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Frank MacKay, Independence Party, National Chairman

November 30, 2007 @ 12:00 am EST


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All that we try to accomplish at LIMBA is dependent on creating the political climate so that it can happen. However we do not declare any allegiance to any political party. But today we examined under the tutelage of Frank MacKay, National Chairman of the Independence Party, the workings of the political parties. We examined the effect that the so-called minor parties have on the political process.
 
Frank had us look at some recent elections to make his point that a "minor" party endorsement is not only helpful, it is often pivotal. In New York City where some voters "would rather cut off their right arm than pull a lever that said Republican" according to Frank, these people did pull the third party lever and Mr. Bloomberg, the Republican was voted into office. The number of people that voted on the Independence line was greater than the difference between the Republican and the Democratic votes. That Independence line was needed to put Michael Bloomberg in office.
 
In 1992 Ross Perot, despite running a miserable campaign, garnered 19% of the vote and Bill Clinton, won over George Bush with a mere plurality. In 2000 Ralph Nader created the same scenario and sank the campaign of Al Gore.
 
We then discussed the current politics at the presidential level and the contempt the public has for the president and the congress. With the president’s approval rating at 30% and the Congress at 11% MacKay thinks a third party candidate, such as Mayor Bloomberg, would have an excellent chance of winning.
 
To Frank’s way of thinking, social issues are not part of the process, "we don’t wear clerical collars in politics" MacKay said, "discuss those matters with people who do wear those collars. Politics to MacKay is more about political process. Election reform is the most important issue if you are interested in preserving democracy. The Independence Party recently opened their primaries to every citizen that is registered to vote in every state in the Union, and was subsequently sued by the major parties. The Independence Party won that tussle.

Ernie Fazio

 

Pictured: Independence Party, National Chairman, Frank MacKay, and Ernie Fazio