(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Cornel West, the Green Party, and the dead-end nihilism of 3rd party runs [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-08-30 Cornel West runs for President In June 2023, Dr. Cornel West announced a presidential run as a People’s Party 2024 presidential candidate. He is additionally running in the Green Party’s primaries for their nomination. None of this will benefit Americans. Worse, it will hurt the citizens most closely aligned with the Green philosophy. West considers the Democratic party “beyond redemption” and thinks Bernie Sanders and AOC are mere window dressing — at best. Yesterday he said 'Brother Bernie's making a plausible argument, but I think deep down in his heart, he knows that the Democratic Party has no fundamental intention of speaking to the needs of poor people and working people.' I have no antipathy to what the Green Party stands for. I agree with many of their policies — which would benefit many Americans. However, by running a third-party presidential hopeful, they are stroking themselves while kicking millions of Americans in the ass — and doing nothing to advance their cause. The only relevance West can hope for is to enable Trump and the GOP to win. Does He think Republicans are better on “poor people and working people”? That is insanity. Political reality Whatever happens on November 5th, 2024, the result will be that either a Democrat or a Republican will be elected President. And the US House and Senate will individually be controlled by the Democrats or the Republicans. Today, the only dent in the hegemony of the big two are the three Independent Senators. Coincidentally, all three are up for reelection in 2024. Angus King (I-ME) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will likely win — and Krysten Sinema (I-AZ) will probably lose. To complete the picture, another Senator up for election in 2024, Joe Manchin (D-WV), has been hinting at a divorce. Meanwhile, he is playing Cinderella and wondering which party’s slipper is the best fit. Regardless, there will be no Libertarian or Green Party Senator or Representative. Their national influence will be zero. So why do third-party candidates run? Could they spend their time more profitably? The answer to the first is preening vanity and an unhealthy ego — faults found in many politicians. The answer to the second is, of course they could. But they choose not to do it. Why? They are unwilling to do the necessary heavy lifting. For these advocates of a third way in American politics to make a significant long-term difference, they need to do some hard work — work these dilettantes have shown no desire to do. Swanning in every four years to thwart the political desires of millions of Americans is so much easier. But boosting a vanity candidate’s enormous self-regard is a poor way to run a railroad and often disastrous for a country — as America discovered after the 2000 election. Ralph Nader is the 21st-century poster child for the law of unintended (hopefully) consequences. He ran on the Green Party ticket and stymied Al Gore — perhaps the greenest candidate to ever run on a major party presidential ticket. America’s environmental agenda was set back years, and the country had to spend blood and treasure to salve a weak man’s hurt over his father’s humiliation. Nader did not start the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but he enabled Bush to do so. What was in it for him? Nothing — beyond 15 more minutes. And what did it advantage the Green Party? In 2000, Ralph Nader received 465,650 (0.38%) votes. In 2020, their candidate, Howie Hawkins, received 407,068 (0.26%) votes. The people have spoken. How the Greens and others could make a valuable difference So here is my unsolicited advice to Dr. Cornel West, the Green party, and any other third party and their candidate. Roll up your sleeves and do what needs doing to make a difference. Start at the grassroots with a two-pronged strategy. Run candidates under the Green banner for every municipal, county, and state office you can — i.e., become an elected presence. And prove that your policies are favored by more than just the fringe. Put your back into it. Get some buzz going. In addition, if you believe the Democrats are dropping the ball, change the Democratic Party. Run politically sympathetic candidates in Democratic primaries. If you win a few of those, the Democrats will pay attention — I guarantee it. When AOC beat the third-ranking House Democrat, Joe Crowley, by 13% in the 2018 primaries, she got noticed. And because she ran as a Democrat, she won a House seat — where she has made a difference. She is in the room where the decisions are made. If she had run as a Green, she would still be bartending in anonymity. Lastly, lobby to change the electoral rules. "First past the post" locks in the two major parties’s influence. Fight for ranked-choice voting and proportional representation. Ranked choice enabled a Democrat to win in red Alaska. Proportional representation means you do not have to hit 50% + 1 to have an elected voice. As little as 10% might do it. Conclusion No matter how progressive you are, the Democrats will be closer to your philosophy than the GOP. If you believe there is no difference between the Democrats and the GOP, you must think abortion rights are not worth worrying about. And you have to be convinced the two parties are in lockstep on fossil fuels. I am sorry. That is deluded I have no respect for a party that wants to speak for many Americans but who cannot be bothered to get off the sofa except once every four years. That may be a harsh judgment — some will call it unfair. But in the last Gubernatorial election in my home state, New York, the Greens could not qualify a candidate for the ballot. It is time they stop dicking around and get serious. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/30/2190527/-Cornel-West-the-Green-Party-and-the-dead-end-nihilism-of-3rd-party-runs Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/