The Modern Whig Party has recently been covered by the News and Observer in North Carolina and online at the Instapundit, a right wing blog. At the News and Observer, it was in a Sunday Op-Ed piece by Rob Christensen:
I thought, what next — horse-drawn carriages, hoop skirts, war with Mexico?
But my curiosity was piqued, in part, because I am reading “American Lion,” Jon Meacham’s biography of Andrew Jackson, and I am immersed in the age of Whiggery.
Moore, it turns out, is on the level. He is a 26-year-old Raleigh golf pro, an N.C. State graduate originally from Carteret County. A self-described moderate, Moore was not comfortable with either the Democratic or Republican parties.
Last fall, Moore met with friends at Raleigh’s North Regional Library on Harps Mill Road.
“We were talking about the general dissatisfaction with the way the two-party system is working out overall,” he said. “Basically, the same two points of view are continuously heard. I started looking around and found the Whig Party Web site.”
The national New Whig Party, as it calls itself, was started in the most unlikely of locations — the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan by U.S. troops.
The party’s chief founder is Mike Lebowitz, who saw the need for a new party while serving as a paratrooper in Iraq.
“We saw how ideology on both sides was getting in the way of common sense,” Lebowitz, 31, a Washington attorney, told me.
H/T to Fred Ralson, who sent this into contact.ipr@gmail.com
8 responses so far ↓
1 d.eris // Apr 26, 2009 at 2:35 pm
The Daily Whig Blog is also worth checking out. Anyone heard word on the modern whig mass meeting that was supposed to have taken place on the 24th?
2 HS // Apr 27, 2009 at 8:38 am
We were quite happy with being a featured political column on Sunday. Thanks for reporting on it. Our North Carolina Chapter reports a strong increase in new members as they continue to organize. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest new members are Republicans, Libertarians and independents. But there are Democrats out there too.
d.eris,
The mass meeting in DC was a resounding success. Members and potential members had the opportunity to meet each other, as well as some of the national leadership. Out of the meeting also saw the approval of new leadership structure for Maryland and a Louisiana Chapter.
Because so many people outside the DC region wanted to participate, one of our two next mass meetings will probably be online. The Modern Whigs have an online/voice system called gotowebinar by Citrix that is perfect. I do think it is kind of expensive, but I believe it is sponsored and paid for by the Florida Whig Party. The other scheduled mass meeting in person will be May 9 in West Point, NY.
3 Ross Levin // Apr 27, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Are you guys running any candidates in 2009?
4 HS // Apr 27, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Ross,
We are planning on running candidates in 2009 as either independents or Modern Whigs.
One candidate in particular is currently gathering signatures. I believe the party will announce the 2009 candidates once everything is filed. We have crafted a strategy and coordinated plan so that our candidates don’t just get a few quick articles and then disappear from view.
5 G.E. // Apr 27, 2009 at 4:26 pm
How many people showed up at the mass meeting?
6 HS // Apr 27, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Let me get the exact count and get back to you.
7 d.eris // Apr 27, 2009 at 4:41 pm
thanks for the report, HS.
8 G.E. // Apr 30, 2009 at 2:40 am
Exact count?
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