First of all, the name alone could be enough to sink this ship. The Forward Party? Sorry, but I cannot think of a name less appealing to conservatives. It is ‘MAGA,’ after all, not just MAG. They want the past! None of this forward nonsense. Meanwhile, what is the difference between Forward and Progressive? Taken at face value, not much.
Below the surface, however, we find there is indeed a difference. The goal of the Forward Party has nothing to do with progress. Rather, they are waging war on polarization. While I find myself broadly sympathetic to the idea of inserting a purple party between red and blue, it quickly becomes clear that the Forward Party is just a reskinned Democratic Party.
Take the issues presented by Yang, Whitman, and Jolly, for examples. Abortion? They fall somewhere between supporting third trimester abortions and supporting death by ectopic pregnancy. Gun control? They fall somewhere between eliminating gun laws and eliminating guns. Climate change? They fall somewhere between bringing the economy to a screeching halt and doing nothing at all.
Notice how far they have to reach to come up with ‘extreme’ leftist positions. To believe there is a meaningful distinction between the Forward Party and the core of the Democratic Party requires one to believe that Joe Biden would support third-trimester abortions, criminalizing fossil fuels, and repealing the second amendment. Does that sound like the Brandon we all know and love? Does it even sound like Bernie Sanders?
Meanwhile, their examples of ‘extreme’ right positions are just core conservative ideals. For a Republican to embrace the Forward Party, they would have to support stricter gun laws, reversing climate change, and a nuanced policy on abortion which would safeguard termination in some cases. Furthermore, they would have to abandon the idea that everything is fine, and support the application of unfamiliar ideas to the political landscape. Does that sound like the conservative grandparents we all know and love?
In both cases, I would argue no; the Forward Party’s characterization of our political climate does not sound accurate to me. Rather, their premises unintentionally (or perhaps intentionally) expose our dirty little secret: common-sense solutions have long since been labeled ‘extreme’ in America. Policies like Medicare for all, or legalizing marijuana, are made to seem extreme despite being the broadly popular, common sense solutions we claim to desire.
Common sense is extreme in 2022. Thus, as a political vehicle, the Forward Party is about as viable as a lead zeppelin.
