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About Us |
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“Independence” and “Party” seem like contradictions. Once you get past the word parsing the marriage makes sense. Independents have long been discriminated against in the political system. Laws are designed to make it tough to get ballot access or to raise funds. The media simply ignores them outright.
The Independence “Party” was the answer to that. In 1992 Independents who had supported candidates like John Anderson or Dean Barkley formed a party which has defied the “illogic” of political pundits. The StarTribune finally called Independence “durable” in 2006, something not usually said about third parties. They were right. Here is why... the Independence Party provides a vehicle for Independents, Democrats, and Republicans who want real reform to drive. If the country gets reform, then we have done our job. If politicians only delivery rhetoric and not reform, then the Independence movement grows. Either solution works.
In 1992, Ross Perot ran for President as an Independent. His yard signs still populate more than a few Independence garages throughout the state. Ross did very well, actually leading in the polls before he made the unfortunate decision to drop out of the election and later return. His campaigns in 1992 and 1996 never-the –less were very powerful campaigns that were credited for forcing Democrats and Republicans in Washington to balance the budget for a few short years (hey competition is good...right?).
In 1998 the perfect storm came together with the election of Jesse Ventura as Governor of Minnesota. Minnesotans were ahead of their time in understanding that it was time for a real alternative to gridlock. The Ventura administration, with the sometimes ;-) outspoken Governor Ventura at the helm, was credited for some of the best government and policy reforms in modern Minnesota history, even despite a defiant legislature.
We know that the Ventura election was ahead of its time. We continue the fight by building at the grassroots and in engaging the ever increasing number of Independents in the political system. Despite all the money in politics, cheap pandering, and do-nothing rhetoric, we know that the combination of new Independents and yearning Democrats and Republicans will lead to lasting change.
We have been honored during our building years by such candidates as Alan Shilepsky, Jim Gibson, Tim Penny, Jim Moore, Peter Hutchinson, Maureen Reed, Robert Fitzgerald, Tammy Lee, Dave Hutchinson and John Binkowski among others. While they faced uphill fights against well-oiled machines, they left a lasting mark on political discourse and more importantly...policy. In 2007, for instance, Governor Pawlenty and the legislature actually supported and enacted many of the Hutchinson/Reed/Gerold/James/Spoonheim (TeamMinnesota) policies.
In the future we will continue to provide this vehicle to Independents as well as those from other parties to bring real change…after all…..only by working together can we offer the real and only chance for change! |
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In 2006, John Anderson visited Minneapolis to campaign on behalf of Tammy Lee, our Independent candidate for Congress in the 5th CD. Congressman Anderson had a lot of war stories to share, including about the great debate debacle of 1980. As soon as the Democrats and Republicans saw Anderson shooting up in the polls, they kicked him out of the debates. Political pundits conveniently forget these dirty tricks but citizens see the outcome of them everyday: bad, ineffective, government. It won’t change without Independents leading the way.
Tidbit: The Independence Party existed as the “Reform Party” in the late 1990’s until it disaffiliated with the national reform party. The charter of the party has always been Independence from day one.
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Prepared and Paid for by the Independence Party CD5 Committee, PO Box 52016, Minneapolis, MN 55402 |