The former press secretary of the Biden administration and prominent figure of the Democratic Party, Karine Jean-Pierre, announced her departure from the Democratic Party earlier this summer. In a press release for her book, “Independent,” Jean-Pierre stated that she is now, you guessed it, a member of the Independent Party.
The description of the book says that Jean-Pierre “urges all Americans to vote their values and maintain individuality within party lines.”
Jean-Pierre previously served in both the Obama and Biden administrations. In 2020, she served as a senior adviser when she became Kamala Harris’ chief of staff, and two years later became the White House press secretary.
The book title suggests that the White House and country were facing troubling times under Biden, despite Jean-Pierre previously defending the former president. In one of her last press conferences as press secretary, she said that Biden had “done more in one term than most presidents have been able to do in two terms.”
In a video on Instagram in reference to this decision, Jean-Pierre said that people should “stop thinking in boxes” and “not be so partisan.”
The United States’ two-party system has continuously been under fire, with many Americans expressing frustration over limited political choices. This sentiment dives even further with increasing partisan hostility, as each party views the other as “worse” and even “immoral.” This deepening division has citizens “picking a side” rather than aligning their votes with individual policies that best support them or their beliefs.
Many critics of the current U.S. system say that having just two parties to vote from stifles any alternative viewpoints and fuels the current polarization. Third-party candidates rarely are given the opportunity to make any real traction, as Americans feel voting for them is ineffective, which isn’t completely incorrect. All this does is create voter apathy and a stronger distrust in the American government.
Prominent leaders, such as Jean-Pierre, abandoning their parties could be an integral step in escaping a widely hated two-party system. As more people begin to recongize the fault of just two options, public opinion may begin to swing enough to create a different voting system – one more beneficial for the American people.
The description for Jean-Pierre’s book added: “It can be worthwhile to carve a political space more loyal to personal belief than a party affiliation.”
