On December 11th, the Politics for the People book club will be discussing Independents Rising: Outsider Movements, Third Parties And The Struggle For A Post-Partisan America with author, Jacqueline Salit. Jackie just completed the first leg of her national book tour travelling to five states in addition to dozens of media appearances. Her book explores the thirty year history of the independent movement. It is a rich, engrossing and fascinating read and I know many of us are looking forward to the opportunity to talk with Jackie about the book.
Last week, Jackie wrote a Post Election Independent Analysis–Obama and Independents: The Micro, the Macro and the Forest. It is a very insightful piece and I hope you will read it. One of the points Jackie makes in the piece is that “With the Presidential election now behind us, the unseen forest–the more historical macro forces–resurface. Among these, of course, is the growing gap between rich and poor. Another is the growing disaffection with partisan poltics-as-usual. And another is the seeming inability of the system to adequately address either.”
I could not agree more and that is where the independent movement comes in. We have begun the process of rebuilding our political process, changing the culture and practise of politics from the bottom up. That’s the long road to changing partisan politics.
So, if you have not yet read Independents Rising, get a copy and start reading. Our conference call with Jackie Salit will be on Tuesday, December 11th at 8 pm EST. Stay tuned for chapter highlights over the next few weeks.
is the discussion with Jackie online or a call? how do you sign up?
Jan, Thanks for your comment. The book club meets via conference call and I will be posting the number a little closer to the date. Hope you can join in on the conversation!