A new approach to this Greens vs Democrats

[Hippo_Tron]

Here's where this stands now as far as I'm concerned...

To the Democrats:

People can vote however they want to. The Greens are not automatically ideological allies to the Democrats and therefore don't expect them to vote Democratic. You are not entitled to every single voter that is to the left of the GOP.

To the Greens:

You are a rival political party to the Democrats and therefore you should expected to be treated as such by the Democrats. Rival political parties trash each others leaders. Fully expect Democrats to trash your candidates in every way possible. Attacking other parties' candidates makes people less likely to vote for them and therefore vote for you. Getting the most votes is how you win an election. Basically, you should expect Democrats to treat Green candidates no differently than they treat Republican candidates.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Well, yah, of course they are diff parties. But attacking candidates doesn't

help in a lot of cases. Negativity turns ppl off after a while.

[Hippo_Tron]

2. Sometimes it does, but attacking is proven effective

Basically, what I'm saying is that I agree with the Greens that Democrats need to earn their votes. Therefore if you see Democrats attacking their Green opponents as sleezy, inexperienced, incompetent, or any other common political attack, because they feel that it will get their potential voters to vote Democratic, don't be surprised.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Believe me, it won't surprise me at all. Will be nice to get some voting reform

so that we can worry less about splitting the progressive vote

[Hippo_Tron]

6. IRV or something like that would certainly be a way to unite progressives

But since we don't currently have that, Democrats and Greens should expect to be competing for votes.

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. It was very hard here in Maine, because we had more progressives running than

conservatives. I was very afriad we would let the Repub in by splitting the vote. Fortunately that did not happen
Trouble is, IRV can still cause vote splitting, so it won't necessairly be the best fix. Better, but not perfect.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. That's new?

I've been hearing the "To the Democrats" rhetoric for six goddamned years, and it's still bogus.

I have never tried to dictate anyone's vote, I have never assumed that Greens would vote Democratic, and I have never assumed that I was "entitled to every single voter that is to the left of the GOP".

Nor have I EVER met a Democrat who fits that description.

Yet, I've been preached to in much those same words by approximately half the Greens I've encountered in real life. Usually it's presented with acting-class outrage for effect.

These are recycled clichés and political talking points designed only to make Democrats look bad through the time-(dis)honored technique of propaganda -- only instead of coming from the GOP, it's coming from the other side of the spectrum. And if you'll notice, it hasn't worked in the long run for either of them.

--p!

[lapfog_1]

9. I don't care, I'm still going to blame them when a good Democratic

candidate loses a close election to a repuke. I believe that the republicans are simply evil bastards who WANT to take us into fascism (and came damn close). So a vote for a Green or other Independent, where said person doesn't have a chance of winning, is the same as a vote for a repuke.

I say all this as a former registered Green party member (though I rarely voted for Greens other than in local races).

Our system of elections and of government (winner take all) is simply not conducive to having more than two parties. It's sad, I'd like to see alienated populations have a say and feel some sort of participation, not to mention it would be good for the public to hear more than two points of view. But we don't. We very nearly let it slip into ONE party rule where nobody else got to say anything (the "let's turn the microphones off" party!).

[skipos]

5. Greens worked to defeat Lamont and Wellstone

Democrats aren't ever going to please them.

[Hippo_Tron]

7. Agreed, therefore Democrats should deal with it by trying to take THEIR voters

Instead of complaining about "throwing away your vote" or "ideological purity".

If you are a Democrat explain why you are better than the Green to the voters that might potentially vote Green. Also, if you think it will win your votes then smear your Green opponent just as much as you would smear a Republican.

[madrchsod]

10. 10% of the votes for the govenor in illinois

went to the green party candidate. average income of a likely green party voter is over 100,000 dollars

[katsy]

11. I wish the Greens would stop the "scorched earth" policy...

towards elections.

I understand some Greens want the gop to trash the country so they can sweep in as heros to save the day.

This fighting is bad. If anything I wish the Democratic Party would take the initiative (not blame because we are not at fault) to mend some fences with the Greens.

Maybe when their leadership grows the hell up there'll be a chance to work together. They can be valuable at a grass roots level of promoting progressive candidates.

Sorry for rambling... some of my best friends are Green voters and it's hard to trash people that are decent.