The US Green party is fully captured. Their presence in any state-level offices has fully waned under Stein. They have no power to affect change anywhere anymore and exist only to spoil.
this post was submitted on 01 Nov 2024
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I agree and would add that they didn't really have much power to begin with. If they cared about the environment, they would've stepped back for this election on principle of what's at stake.
The fact that they don't care who wins means they don't actually care about the ideals the party is supposed to be about. If you don't live to fight another day, then you've ultimately lost.
Or just run in deep blue districts to challenge sure-thing Democratic moderates who slow walk progressive stuff. You'd think that'd be where their best chances are while also being the places where the impact would be strictly beneficial.
Someone else suggested running in places like Alaska, which has RCV, or focus upon local races. The reason Conservatives are having a moment is because they focused on races they could win.
Green Party, meanwhile, seems content to lose and be a spoiler.
Conservatives do well because their ideology is compatible with the interests of capital. No party that is a serious challenge to those interests can win any notable power through elections in the US.
As far as the idea of focusing on local races: If your main concern is immediate and substantial action on climate, what good would winning a local race do for you? Yeah maybe it would be easier to get a left wing candidate on a school board or whatever, but that's because it holds no meaningful power.
Not that I think they have any particular chance of success at the national level. I've just found that "local races" argument... most charitably put, confusing, less charitably: bad faith or willfully missing the point.
It's too complicated to go into a lot of detail here, but the "local" argument is relying upon the effects of local influence and effects over time. Sure, it won't move the global needle, but it would affect the local population in a positive way, and many politicians get their start at the local level first. Local laws and ordinances affect your day to day, and that's why it matters.
However, it's too late for them to get in locally. They should have been trying 20 years ago, at least. They could still try, but they will have missed the opportunity to actually do anything about climate via the levers of government. It's essentially up to Democrats and independents who caucus with them, now.
they do care who wins. they want to be the ones to win
I’m a hard lefty and even I will tell people not to give any votes to Stein. She rubs shoulders with Putin and a bunch of his cabinet members. There was also the time she called for a recount, took a bunch of donations to get the recount going, and then when it inevitably failed, she vanished with the money.
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Maybe if the Russian Green Party asked, she would
I guess the US Green party got kicked out of the international federation of Greens? Somehow that's not surprising...
But then, shouldn't someone make a "New Green Party" that is a member of the federation? And can claim legitimacy as the true Green party with international support? Pointing out that the other Green party in the US lacks recognition and is thus a sham?
And then .. this new Green party - could endorse the Dem candidate for President. Most folks who'd follow the greens would probably follow that endorsement...
You could do something like that, and run local and legislative candidates in states like Alaska and Maine which have ranked-choice voting for their general election, or California which uses top-two primaries. Would probably be easier if there was some way to redirect the existing US Green Party towards a path that might actually gain some amount of power, instead of serving as a spoiler.
Where o where is UniversalMonk when you want to shove something in his smarmy, trollish face...?
On tons of block lists, probably.
Definitely on mine.
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That's good to hear.
Here in the US, I haven't seen a sign or heard a word from or about Stein this year. None. Also true in previous years. How's a GP going to get grown if it doesn't get a voice in and on the news? If the crazy right wasn't enough, I also notice that the Dems spent some time and money trying to put her down.
Looking at the GP platform, it seems solid. But, in the US, my position has NO representation in the US. If there is a GP in the US, it's been very muted. Stein is just a stale placeholder with no voice. That's not leadership. Every election for DECADES I've heard, "oh, not this time. We have to win it back" or "we have to hold on to it". OK, so when should we vote GP then? Screw that argument. We need another party, and there's only one way to get there. And that's quality, visable, vocal, energetic, leadership.
I looked at Canada's GP yesterday. They at least have -some- kind of org. in most provinces. IIUC, the GP has two seats in their congress. They got a million votes in 2019. That's better than nothing.
I am delighted to vote green in local elections. They currently have no political machine, no elections ground game, no seats in the other branches of government... Say Stein somehow broke reality in six ways and got enough electoral college votes to win? Her and what cabinet? She'd still be at the mercy of the entire US government, who would bully her into status quo politics or worse, most likely.
Vote your conscience locally. You don't walk up to a six hour old game of Monopoly with empty hands and big demands unless you're trolling or trying to change the game, and Stein is no revolutionary.
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