Can Elon Musk’s ‘America Party’ succeed? Ross Perot’s campaign offers insight | Opinion

Originally published in the Tennessean

Americans want genuine change, something interesting, something that isn’t just a slightly different shade of red or blue.

• Elon Musk launched the “America Party” to challenge the two-party system.

• The author suggests a libertarian platform of reduced spending, low taxes, and light-touch regulation could appeal to a broad base.

• Musk’s social media presence and direct communication style could be key to disrupting the current political landscape.

Elon Musk, in a move that surprised approximately no one who’s been following his X feed, launched the “America Party.” His stated goal? To challenge the “uniparty” system of Democrats and Republicans, which he argues is bankrupting the country with “waste and graft.”

Sounds vaguely familiar, doesn’t it? Like a big-eared, short-statured, straight-talking Texan who used charts and graphs to warn us about the “giant sucking sound” of jobs leaving America.

When we talk about creating another political party, Republicans immediately point to Ross Perot’s 1992 presidential bid as the reason conservatives, libertarians and the MAGA populist all need to tow the party line. Perot, a self-made billionaire, tapped into a deep vein of public frustration with Washington, D.C., and managed to snag nearly 19% of the popular vote despite not winning a single Electoral College vote.

His platform was surprisingly pragmatic: balanced budgets, ending job outsourcing and a dose of direct democracy. Ahead of his time, Perot pitched the idea of electronic town halls where Americans would directly vote on the issues of the day.

Perot’s movement never materialized because it depended singularly on his success as a presidential candidate. Perhaps just as relevant, his third-party aspirations operated far prior to the advent of modern social media , back when a small media oligarchy crafted political narratives for the American people.

His platform was surprisingly pragmatic: balanced budgets, ending job outsourcing and a dose of direct democracy. Ahead of his time, Perot pitched the idea of electronic town halls where Americans would directly vote on the issues of the day.

Perot’s movement never materialized because it depended singularly on his success as a presidential candidate. Perhaps just as relevant, his third-party aspirations operated far prior to the advent of modern social media , back when a small media oligarchy crafted political narratives for the American people.

To succeed, Musk must show that his political party is nothing like the Democrats and GOP

Americans aren’t looking for a moderate compromise any more than they’re hankering for a warm beer. They’re tired of the stale, pre-packaged political spam that passes for discourse in this country. They want genuine change, something interesting, something that isn’t just a slightly different shade of red or blue.

Trump offers some novelty. For example, the “new” immigration policy is actually enforcing “old” immigration law. But the ever-spending growth monster of government trudges on. I’m old enough to remember when Trump and his acolytes pledged transparency and justice for the rich and powerful who cavorted with Jeffrey Epstein at the expense of underage women. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

This is where a “libertarianism that isn’t weird” (and yes, I know, that’s a high bar for some of my libertarian friends) actually has a fighting chance. Think about it: reduced government spending paired with low taxes. That’s a classic libertarian tenet that appeals to fiscal conservatives and many frustrated independents alike. Then, layer in light-touch regulation that fosters innovation and supports smaller businesses, rather than the corporate cronyism that’s become endemic to both major parties.

This isn’t about abolishing all regulation, but about smart, efficient governance that doesn’t stifle enterprise.

And here’s the kicker: Musk’s party could create a social safety net for the people who actually need it in 2025, not some ham-handed iteration of programs conceived in the 1960s. We’re talking about modernizing how we support the truly vulnerable, perhaps with mechanisms that are more efficient and less bureaucratic. This isn’t cold-hearted austerity; it’s pragmatic compassion.

Third party candidates must be ready to fight. Hard.

But the approach cannot be squishy and polite, which is how a lot of third-party efforts stumble. It needs to have the resources and the attitude to unapologetically kick Democrats and Republicans in the mouth for being pandering swamp critters time and again. The current political class thrives on a tribal “us vs. them” mentality, and a third party can’t afford to be seen as merely a more civil alternative. It must be a disruptive force, unafraid to call out the hypocrisy and failures on both sides of the aisle.

Perot understood this, even if his campaign ultimately faltered. He spoke directly to the public, eschewing traditional political rhetoric for a no-nonsense, almost folksy approach that cut through the noise. Musk, with his formidable social media presence and penchant for direct communication, has the potential to do something similar, though perhaps with a bit more eccentric flair.

If Musk’s “America Party” can truly embody this spirit — a coherent, fact-based, fiscally responsible and socially pragmatic platform, delivered with an uncompromising attitude — then we might finally see a genuine shift. It won’t be Democrats versus Republicans. It will be America versus its own political class. And if that’s the case, I’m all in.

The question, as always, remains whether a party can actually harness public discontent into meaningful political power, or if it will simply be another fascinating, yet ultimately fleeting, footnote in the annals of American political history.

The ball’s in your court, Elon. Don’t serve warm beer.