According to an October, 1996 page from the New Party (link) and a November, 1996 article from the editor of the Progressive Populist (Jim Cullen, link), Barack Obama was a member of the "New Party". The New Party is a now-defunct, left-leaning alternative to the Democrats and the Republicans that promoted "fusion voting" (newparty.org). It was started by Daniel Cantor (formerly with the 1998 Jesse Jackson campaign), Sandy Pope (union activist), and Joel Rogers (University of Wisconsin professor). According to this, in 1992 USA Today said they were "self-described [as] 'socialist democratic...