Is this true about the Reform Party?

[Sephirstein]

At one point it had a Marxist faction (Dunno who ran the show...), a paleoconservative faction (Pat Buchanan), and paleolibertarian fcation (Ross Perot), and a left-libertarian faction (Jesse "The 'Mind'...lol" Ventura).

[Brucey]

1. Where did you get that?

Sounds about right, though. The Reform party, to me, seemed to be made up of people who didn't know very much but wanted to "play" politics.

[mandyky]

2. In election 2000 there was a big fight

John Haglin of the Natural Law Party against Pat Buchanan. It was a very hostile situation. The reform platform is broad enough to cover liberals or conservatives.

I am not up on the entire history of the Reform party however.

[cprise]

4. That's why political parties need real focus

...and why democracies require multiple parties.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

5. Buchanan's job was to kill the Reform party

Perot started it and the Bushes (rightly) blamed Perot as a spoiler for Republicans. They sent in Buchanan to derail the party, and he did a bang up job.

[mandyky]

6. Yes, it was shameful

I was looking at Haglin, and hoping he'd get the Reform nod... but it was pretty obvious Buchanan's motives.

[htuttle]

8. I met Haglin once

Gave him and his VP candidate a ride in my taxicab back during the '92 election.

Did you ever read the platform of the Natural Law party? Quite the trip, actually. They seem to want to govern via a combination of quantum physics theories and Transcendental Yogic philosophy. I kid you not (at least that's what he was talking about in '92).

I'll be generous to him (since he gave me a good tip), and say that the Natural Law Party is a bit "before it's time."

[cprise]

7. So when 'maverick' Buchanan spouts about an 80-hr work week

...then you know what's going on.

"Oh, Congress wants to reduce overtime pay... Well at least its not that 80-hr week the ex-Republican was talking about."

Uh huh..

[im4edwards]

3. sounds reasonable

the other major parties are little different so why should they be ?

The point of the reform party was to serve a populist theme for people fed up with the rampant corruption of the major parties. Thats going to draw a pretty mixed bag.