About this episode

The episode discusses the potential for independent candidates to shift the balance of power in Congress and address partisan gridlock.

In this episode of The Forward Party Podcast , Lindsay Drath sits down with Kerry Healey , former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, and Christine Todd Whitman , former Governor of New Jersey, for a grounded and timely conversation about the future of American politics. At the center of the discussion is a pressing question: Can the system be recalibrated without starting from scratch? The conversation moves beyond surface-level frustration with polarization and gets into the mechanics of what’s actually broken. From uncontested races to party-controlled incentives, the group unpacks how today’s political structure often rewards division over problem solving. What emerges is a clear throughline: the need for more participation, more independence, and more courage from both candidates and voters. A major focus of the episode is the Forward Party’s “Fulcrum Strategy” , a concept built on a simple but powerful idea. If a small group of independent, values-driven candidates can win just a handful of seats in Congress, they could hold the balance of power and shift how decisions get made. It’s not about dominating the system. It’s about creating leverage exactly where it counts…

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Forward Party Podcast podcast page.