Comparing Musk and Perot – Election Law Blog

John Ganz in Politico Magazine, concluding:

Without the ability to run for president, Musk is arguably emulating the least successful part of Perot’s political career: his attempt to start a third party.

The Reform Party collapsed in a decade, elected just one statewide official in the person of Jesse Ventura, and no members of Congress. At the end of its existence, it was riven with factions, lacked any clear ideological vision for the country and became a catch-all vehicle for cranks and malcontents. Of course, one of those was named Donald Trump, who ran for the Reform Party presidential nomination in 2000.

Perot’s political endeavors fed on political cynicism, but also deepened it: The message of “nothing works” resonated. In that sense, there may be some similarities between then and now. Musk’s America Party may not succeed in doing much in the short term, but it’s worth watching closely. While Perot seemed to fade away and become a piece of political trivia, his movement sowed the seeds of a new type of politics. As Musk’s moment may be already passing, it’s time to imagine what may come after.