Couple of points: I like Cornel West. I used to listen to him regularly on the Tavis Smiley Show, and while I disagree with his religion, I generally approve of his politics.
The amount he owes is concerning, because it makes him vulnerable to undue influence, in the same way that Trump was. I don’t really care that he owes back taxes, the child support is a problem IMO. People should take care of their kids, period. He’s got the money to do it.
That said, I don’t want him running as a Green; I want him running as a Democrat. Greens are largely fringe candidates, and the votes they win are votes that would likely otherwise go to Democratic candidates. Unfortunately, in our current system, that makes it probable that, unless there’s a similarly popular Libertarian candidate taking votes from the Republican candidate, that the Republican is more likely to win. I am not a fan of Democrats; I find that they are unwilling to go nearly far enough on most things, and I strongly oppose their stance on 2A rights. But I oppose Republican far, far more. Given that I have a practical choice between Dems and Republicans at a national level, I’ll vote Dem 95% of the time (I think I’ve voted Republican once or twice, but I honestly don’t remember who, or under what circumstances). If Greens can demonstrate, through local and state level wins, that they have the power to win national elections, then I’ll be happy to vote Green. And I do vote Green at a local level. But so far, they just aren’t winning locally or at state levels in sufficient numbers to indicate that they have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning a national election, much less a presidential election. West shoudl step aside once he’s made a strong showing and convinced Biden to adopt some of his platform.
From the article, “The GOP has a long history of using the Green Party as a tool to siphon votes that might go to Democrats and of playing a spoiler role in our two-party, winner-take-all electoral system. And the Green Party leadership has opportunistically embraced the support, playing the role of what some describe as ‘useful idiots.’ […] In 2016, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein garnered 30,000 votes in Wisconsin; Trump won the state by 23,000 votes.”
There’s an entirely other way of reading that data, which is to say that Hillary could have picked up 30,000 more votes in Wisconsin if she had been a better candidate and run a better campaign.
that piece is the opinion of John Bachtell. he provides no proof for his claim that the concept of spoilers is even valid. he repeats dnc talking points.
I didn’t either–I voted Green–but the state I lived in at the time went solidly for Clinton. I didn’t like her then, I don’t like her now, but if I’d lived in a state where it would have been even remotely close, I would have voted for her rather than Trump.
I disagree with Clinton’s politics. I disagree with Trump’s existence.
I didn’t either–I voted Green–but the state I lived in at the time went solidly for Clinton.
i voted for jill stein, too, and my state went to trump. i didn’t want him to win. i also didn’t want clinton to win. that’s why i didn’t vote for either of them.
jill stein wasn’t a spoiler: she was the candidate i wanted to win.
Couple of points: I like Cornel West. I used to listen to him regularly on the Tavis Smiley Show, and while I disagree with his religion, I generally approve of his politics.
The amount he owes is concerning, because it makes him vulnerable to undue influence, in the same way that Trump was. I don’t really care that he owes back taxes, the child support is a problem IMO. People should take care of their kids, period. He’s got the money to do it.
That said, I don’t want him running as a Green; I want him running as a Democrat. Greens are largely fringe candidates, and the votes they win are votes that would likely otherwise go to Democratic candidates. Unfortunately, in our current system, that makes it probable that, unless there’s a similarly popular Libertarian candidate taking votes from the Republican candidate, that the Republican is more likely to win. I am not a fan of Democrats; I find that they are unwilling to go nearly far enough on most things, and I strongly oppose their stance on 2A rights. But I oppose Republican far, far more. Given that I have a practical choice between Dems and Republicans at a national level, I’ll vote Dem 95% of the time (I think I’ve voted Republican once or twice, but I honestly don’t remember who, or under what circumstances). If Greens can demonstrate, through local and state level wins, that they have the power to win national elections, then I’ll be happy to vote Green. And I do vote Green at a local level. But so far, they just aren’t winning locally or at state levels in sufficient numbers to indicate that they have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning a national election, much less a presidential election. West shoudl step aside once he’s made a strong showing and convinced Biden to adopt some of his platform.
citation needed.
Here’s a source for you. Note that People’s World is a socialist new organization.
From the article, “The GOP has a long history of using the Green Party as a tool to siphon votes that might go to Democrats and of playing a spoiler role in our two-party, winner-take-all electoral system. And the Green Party leadership has opportunistically embraced the support, playing the role of what some describe as ‘useful idiots.’ […] In 2016, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein garnered 30,000 votes in Wisconsin; Trump won the state by 23,000 votes.”
There’s an entirely other way of reading that data, which is to say that Hillary could have picked up 30,000 more votes in Wisconsin if she had been a better candidate and run a better campaign.
I was asked for a source, I provided one.
that piece is the opinion of John Bachtell. he provides no proof for his claim that the concept of spoilers is even valid. he repeats dnc talking points.
this does not prove that i would have voted for hilary clinton in 2016. because i wouldn’t have.
I didn’t either–I voted Green–but the state I lived in at the time went solidly for Clinton. I didn’t like her then, I don’t like her now, but if I’d lived in a state where it would have been even remotely close, I would have voted for her rather than Trump.
I disagree with Clinton’s politics. I disagree with Trump’s existence.
i voted for jill stein, too, and my state went to trump. i didn’t want him to win. i also didn’t want clinton to win. that’s why i didn’t vote for either of them.
jill stein wasn’t a spoiler: she was the candidate i wanted to win.
i disagree with both their politics.