A former GOP state convention delegate, and state coordinator for three Presidential campaigns, Adam Graham, is running a Kickstarter campaign for We Can Do Better, America, a new book calling for a new American political party.
Graham no longer identified with the GOP after the election of Donald Trump but is clear Trump wasn’t the sole reason for his disaffection. “Trump was the last straw, but I’ve had many frustrations with the GOP going back to the 1990s and the GOP’s failure to take action to address the national debt.”
Graham continued to work within the GOP until he concluded in 2016 that this is not a viable option. The first half of his book makes the case for why a new conservative party is necessary. “Starting a new party is going to be hard, and Americans can do hard things. However, to commit to this effort, we have to believe it’s necessary and conservatives are extra cautious regarding big changes. Conservatives need to take a new direction if we don’t want our message drowned in the toxicity of the Republicans.”
Graham dismisses existing third parties as not viable options. “Third parties are ideological niches that will only ever speak to the concerns of a few people. We need to build a broad-based coalition that can replace one of the major parties and address issues such as our ballooning national debt, government corruption, the erosion of Americans’ First Amendment rights, and the out-of-control growth of the federal government.”
In the second half of the book, Graham examines the practical side of establishing a new party, including coalition building, platform writing, and party organization. Graham says one of the most important lessons in the book is to escape the dichotomies that hold American politics hostage.
“So often, we’re given the choice between being principled or being practical. The truth is that we shouldn’t choose, but rather put those ideas in dynamic tensions and balance them.”
Graham’s book suggests a few issues for a new party platform to address, however Graham believes any new political party’s members will need to craft its own platform. “This is about empowering citizens at the grassroots level. That can’t happen if someone starts a party and tries to dictate all of the decisions from on high. We Can Do Better, America is about empowering citizens to make those decisions themselves.”
Adam Graham is a Boise resident who moved to Idaho from Montana more than fifteen years ago.
For further contact, email adam@adamsweb.us
