Should Progressives Support The Green Candidate Against Lieberman?

[David Zephyr]

Many moderates and conservative voices within the Party were loudly scolding our progressive brothers and sisters on the Left who had felt betrayed by our Party's Leaders for their supporting the Iraqi War Resolution, the Patriot Act, Bush's discriminatory Faith Based Initiatives, John Ashcroft's T.I.P.'s proposal, and more. We lectured them (many times not very nicely) too support our Party's national ticket, to unite with us and lay aside their misgivings to prevent another four years of GW Bush in the White House.

A great many Greens and socialists did just that. They abandoned Ralph Nader to support John Kerry and, more importantly, a Party that they felt had betrayed them. They came along anyway.

Now, Senator Joe Lieberman, who broadsided Senator Byrd during the Homeland Defense debate, who told Florida voters that he understood why they would support Bush on national security just before the election, who pushed poor Al Gore into a declare or else position in 2003, has now gone out of his way to publicly oppose any move to make Howard Dean the Chair of the Democratic Party.

Senator Lieberman, it has been reported, may be being considered for a Cabinet Position within the Bush Administration.

Would Connecticut be a good place to now practice what we preach and get behind a Green Candidate?

I think it might just be a great place to start. It would certainly send a message to the DLC's Al From and his crowd who are licking their lips to move our Party even further to the right than it already is.

If Howard Dean is not good enough to be the Chair of the Democratic Pary according to Joe Lieberman, should those of us who support Dean join with the Greens and support the Green Party Candidate for Senate in Connecticut in 2006?

[JI7]

1. i was wondering why Ralph Nader doesn't try to run for that seat

and Lieberman said he is open to accepting a cabinet position with the Bush administration so it might turn into an open seat anyways.

just make sure the republican senate candidate is an extremist to avoid allowing republicans to win the seat.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. If Nader Runs Against A Moderate Pug Like A Pre Indy Weicker

He loses 70%-30% in CT...

[Sarojin]

2. Lieberman should leave the DNC

Lieberman should just change his party affiliation and get it over with. Very poor choice by Gore in 2000.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi Sarojin!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[charlie]

3. That would be ironic

if Joe got bounced by Democrats, considering he owes his job to fed-up Republicans throwing out Weicker.

[Cobalt Violet]

4. I think we have to put a lot of pressure on our party not to go right.

[eataTREE]

5. I will not vote for Lieberman.

Joe Lieberman is basically a member of the Christian Right in Jewish drag. Connecticut's other Democratic senator, Chris Dodd, I have no problems with and was glad to vote for his reelection. But Lieberman? No. I'll vote Green if there is a Green candidate, or else abstain.

[Merlin]

6. Much as I detest the guy, that would split the vote and elect an R.

It's a bad idea.

[IndianaGreen]

16. Lieberman is already a repuke

The little letter that follows a politician's name means nothing nowadays, or didn't you notice that with Zell Miller?

[Cheswick2.0]

22. yes but it is a numbers game

it matter which party is in the majority.

[IndianaGreen]

25. It doesn't make any difference when neither party speaks for us!

We need a political party that is fully committed to the immediate US withdrawal from Iraq, full rights of citizenship for GLBTs (including same sex marriage) and naturalized citizens (including right to run for President or Vice-President), abolition of Electoral College and electoral reform, repeal of all abortion restrictions including parental notification, pull the US out of NAFTA, FTAA, WTO, etc., repeal of Taft-Hartley and right-to-work laws in all states, free universal health care for all including migrant workers, free universal education for all including higher education and trade schools, replace the minimum wage with a living wage, an end to US interference and aggression in Venezuela and Cuba, and a Middle East policy that is based on human rights and the right of self-determination coupled with the termination of financial and military aid to all human rights abusers in the region, including Israel.

Let's stop enabling those responsible for the mess we find ourselves in, and let us seek new solutions to the problems our nation faces.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

27. Lowell Weicker who Lieberman beat was more liberal than Lieberman

[hippiechick]

28. How would it split the vote if we ORGANIZE

... to make sure as many dems as possible vote Green for this particular seat ?


:shrug:


:hippie:

[DODI]

7. There are no viable Repugs to run in CT. If Lieberman goes to the

cabinet, the only prominent repug is Rowland. My sincere wish is that Lowell Weicker run for senate. He won his governorship on an independent ticket and he was a GREAT senator.

[ibegurpard]

8. My concern

I have no doubt that a well-run, publicized and financed campaign by a Green could attract a strong following but there are just to many people who vote Democratic out of habit, who don't pay much attention and/or don't particularly care.

[Rincewind]

9. other

In my humble opinion, the best thing to do would be to knock him out in the primary. Select someone that Democrats and Greens can both get behind and support. Combine our forces, don't split them.

[leyton]

33. I agree. We should try and do what Toomey tried to do to Specter.

That way, if we lose the primary, we still send Lieberman a message, and there's less splitting of the leftist vote.

[Hephaistos]

34. Yup!

Challenge him in the primary, vote for the winner in the general.

If we take 5 seats away from the repugs in '06, we need a DEMOCRATIC senator in conn to elect a DEMOCRATIC majority leader.

[w4rma]

10. Hopefully he'll take a cabinet position and avoid the contentious primary

battle or general election battle.

[KnowerOfLogic]

11. A progressive dem should run against Lieberman in the primary.

Offer democratic voters a real choice.

[WI_DEM]

12. Is there a liberal Democrat willing to challenge Lieberman in the primary?

if so, that is the route I would go.

[Larkspur]

13. The CT Dem Establishment won't challenge Lieberman

because 1) they'll be accused of anti-semitism if they do, and 2) Lieberman gets financial support from the insurance companies' execs and his senate warchest is bigger than there's. Remember, Lowell Weicker held his seat before Lieberman and Lieberman has the backing of some of Weicker's old supporters.

A progressive candidate outside the CT Dem Establishment may try, but I haven't heard of one yet. It would be a real struggle against Lieberman because many CT citizens either like Lieberman or see no reason to change him. They like the status quo.

Personally, I will not vote for Lieberman in the Primary, if he has a challenger, or in the GE. I'll support a progressive Dem in the Primary and in the GE, if Lieberman is in it, I'll either write in "Rachel Corrie" or vote Green.

[Cheswick2.0]

21. How about a DFA candidate?

Is that possible?

[Zynx]

23. That might be our only hope of knocking off Holy Joe.

[Hephaistos]

35. Did you know...

that Joe Liebermann's middle name is not really 'F***ing'?

I did not know that until somebody corrected me recently.

[imenja]

14. Why not run a real Democrat in the primary

and try to knock Lieberman out then. We don't want to risk another Republican seat in the senate.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Where have gone, Lowell Weicker?

A better man than Holy Joe!

[LimpingLib]

17. 56-1!!!!! (Reciprocity for me supporting Kerry)

It really pained me to not vote for Nader.

Hopefully we can arrang some sort or Green/Dem type of deal where we wont challenge each other in certain seats someday to avoid splitting the vote.

Honestly , Id hate to see some Snow or Collins take this seat and never let go.

Id almost suggest only doing this if there is no serious GOP opposition and trust me there wont be.

[Forkboy]

20. You know where I stand

:)

[69KV]

24. Only if

the Green candidate switches to Democrat and runs against Lieberman in the Democratic primary.

Otherwise, no.

My rule of thumb is this: If they run as a Democrat they will get my vote. If they don't, they won't.

There is only one political party with the potential to take back the country from the repigs. That is the Democratic Party. Why contribute to dividing the liberal vote and wasting valuable time and money by throwing it down the third-party rathole?

[IndianaGreen]

26. This election has shown that the Dems are NOT the party you speak of

There is only one political party with the potential to take back the country from the repigs. That is the Democratic Party. Why contribute to dividing the liberal vote and wasting valuable time and money by throwing it down the third-party rathole?

This election has shown that the Dems are NOT the party you speak of. In addition, the liberals have been disgruntled for quite a long time about the direction the Democratic Party has taken in the last few years. Liberals were not even given crumbs at the 2004 Democratic Platform!

I think it will be healthier if we channeled our time and energies in supporting political candidates and parties that represented our hopes and vision for this country rather than those that prefer the comfort zone of compromise and status quo.

[69KV]

29. Two ways to do that

One way is to try and build a new third party from scratch. Here's what I can expect from that: No more than 5% of the vote, several third parties competing for who will be "the" progressive third party, having to build party institutions from the ground up, ideological rigidity and purges of those not ideologically pure enough, Republicans dominating national politics for the forseeable future, and progressives having no voice in public policy.

The other way is to recognize that one of the two existing major parties is a big tent where progressives, and many others, can have a voice in forming public policy. Get involved in the party at the local level, organize people to run for precinct committee, do for the Democrats what the right wing did for the Republicans by organizing and giving the party some needed backbone.

[IndianaGreen]

32. Another way is to split the party into two parties

taking elective officeholders along with the split. Having a separate progressive Democratic party will be good for the country just as it would be if the GOP were to split into the Party of GAWD and the Party of the Country Club.

Progressives could then compete by providing a vision of an America in which all can benefit, particularly those that have already dropped out of the political process (44% of the electorate stayed home on Election Day in my state). We need a party that will be a staunch defender of the working class rather than a protector of the privileged class.

[imenja]

37. Democracy for America

You might try the Democracy for America meetups. Their goal is to cultivate progressive candidates within the Democratic party. I have voted for third party candidates in a number of elections, but George Bush knocked some sense into my head. The consequences of Republican control, as we are seeing now, are far too dangerous. Most Greens agreed, which is why Nader got so few votes in 2004.

[IndianaGreen]

40. DFA is to be commended for the work they are doing

and we need more groups like that, just as we need to work in coalition with other progressive elements be they Green, Socialist, antiglobalist, and antiwar.

The consequences of Republican control, as we are seeing now, are far too dangerous.

We should support those that support our progressive values, and quit providing time and money to those that do not. In practical terms, there is are no material differences between a Bill Frist and a Harry Reid (who can be seen here at the signing of the PATRIOT Act):

[PassingFair]

30. Now THATS Joementum!

[struggle4progress]

31. If you want to support a third party, start at the LOCAL level ...

... and build a real BASE. Statewide elections are almost certainly out of reach without the statewide local base.

[merbex]

36. Why doesn't a Progressive Democrat run against Lieberman

in the primary?

Just my humble opinion

[evilqueen]

38. 82-2 at this point n/t

[mmonk]

39. Lieberman may stand with the Dems on some issues

but in the area of foreign policy and civil liberties, he is definitely republican. If one is progressive, one would seek to have someone in office that would vote in a progressive manner.

[Beacho]

41. Why not a progressive dem/green alliance?

recruit the green candidate to run in the democratic primary?

I'm looking to do that up here in Washington State, in the 9th district.

I could not vote for Adam Smith due to his voting to keep the (Un)Patriot Act.

I'm bringing the subject up at the next DFA meeting on Dec 1