Second Green Party candidate turns out to secretly be a Republican

[SidDithers]

https://shareblue.com/republicans-fake-green-party-candidates-chris-collins-new-york-ny-27/

Some desperate Republicans are now trying to confuse voters.

Scrambling for ways to hold on to power through November’s midterm cycle, it seems Republicans are opting to back phony Green Party candidates in hopes of confusing voters.

After all, in a close contest a Green Party candidate siphoning away a few thousands votes from Democrats could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

That strange scenario is currently playing out both in a New York House race and the Montana Senate race, where local Green Party candidates have been found out to be GOP operatives.

The the latest instance involves incumbent Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY). It turns out the one-time Green Party candidate Michael Zack, who abruptly dropped out this month after questions were raised about his background, used to intern in Collins’ office.

Link to tweet

The short version: Republicans are planting fake Green Party candidates in competitive races to try to get voters on the left to piss away votes on Mini Jill Steins. - The Hoarse Whisperer



Sid

[NCTraveler]

1. The Republican brand is seriously damaged.

It’s interesting to see such desperate tactics. Tactics that wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for Steins corrupt leadership. I doubt it would be difficult for a Republican to fly under the Green Party today. Specially if they are cut from the Paul’s wing of the party. Isolationist, nationalist, racists.

[cstanleytech]

7. I feel zero sympathy for them as they did it to themselves.

[NCTraveler]

12. I've often been one of those dirty leftists who...

Think a solid party to the left of the Democratic Party is a good thing. Our party has to stay significantly to the left if they want to marginalize such a party. I see that as a big positive. Stein is just a train wreck and I see very little consistent message from the left. She is more along the lines of Trump. Build up distrust and animosity for support over that of actual policy positions.

[NCTraveler]

2. The fourteen year old Supreme Trap Lord!

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2018/04/18/blaze-it-for-jill-stein-charlie-baker/

[Vinca]

3. Maybe Dems should plant some fake KKK member candidates.

[crazycatlady]

19. The GOP has enough trainwreck candidates without plants

Of course we couldn't stop the biggest one, but there were other notable trainwrecks that were stopped (Roy Moore).

[Gothmog]

4. Who is surprised by this?

[MBS]

8. Not me.

Not at all. Classic M.O.

[FSogol]

9. Hey everyone, the sky is blue and grass is green!

[workinclasszero]

22. Not me

Greens elect republicans.

[stonecutter357]

5. K&R

[betsuni]

6. K&R

[Dustlawyer]

10. The corporations and billionaires like the Koch's and their Plutocratic network

Are trying to cement their control of our countries institutions. They are able to buy off enough politicians to set up our government to give them everything, including our SS, Medicare and Medicaid money!

We have to stop campaign donations, Super PACs, Dark Money, and the Revolving Door! We also have to break up the oligarchies and return the Fairness Doctrine! The propaganda must be stopped as well as they use that to divide us and program their followers!

[PDittie]

11. Who's most at fault in this scenario, Sid?

The Republicans, for trying to pull a fast one?

The Democrats who might fall for the ruse?

Or the Green Party for .... what? Existing?

Whichever it may be, I would only suggest that use of the verb "siphon" suggests that elections are a zero-sum game. They are not. Ever.

Election turnout in every single election, everywhere in the United States and perhaps many other nations, is based on a host of variable factors; some within the control of those who conduct the elections (voter disqualification/suppression/disenfranchisement), some within the influence of those who desire a specific outcome (the candidates, their campaigns, the money they raise and spend on advertising and field efforts to GOTV. etc.) and some mostly not within anyone's influence or control (media coverage, the weather on Election Day, unforeseen developments such as the death of one candidate prior to the election, blah blah blah).

Thus the number of people voting is not predictable to any degree of certainty. It is estimable to a degree of reasonableness, but uncertifiable until after the voting is concluded. (Usually several days after.) So "siphoning" of votes from one candidate to another is simply an urban legend. For example, when Democrats vote for Republicans -- or vice versa -- in a two-horse race, we don't call that siphoning. Or even poaching or purloining. We call it "crossover", "split-ticket", "voting for persons not parties", and other terms, some not meant to insult the intelligence of those voters (and some that are).

TLDR: Votes are earned or they are lost. Period.

And I think it insults Democrats who would be civic-minded enough to cast a ballot to assume that they would be so stupid that they would vote for a Green instead of a Democrat if they saw the two running for the same office on their ballot. This presumption of low voter intelligence would be a hallmark of GOP consultant advice.

[FSogol]

13. 3rd party supporters are at fault, for being so damn naive. n/t

[JCanete]

28. yes, because democrats don't get infiltrated by the same forces now do they? LIke all those dems

that got elected in New York and then went on to caucus with Republicans. The problem is that a jersey in itself isn't indicative of the candidate wearing it. We need good journalism and we all need to be discerning because money never sleeps and it ain't loyal.

[PatrickforO]

20. I think that what you're saying is increasingly true now.

But, we are just emerging from the 'Oh, I didn't vote because it doesn't count anyway,' and 'Well, I voted. Now I hope whoever wins won't be too bad.'

That's where we've been.

I mean, think about 2016 when the right wing was frothing at the mouth. That was the heaviest turnout since 2012, and it was only 58%.

Ideally, you're going to go online and check out each candidate, study your blue book carefully and then cast an informed vote.

If everyone did that, we wouldn't have to worry about the Koch brothers or ALEC, the Mercers or people like Sheldon Adelson. They would never have gained a foothold.

I like to think we're finally awakening to the reality that our votes really do matter, but it is our involvement in local politics and the nominating process that will take back the republic. And, it is our willingness to watch them once they get into office and hold them accountable with letters, phone calls, petitions, marches and other demonstrations that will keep the republic for us once we take it back.

[PDittie]

24. I don't think that was what I said at all.

But your response is polite and reasonable and I thank you for it.

[sarge43]

14. Now they're ashamed of their name.

Indicates they have some awareness.

[Grins]

15. This is voter fraud.

Worse, and more effective, than denying other the right to vote.

Mr. Kobach...? Right J. Christian Adams? Mr. Von Spakovsky...?

[rpannier]

16. Now let's not be hasty. These COULD have been legit changes of heart

Just as much as I COULD be the favorite to win the Nobel Prize in Tap Dancing-Knife Juggling-Yodeling

[MineralMan]

17. The Green Party, like Christianity, apparently welcomes everyone into the fold.

The Green Party label, therefore, is meaningless.

[scipan]

25. The Green Party is not at fault here, at least in Erie County NY

Apparently anyone can register as a Green then get the necessary signatures on a petition to get on the ballot. The same is probably true for dems.

From the Daily Beast:

Republicans were behind another fake Green Party candidate in 2016, when party operatives personally delivered a candidacy petition for a man named James DePasquale, who had recently registered as a Green Party member but who Jones said was a Republican plant.

The Green Party took the Erie County Board of Elections to court, but a judge ruled that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to determine that DePasquale didn’t support the Green Party platform, allowing him on the ballot for a state senate seat that his non-existent campaign lost in a predictable landslide.

Jones admits the lawsuit against the county elections board was a “hail mary.” Knowing Republicans did nothing illegal by having one of their own register as a Green Party member and petition to get on the ballot, Jones’ predecessor filed the lawsuit in an attempt to bring attention to the issue of “line-stealing” candidates, which he says is somewhat unique to Western New York.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fake-green-party-candidate-exposed-as-having-ties-to-republican-congressman?ref=home

Edit: Shareblue is really not very good at giving all the facts.

[HenryWallace]

18. Yes, yes.... the Green Party is the big problem here.

[PatrickforO]

21. Indeed. The Painter thing.

Franken gets railroaded on the strength of innuendo from a right-wing smear job and now we have...an ex-Republican running for his seat as a Democrat.

Some say Painter won't make it through the primary process.

But we shot ourselves in the foot big time with Franken, didn't we? And that was NOT the fault of any third party.

[mcar]

23. Why am I not surprised?

[JustAnotherGen]

26. Sneaky slimy snake

[raven mad]

27. Repukes are incapable of running honest campaigns.

It's just not in their DNA.

[Cha]

29. Anything they can do to fuck up Democracy.. what

better way than to pretend you're one of the stein RF and Lie about the Democrats. Like she did about Hillary.

Love the Hoarse Whisperer.. Mahalo, Sid!

Link to tweet

Yeah, they saw what happened in the 2016 GE.