‘Mid-Party’ Sparks Lively Reaction in Poll
Aug. 3, 2025
The country’s hopelessly divided standoff could be altered if only we’d take advantage of an entirely different dynamic in the voting population.
As unbending as the two sides might seem, lurking right in front of us is a desire for something better. It might come as a surprise that only half of the country says they are locked into their political affiliation, be it Republican, Democrat or independent. Somewhat miraculously, an equal number would be receptive under the right conditions to an alternative.
That opens up an immense opportunity, either to create a strategically positioned 3rd party, or to retool one or both of the existing parties.
The even split in political affiliation is borne out in the most recent nationwide public opinion survey of 1,500 voters conducted in July for Our Common Purpose*. The outcome in this particular poll was 36 percent Democrats and 35 percent Republicans. Another 24 percent regard themselves as independents.
The poll also shows respondents are equally divided in another way, this in their level of commitment. At the end of the survey, 41 percent said they would stay true to their current affiliation. Just over that, 42 percent said they would be open to an alternative. The rest weren’t sure.
The trial proposal put forward in the poll is a “mid-party” (a term originated here) that would model how those of varying political persuasions can work together, draw from both Republicans and Democrats to develop policies that build on the best thoughts of both, and seek candidates who pledge to work cooperatively with others.
Please note this construct is not to be confused with Elon Musk’s purported America Party and whatever it might represent. Musk’s name was spontaneously raised by about 30 of those taking the poll, indicating his announcement caught some attention, but two-thirds of those mentions were negative.
Quite in contrast to being controlled by one individual, the concept being tested here proposes to draw in the best of both sides. One of the survey participants, a Republican from metro D.C., laid out a clinical summary: “Offer a moderate alternative to bridging the gap between the Democrats and Republican parties, appealing to centrists and independents.”
He was not among those inclined to go along but many were. Just as he surmised, moderates (53%) led the pack. Liberals (50%) were right up there too. Then came conservatives (41%). There was even interest, although in lesser numbers, from those who consider themselves either “very liberal” or “very conservative.”
Their written comments mirror the greater population. Some folks out there don’t care a whit about anything political. In today’s lingo, “ldk.” At the other extreme, a small number of hardliners doubled down on their respective ideologies.
In between there is a lively dialogue, even if the participants were not directly responding to the comments of one another.
A number resorted to familiar arguments in dismissing the prospects of a 3rd party. A dumb idea, a distraction, a pipe dream, a waste of time and money. “Repugnant,” wrote a Long Island Republican. Some cautioned about the spoiler problem. A few Republicans were convinced it would solely hurt their candidates; a few Democrats feared the same for their candidates. Many seized on the mountainous difficulties. Third-parties have a lousy track record. They can’t compete in big-money politics. The existing parties will crush any such effort.
One troubling observation comes from a Florida Republican who worries that “a centrist party would fail to adequately represent anybody; a party that tries to please everyone pleases no one.” The solutions offered by a 3rd party would have do more than split the difference.
All of these are legitimate concerns. The question is whether we should reflexively use them to shoot down a potential solution to our problems. Many Americans are hungry for change. They are so exasperated by the current state of affairs that it’s conceivable they’d grasp at just about anything, but many are receptive to a new entrant on the political scene.
An independent from a town 40 miles outside of Boston could barely contain himself. “This is WAY overdue. Let’s get ‘er done.”
Some respondents instinctively grasped the benefits. A Democrat who lives in rural Iowa, smack dab in the middle of America, writes: “Honestly, I think a “mid-party” could really be what a lot of people are looking for right now. It feels like both major parties have moved so far to their extremes that regular folks who care about common-sense solutions and just want leaders to work together don’t really feel represented anymore.”
Some intuitively sensed it would cut into extremism. “Too much radical left and right. We need to find a middle ground and compromise more than we do now,” offered a conservative from rural Kansas. “I would love a new non-radicalized party to avoid the bi-polarism (pun DEFINITELY intended) of the elephants and donkeys,” wrote an independent from a small town in Missouri.
And it gives them better choices than they have today. “Hard left vs. hard right leaves me with no viable choices,” a Republican from Spokane complains. “It will be a lot more representative to a large percentage of Americans who are kinda intermediate,” is the estimation of a young independent from Iowa City.
All of the above represents a massive opportunity for someone, a wide-open space that for the well-being of the country should be filled. In the words of another Republican from metro D.C., “Politics today often feels very polarized, and a space that genuinely seeks to blend ideas from different sides could help break down barriers and foster more constructive dialogue.”
Whether that role is played by one of the existing parties or needs to be taken up a new party is an open question. Either way, it’s hard to imagine that either one of the Big 2, including the Democrats who desperately need this kind of fresh start, would do so voluntarily.
A Democrat from Minneapolis writes, “I would like to see a party that would challenge the norms of both parties, and truly understands America and its new values.” With that as instigation, perhaps one or the other existing parties will respond. A fellow Democrat from Cleveland visualizes how “it might help both Democrats and Republicans to see a new party that might show them something they are not representing to their own voters and they might be able to use that themselves to strengthen themselves.”
The only way that will come about is if they’re pressured into it. The challenges for a new party are no less severe, beginning with developing and holding to a higher standard.
A Republican living in the Democratic stronghold of Boston acknowledges: “A mid-party sounds good if it focuses on real solutions and puts the country above politics. People want to see less drama and more working together.”
That’s the formula for anyone wanting to improve upon what we have today. We just have to find a way to take advantage of the opportunity lurking right in front of us.
— Richard Gilman
*I thank my friend Frank Jones for helping to underwrite this survey.
A number of you have expressed opinions on this general idea, some at much greater length than the poll comments presented above, but additional thoughts are always welcome. To catch up on the existing commentary, scroll to the bottom of 3rd Party May Be Needed to Show Better Way – Our Common Purpose