New independent movement wants to deny both parties a House majority

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

May 10, 2025 at 1:31 p.m. EDT


LIVONIA, Mich. — During focus-group sessions in this bellwether state, two groups of swing voters were asked last month to give an instant assessment of the two political parties. The Democratic Party came under attack: “old, slow … lost … a joke … rudderless.” The image of today’s Republican Party wasn’t much better, viewed largely through President Donald Trump: “far right, no middle … a joke, too … united … delusional.” Behind the screen that blocked her from the participants, Lura Forcum nodded with approval. As president of the Independent Center, Forcum is leading a bid to rally voters who dislike both major parties around alternative candidates who will appeal to the vast middle.

A former marketing executive, Forcum has joined up with several disaffected former Republican-leaning operatives to do intense research on voter attitudes. Their next step will be to recruit candidates willing to take long-shot bets at winning House seats and upending a political system that’s been built around a two-party Congress since just after the Civil War. “You have two actors who’ve insulated themselves from competition, but what it’s allowed them to do is stop responding to the market. So, of course, it’s going to invite in a competitor,” Forcum said in a follow-up call Thursday.

Her cohorts, Adam Brandon and Brett Loyd, are the top political strategists. Brandon served as president of FreedomWorks until last May, when he had to shutter the libertarian-aligned organization that lost relevance in the Trump era. Loyd, who once served on Trump’s polling team, now runs a nonpartisan polling and data firm while overseeing the research and focus groups for the Independent Center. Their objective is both relatively small and, in terms of impact, potentially massive.

Rather than trying to run a third-party presidential campaign that would require billions of dollars and untold resources to get ballot access in all 50 states, they hope to win up to a handful of House races with centrist candidates who will not accept support from either major party. In this era of such narrow margins, that might deny Republicans and Democrats the 218 votes needed for the majority and create a protracted negotiation for a coalition government. “We’re going to that new center. So I will say that people are scared of this being a spoiler. Yes, we’re trying to wreck the system. We’re trying to disrupt the entire duopoly,” Brandon said during Thursday’s video call.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/10/independents-two-party-system-house/

---

No paywall (gift)

Sounds like another version of "The Problem Solvers Caucus" and "No Labels" BUT this (from the excerpts) tells you all you need to know -

Her cohorts, Adam Brandon and Brett Loyd, are the top political strategists. Brandon served as president of FreedomWorks until last May, when he had to shutter the libertarian-aligned organization that lost relevance in the Trump era.

[erronis]

1. Sounds like a good idea to research. Stir the pot a bit (or a lot.)

It's pretty obvious that the ole two-party system is not working that well. Rubber-stamp repugs and too many rubber-kneed Democrats.

[tanyev]

2. Funny how every time "disaffected former" Republicans throw themselves into 3rd party efforts,

the end result is usually that the Republican candidate wins.

[DavidDvorkin]

3. Oh, fuck them.

[BaronChocula]

4. Dems can't win

Among nonmagas (the people who are somewhat based in reality) The Democratic Party is either "far too radical" or "far too old and slow" depending on the day. I think it's the wages of being humane. People subconsciously think humane behavior is weak and a fun target for potshots.

The Democratic Party has room for improvement, but the question is, how can the Dems run a responsible and professional campaign and lose while the rapist's party can run a chaotic trainwreck and win. The trainwreck surely wasn't a better operation. If these swing voters chose "delusional" over "old" I think there's more there to how their mind works beyond logic.

[JustAnotherGen]

17. We have to learn the power of fear

Hope doesn't work.

[ananda]

18. I think the nazi idea of being humane as weak is, well,

absolutely insane.

And many people who were bullied or made to feel weak
have never recovered their own power, which is innate,
and thus feel the need to either be an oppressor or to
side with oppression.

The problem is that we live in an oppressive society.
Many Democrats and humane people often collude with
this oppression because much of the oppression is
disguised as part of the social fabric that is taken for
granted as the best way to be.

The best examples of this are all in top-down situations --
businesses, schools, sports, the arts ... and that's because
money is at the heart of it all.

I think the best kind of society would not be a democracy
but rather a cooperacy.

I think that's the way it was, but at some point changed
to become mechanistic and based on money and control
of land and other people.

This can't work at all in the long run. It must devolve into
chaos and dysfunction; and with climate change in the mix --
and nothing to conrol it-- welll... the future hardly bears
thinking about.

[BaronChocula]

26. A Cooperacy!

If you can keep it, as the saying goes.

I think European countries have leaned towards that as many other Earth-based societies have relied on that for millennia.

This country is the most successful slave plantation that has convinced enough people to obey rather than cooperate.

[ananda]

27. Right on

Our legacy ofslaveryand genocide has led us directly
to this sorry state.

[mdbl]

29. "oppression is disguised as part of the social fabric that is taken for granted as the best way to be.'

Perfectly describes why people vote against their own best interests. They don't think they are doing it. Our country spent 200 years making laws to protect our democracy. It gave people a false sense of security to think they could sit back, be disengaged, and the country would go on as usual. They were even stupid enough to think it would protect them from fascism - even though history has too many examples showing the otherwise. Of course we can't discount the role played by pure propaganda outlets in right wing media and podcast bros of the manosphere.

[ananda]

37. You know what else strikes me. The loss of law and morality.

I know a lot of so-called "good", "friendly," "nice" people, many
of the "Christian," who voted for Trump and historically have
voted Republican.

It's hard to wrap your mind around since Trump and the
Republicans represent the very worst of what this world has
to offer -- they have no sense of kindness, empathy, or justice --

the only thing they seem interested is greed power, and the
destruction of the entire social fabric that sustains the large
majority of people.

[travelingthrulife]

32. 'Elon knows those computer vote tabulators and we won by alot.'

[FakeNoose]

36. Everyone who remembers The New Deal is dead and gone

That includes our grandparents and even our parents. Anyone who was forced to live through the Depression ... many of whom were rescued by a program from FDR's New Deal ... aren't here to tell us how horrible and terrifying it really was. Democrats saved our country and got us out of the 1930's and 40's. Then in the 50's Gen. Eisenhower stepped forward as a "liberal" Republican and carried the New Deal forward another 8 years (he just didn't call it by that name.) Then JFK and LBJ kept the ball rolling through the 60's.

I'm a Baby Boomer - born in 1951 - and for my entire life I have benefited from the programs begun by Democrats (mainly FDR) in the 1930s and later. We have a lot to be proud of, and it pains me to hear these MAGAs spouting their ignorance about our Party. We can win and we HAVE to find a way to win because the Repukes have nothing.

[BaronChocula]

38. You are so right

FDR was what they call transformational in that he got people to believe in the ability of government to make people's lives better. White people came first of course, but then there was REAL trickle down in spite of the fact that blight and poverty remained. As benefits of the Civil Rights Movement progressed, reagan emerged as the conservative counterpoint to that success. As the Democrats became the party of defending civil rights people like reagan relied on white suspicion that anyone successful who wasn't white got there by gaming the system and through government handouts. He solidified the dogma of government being too big and weighed down by waste. For this he was also considered transformational.

But reagan doesn't deserve the credit he's given because in spite of his attempts to turn people against the gubmint, everyone still wanted their social security and medicare (and postal service, and public safety, and clean water and clean air, etc.). Now we have this hybrid where enough people feel obligated to say "government is too big" and "there's too much government waste" but they hate it when the republicans they voted for try to take away what they want government to do. It's like reagan created stupid.

My one wish is that the Democratic Party went into psy-ops to turn around this hypocritical lack of faith in government.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. Yup, it's No Labels redux

No thanks.

[FalloutShelter]

6. They can eff right off.

The house is ON FIRE.🔥 why is anyone talking about changing the color of the curtains?

[SWBTATTReg]

7. true 3rd party efforts haven't really worked enough, and prior 3rd party efforts were mainly by the repug party

to take votes away from democratic tickets.

[patphil]

8. A strong 3rd party in Congress would be able to steer the vote on bills up for passage.

Depending on the issue, they could go right or left.
I think it's just an attempt by a relatively small group to gain political relevance.
We could have new leadership every few weeks as this group flowed from one side to the other.
Imagine the Senate Majority Leader changing with every controversial vote, or the Speaker of the House, who is in the line of succession, being subject to the whim of a couple dozen Representatives.
It could come to this.

[JBTaurus83]

9. Not this stupid shit again

Yes, let’s stop the only party who can at least try to fight the fascists. I’m sure the American people are clamoring for a party of Manchin’s, Sinema’s, and concerned Collins clones.

[PortTack]

33. Exactly! More republican shit...let's see who's behind this...Russia, jill stein, muskrat? Or all of them

[love_katz]

10. A really bad idea.

We've seen how the " burn it all down " mentality results in a strategy that doesn't work.
Both sides don't! I'm so sick of this attitude that the mess we are in is the fault of the democrats.
For my entire life (and I am not young) the Democratic party is the only party that keeps working for the people. The pukes work for the oligarchy and these days, Voldemort Putrid as well.
Throwing in with a third party simply throws the election to the pukes.
Please don't help our enemies by putting your efforts into something like this that has proven over and over that it does not work and just shoots us in the foot.

[littlemissmartypants]

11. Part of me wants to party, part of me wants a lobotomy...

As of January 2025, there were at least 55 distinct ballot-qualified political parties in the United States. There were 238 state-level parties.[1] Some parties are recognized in multiple states. For example, both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are recognized in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. These two parties account for more than half of the 238 total state-level parties.[2][3][4] Three minor parties were recognized in more than 10 states as of January 2025:

Libertarian Party: 38 states
Green Party: 23 states[5]
Constitution Party: 12 states[6]

Although there are dozens of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
Snip...
https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States


In NC there are more than a half dozen.

❤️ RESIST!! ✊️

[chowder66]

12. Voters should vote Democrats in for more than two terms with a super majority to see what can really be done!

[Cheezoholic]

13. There is no dispute I would argue that Independents and people who don't participate in general are where it's at for us

Where it's at as in where we need to get votes from. I get whats in the OP is most likely BS in disguise and more likely a pure power grab at a growing vacuum in our political spectrum that could either cripple our government or completely dissolve it similar to parliamentary politics of smaller per capita Democracies around the world.

But to use the analogy of an unkept car on fire missing 4 lug nuts on every wheel going 90mph its quite difficult to convince people to "get in". Of course the first thing we have to do is stop the car from completely exploding by getting Democrats back in. But then at the same time, IMO we have to be honest with ourselves and John Q that yes we've been here a couple of times in the last 50 years with enough power to try and slow this car down and fix the wheels but for whatever reason we didn't. THIS time we will. And IF we can get back in power we must DEMAND our DEMOCRATS quit fucking around and play hardball and fix this damn car so this fucking bullshit never happens again. And that starts with getting ALL MONEY out of politics from the ground up. That one principle will win us elections, if we REALLY mean it. That means IF we win we put all elected Democrats on notice. Your number one job is to shut down the giant money machine that owns our elections first and then our government second.

I can tell you from personal conversations in a conservative area that NOBODY, R, I, D or a non participant, none of them, likes this grotesque money BS! Yes there's a ton of other "agendas" that need addressed but lets face it. If we don't get this insane grotesque amount of cash out of our political system it really doesn't matter who wins. And more importantly we will never get anyone to get into whats left of this car that is our Constitutional Republic.

Flame away if you must but from where I live, this is a winner

[Oopsie Daisy]

14. Fuck that shit! ☝️👌👉 💩

[PSPS]

15. These are always astro-turf movements designed to benefit republicans

The US form of government is designed as a "winner take all" republic. There can only be two viable parties. Sure, things would be different if we had a parliamentary system, but we don't and never will.

[Buddyzbuddy]

16. Here we go again. Because of the horrible job the Republicans are doing

the Democrats are the alternative by default so it's the MSM's job to encourage and report on the implausible answer to "both sides". There is no both sides but the MSM will give creedence to undecided and disgruntled voters. And once again the monumentally stupid will take the hook because they're given a mike and invited to
"random" at large townhalls put together by the neutral MSM. You guys are absurd.
"We just report the news", riiight.

[hay rick]

19. The "rational middle" rears its mythological head.

The rational middle between Democrats and Trump is Trump-lite. Got it.

[Bluetus]

20. There is no more "middle" in the middle

The majority of Dems have spent the last 40 years trying to find this mythical "middle". All that has done is move the Overton Window radically to the right.

What we need is Dems with bold ideas, something more bold than being "junior Republicans"

[LudwigPastorius]

21. Just another flavor of "both-sidesism".

Fuck these people and their inability to think critically.

[BadgerMom]

22. F*ck them.

[tirebiter]

23. Begin and end with FDR.

[paulkienitz]

25. Centrists can't win anymore

because that requires voters who are happy with the status quo. When the status quo sucks, only reformist or radical agendas attract voters. When the established order doesn't support the citizens, the citizens won't support the established order. Running to the center was a good idea once, but it sure ain't now.

As usual, these turn out to be conservatives trying to redefine the middle.

[betsuni]

28. Oh, just call it the Let's Scapegoat Democrats (LSD) movement.

[niyad]

30. Interesting that the so-called "focus group" did not call the "r's" the

traitorous, murdering thugs that they are.

[travelingthrulife]

31. I see the libertarians have not gotten any smarter.

[thumper2547]

34. Yeah this is just what we need (sarcasm)

We're in this mess because of centrism. The failure to do anything meaningful for the non-rich because the Democrats always negotiate with the Republicans to get a watered down bill that provides no real help for anyone. Heck, half the time they water it down themselves without even talking to the Republicans. That is literally the reason why we are here. Nobody trusts the Democrats to really help anyone anymore. To a large portion of the country we are just liars who say we will help but never do. We've tried center left, center right and now far right. Funny how we never try far left (because it will actually help people). But let's try center left again I'm sure it will work this time!

Let's put up Newsom and propose a 3% tax increase on the rich, that will get us some votes! Let's run on returning normalcy and the status quo because everyone loved that! People loved not being able to afford a home or college or day care! Let's run on returning to that! I know let's run on increasing the child tax credit by a thousand dollars and act like that's so much money you'll never have to worry again! That piddly thousand bucks will really help people drowning in debt! No need to be bold because people loved the way things were! Nobody wants healthcare for all! Centrism is an all time favorite! Let's do more of that! Let's pretend that $100,000 is actually wealthy and those people don't need any help at all because people who earned $100,000 in 1965 were rich (and let's face it that was when a lot of representatives were in their formative years in their teens or twenties so they still actually believe that is a lot of money).

This is my rant. I am done.

[Quanto Magnus]

35. Sounds more like

No Labels etc.... as the OP mentioned.

Another Bait and Switch party, like current MAGAts....

[airplaneman]

39. Not Left not Right but Forward