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Andrew Yang, best known for his quixotic campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination and New York City mayor, is planning to launch a third party, according to a report by Politico. The reaction on Twitter, unsurprisingly, ranged from skeptical to outright sneering, with many noting the quick rise and ultimate flameout of his campaigns — plus the coordination with the release of his upcoming book.
Yang rose to prominence with the support of his enthusiastic supporters, informally calling themselves the “Yang Gang,” attracted by his creative campaign messaging that highlighted his business background and lack of political insider status, plus a series of policy proposals that didn’t perfectly check the box for either major political party. Ultimately, though, Yang was unable to get enough support in either of his campaigns, dropping out of the presidential race shortly after polls closed for the New Hampshire primary and conceding the mayoral primary in June.
Yang’s next step will reportedly include forming an independent political party, timed with the release of his third book,
It’s not clear what the name of Yang’s third party will be or how he plans to deploy it in 2022 or 2024. Yang and his team did not respond to requests for comment.But the book’s publisher, Crown, did give some clues about the type of platform Yang may pursue. It writes that the book is an indictment of America’s “era of institutional failure” and will introduce “us to the various ‘priests of the decline’ of America, including politicians whose incentives have become divorced from the people they supposedly serve.”
Yang’s last book, The War on Normal People: The Truth About America’s Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future, raised his national profile and helped launch his presidential campaign. Twitter users seemed far less bullish in their expectations for this new tome.