Texas teenager founds United Party, an alternative to the two major parties

[alp227]

Connor Brantley, a middle school student from Fort Worth, Tex., has founded the United Party in response to the bitter partisanship in Congress. Alex Witt interviewed Brantley on MSNBC today. In the interview, Brantley said he considers himself completely non-partisan.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

"I want to create a party that has a set of ideas, but they are middle of the road," he said. "With a platform that both Republicans and Democrats can agree upon.

For now, Connor plans to file a statement of organization to register his party.

Then he'll try to raise money, get the word out and start working in smaller states to try to get candidates on ballots. He envisions someday holding a one-day primary nationwide. "Whoever has the most popular votes in that one day will be the nominee for president," Connor said.

First, though, the election commission will determine whether the proposed group qualifies as a state or national party committee. To gain national status, the group will have to nominate qualified candidates for president and Congress, be involved in get-out-the-vote drives, publicize the party, hold a national convention, set up a national office and start state affiliates.

Connor has a website, unitednow.org, under construction. And he already knows that his group will not accept financial contributions from special interests, just from "people who want to change the system."

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Twit. nt

[socialist_n_TN]

3. Hey I'm all for it. I'd like to see a parliamentary system...........

anyway. So let's see who wins a race between the Republicans, Democrats, Greens, Unit eds, No Labels, and the Progressive Workers Party. Also throw in the Democratic Socialists and the Socialist Workers Party. You'd have a lot more coalition building in all legislation AND day to day governing. IMO, more parties equal a more flexible system of governing.

[JVS]

6. +1

[speltwon]

10. He's doing SOMETHING at least

getting involved, participatory democracy, all that stuff. Good for him.

[DJ13]

2. a set of ideas, but they are middle of the road

We already have that, its called the White House.

[JI7]

4. people like this are usually ignorant of the issues and how things work

i give this one an excuse because they are young and have time to learn.

you know that percentage of people who always make the polls move back and forth day by day or week by week by 10 or less percentage points depending on how they feel.

they think they are above others by not claiming to be with the parties. but they don't seem to discuss issues but rather their personal emotions.

does this kid mention issues that his party would stand for ?

[dawg]

5. We already have a center-right party in this country.

n/t

[superduperfarleft]

7. Well that's just adorable.

He must have gotten this done in between beatings from his classmates.

[sufrommich]

8. The comments on this thread are hysterical. He's a middle

school student for fuck's sake.

[MedleyMisty]

9. We need more parties

So I totally support that part.

The whole "middle of the road" thing, though - that only works when the other side is rational and plays fair. It's like Libya, right? The protesters had to change tactics when Gaddafi started bombing them and bringing in mercenaries to shoot them down in large numbers. If they had stayed in the middle, if they had said that hey, you know, bombing and shooting us is totally rational and cool and we should respond peacefully and without anger and try to find a middle ground, let him kill some of us in return for some small bone he's willing to throw at us, maybe - they'd have been outright massacred.

When you're up against psychopaths, there is no middle ground.

But I'll excuse him - he's a teenager. I know the one that lives with us (my husband's youngest sister) has a tendency towards that sort of philosophy as well. I've researched a lot of ego and moral development theories, and that sort of perspective is around the middle stages.

He's got a good start. He should be a pretty cool person when he grows up some. :)