April 13, 2006
by Steve Osborn

I'm sitting here at a keyboard, but my mind's eye rests upon a pile of old, weathered boards shoved off into a corner. Upon approaching closer, I see that they are the old, neglected planks of the platform of the Democratic Party. When I was a youngster, I used to listen to that platform being built, plank by plank at the Democratic Convention. It was always a long, tough job, but when it was finally built, the candidates, who also helped to build it, could stand on it and see where they were going. The people voting for them could see, too.

Campaigning used to be on issues and problems the nation faced. The candidate with the best solutions was the one that got the votes. Nowadays, it seems that no one is up to facing and solving problems.

"Vote for me, the other guy is no good!"
"What do you plan to do about the economy?"
"The other guy is a crook, vote for me!"
And so on throughout the campaign.

In the last election, I would have liked to see the Democratic Party build a platform, plank by plank, addressing the problems that currently beset our nation and the world today. Sadly enough, name calling seemed to be enough for the Democrats as well as the Republicans.

Now I see a new party forming in the wings. It is called the Populist Party of America and its values and intent can be found on its website, http://www.populistamerica.com/home but may be summed up by the opening statement on its home page:

• "The Populist Party of America is a political party that seeks solutions to our problems through the establishment of a Constitutional Democracy and strict adherence to the Bill of Rights.
• "The Populist Party promotes, and strives for, Common Sense solutions; Democracy as a tool to reign in the power of the federal government and ensure a greater responsibility of all public servants to the People.
• "Populism, as espoused by the Populist Party, is a system of government where the final check and balance on the power of the federal authorities is directly in the hands of the people; with the Constitution and Bill of Rights serving as legal boundaries to protect the rights and liberties of all citizens. Contrary to popular belief, this is the natural progression of society that Thomas Jefferson and many of our founding fathers felt was necessary to ensure America's lasting freedom."

Perhaps, if We the People were to join the Populist Party, we could build a platform to take our country back and restore the honor of the United States.

We need a plank reaffirming the rule of law in international relations and re-ratifying the treaties that Bush has unilaterally or through economic and military blackmail abrogated. In that plank should be a rededication to the United Nations, created at the end of WW-II to avoid the nightmare that we are once again going through in Iraq and Afghanistan. We need a well thought out plank with a plan for ending this Iraq incursion with honor and getting our troops out of there and back home.

We need a plank to restore a middle class to this country. Our greatest moment in history has been that in which we had a burgeoning middle class which worked, played, fought just wars and willingly payed taxes for what we got from good government. We are devolving into the extremely rich who do none of the above, and the extremely poor who can't do any of the above.  We should have a plank addressing the return of the tax giveaways to the rich and powerful, with that money going back to the people through social services, medicare, and education; services which the Neocons want to do away with through bankrupting the American economy if that is what it takes.

(Article Continues Below)

Above all, there must be a plank which promises to return the Constitution and Bill of Rights to the People of the United States, so we can again be a nation respected for honor and decency.

We need a plank which will allow the poor and the elderly to get medications at a reasonable price without rewarding the drug cartels with huge grants of tax money to make up the difference.

There are many more planks to lay to build a strong platform. It used to be that the candidate was chosen after the platform was erected, largely upon his response to the platform. These days, the candidate seems to be selected long before the convention. Then the Democrats get to rubber stamp the choice just like the Republicans do. The Populist Party has the chance to start building a strong platform now, from the grass roots, even as they search for worthy candidates to stand upon it.

One of the problems of third parties has been that they have acted as spoilers, siphoning votes away from the major party that might have had a chance to win.

A strong Populist Party, even if not large enough to win an election at first, could, if strong enough, act as part of a coalition, to force concessions and response from, say, the Democrats. With sufficient strength over time, the Populist Party could become a leading contender in United States elections, both local and national. Then, after so long an hiatus, We the People could have a real voice in our government.

To build a strong Populist Party, we must pledge to accept no money from the many lobbyists and cartels that bankroll so many elections, then call in their markers to make the Nation, State, County or City do their bidding against the interests of the people. The necessary money can be raised by people and organizations dedicated to Democracy instead of Hypocrisy. There are still millions of people who believe in the ideals that founded this nation, and who are appalled at what has happened to it so far in the Twenty-First Century.

If the American People are as disgusted with the current regime as I hope they are, the Populist Party may well be an answer, and a way to turn the nation around.

We need to see a strong, Populist candidate, stand on that Populist platform and say, "If I am elected, I pledge my administration to carry out the mandate of this platform on which I stand. And if I fail to do so, I encourage the American people to replace me with someone who can and will."

That person would have my vote and as much of my savings and pension as I could afford, if it would help to get him or her elected.

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to the Free Populist Party Newsletter

     click here

Stephen M. Osborn [send him email] is a freelance writer living on Camano Island in the Pacific Northwest. He is an "Atomic Vet." (Operation Redwing, Bikini Atoll 1956, ) who has been very active working and writing for nuclear disarmament and world peace. He is a retired Fire Battalion Chief, lifelong sailor, writer, poet, philosopher, historian and former newspaper columnist.