Reply #9: But the Greens don't have the numbers... [View All]

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At least not enough to play in the big-time realm of national and state-wide races. There are only a few states (yours being one) where they're even close to being anything other than a spoiler. Running at the local level makes far more sense because there is a chance of winning. Or running for seats where the DNC couldn't find a Dem to run or where there's an exceptionally weak/corrupt candidate and an alternative left candidate might be able to win with decent funding. Not key tight races like Allen/Webb '06 or Bush/Gore '00.

We don't have a parliamentary system (although, IMO, we should), so any third-party members would have to caucus with a major party in the Senate or House. Presumably they'd caucus with Dems like Bernie Sanders has, but considering that the national Greens are in the right wing's pocket, we can't even count on that.

Any Dem who voted for a Repuke in this Congressional election should turn in their party membership card and get on the GOP's mailing list, IMO. 2006 was too important for spoilers and protest votes. We weren't just voting for Dem Congresscritter X, we were voting for Pelosi, Conyers, Kerry, and Waxman and what they would do if they assumed leadership roles. That's why a vote for even a total DINO like Ford or Webb was the right thing to do. The wingnuts weren't voting for Repuke Congresscritter Y, they were voting to keep the Bushco plan in effect. You guys were voting for Green Congresscritter Z and also voting to keep the Bushco plan in effect.

And I say this as someone who completely agrees with most of the Greens' stated ideals and actually voted for Ralph Nader in 2000(from a very blue state that Gore carried easily) because I couldn't accept the idea of Holy Joe as a potential President because he's a bigger neocon than Bush.