The Reform Party Adrift

The upcoming presidential race continues to chug along, hauling a couple of stiff-necked Democrats and a slightly more colorful mix of Republican contenders. And for the most part, it has been a two-car train. The Reform Party--that alternative caboose that rode so visibly in 1992 and 1996--has been conspicuously lagging behind.

But recently, thanks to the hoopla surrounding presidential candidate Patrick J. Buchanan's threatened defection from the GOP, the Reform Party has made it back into the limelight. But he's not the only one who might seek the Reform Party nomination. Party members are openly wooing other illustrious pseudo-celebrities include former Connecticut governor and political maverick Lowell P. Weicker Jr. and real estate mogul Donald "The Donald" Trump. Led by Minnesota governor and former pro-wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura the House that Ross Built might be making some headway after all.

The problem, however, is that neither Buchanan nor any of the other circus-show candidates are quick solutions to the party's deeper woes.

In general, third party candidates can serve an important function in a two-party electoral system. For one thing, third parties often address issues that other two parties won't. In 1992, H. Ross Perot attacked both Republicans and Democrats for their refusal to discuss the nation's burgeoning budget deficit.

Secondly, third parties can often appeal to the vast majority of American's who don't normally vote. These alienated non-voters are generally swayed by the anti-establishment tone typical of most third-party candidates. Gov. Ventura is living proof of how these non-voters can sway an election.

Buchanan, however, could do little to help the Reform Party accomplish these goals. His strong anti-abortion and anti-homosexual views not only violate the party's pledge to remain silent on social issues, but would substantially change the party's constituency. Any party that nominates a candidate with such volatile and xenophobic views--Buchanan has said he would support building a wall on the Mexican border--seriously risks banishment to the fringes of American politics.

Both Weicker and Trump suffer from similar problems, the former with no apparent base of support and the latter alienating everyone except the extremely rich. It's no wonder this hodge-podge party of political outcasts and mavericks is suffering from a serious identity crisis.

The variety of possible candidates makes it difficult for the party to establish a coherent platform. There is even uncertainty in the party on budget policy and paying down the national debt, previously one of the party's most central platforms. Buchanan, for one, wants a tax cut that exceeds the already-irresponsible Republican proposal vetoed by President Clinton last week.

If the Reform party really is to produce a viable candidate--one that will force Democrats and Republicans to address the issues that matter most to our nation's non-voting majority--it will first need to revitalize and reclarify what is now just a hazy call for reform.