founded in July 2006 by Clint and Matt primarily to attract women and fight crime in small towns. The party has ties with McGruff, a representative for the National Crime Prevention Council, The Enduring Vision, and also support lowering the drinking age to 18 for registered voters. They also enjoy long walks on the beach and dinner by candlelight.
Listen: Rage Against the Machine, “Mic Check”
Quote: “So I said to the guy, ‘Look, I’ve been doing drugs since 7th grade. I think I know what it’s like to trip.” – a part of a conversation I overheard from some random goth kid walking by me on the way to class this morning
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