Is Bernie Sanders' Best Option to Run for President As a Green?

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/activism/bernie-sanders-best-option-run-president-green



Bernie Sanders, Vermont’s independent U.S. senator, last week told a home state reporter that he will decide by March if he will run for president as an independent or a Democrat. But there’s a third major option Sanders hasn’t mentioned: running as a Green.

“A letter was sent to Bernie Sanders about a year ago: a combination of a query—are you interested—along with some instructions about how to approach the Green Party,” said Scott McLarty, the party’s national media coordinator. “We never heard back.”

“I know there are members of the party who would welcome him if he would seek the Green Party nomination,” said Brian Bittner, their Washington office manager, when asked about the possibility earlier this week.

Sanders’ campaign committee, at Bernie.org, did not respond to a request to comment.

[Control-Z]

1. Seriously?

If running Independent puts him at a disadvantage, what would running as Green do for him?

[Mike Nelson]

2. Like him, but...

...if he does not run as a Dem., we're doomed.

[Javaman]

14. Bernie is an Independant.

if he runs, it will be very interesting as to which party or affiliation he associates he run with.

[rogerashton]

3. Sounds like an overture from the Greens.

Running as an independent he will have to get on the ballot in as many states as possible by petition. In some states, such as my home state, Pennsylvania, this is quite difficult. The Greens will have a ballot space, however.

That said, I would prefer to see Bernie contest the Democratic primaries than either general election strategy. Bad as some Democrats are, another generation of Republican Supreme Court justices must be prevented.

[merrily]

4. Dunno. Ask any of the former Green POTUSes.

Since the Greens started that Shadow Cabinet business, I have a hard time taking them seriously as politicians. I welcome their voice, as I do all leftist voices, but it doesn't seem they can afford to devote scarce resources to a Shadow Cabinet. If they were focused on winning more state elections, I'd take them more seriously.

It's a shame because they are the only party on the left with both a national presence of any kind and an international affiliation.

I do hope Bernie runs as something, preferably a Dem, because I believe with all my heart and mind that more Americans need to hear what he is saying. But, right now, I don't see the Greens as any human being's best bet for victory in 2016

[brooklynite]

5. Hmm, so this won't be a serious campaign...

...If the Greens were a serious party in the US, with a solid grassroots base and locally elected officials, then it might be a good platform for a left-based campaign. But they're not. They're a marginal political movement that can only put "celebrity" candidates up for President, never amounting to anything.

I'll be sticking with the Democrats.

[jwirr]

15. I think that Bernie fully understands that he cannot run as a third party and take votes away from

the Democrat. The last thing he wants is to be a spoiler and help Rs win. We have had many third party candidates over the years and none that I can remember won but they did often help the party they most disliked.

IMO if he runs he will run as a Democrat so that he can challenge Hillary in the primary. That is where I will vote for him. If he wins I will get to vote for him again.

[mmonk]

6. The Green Party isn't allowed on TV debates

nor a ballot in some states.

[brooklynite]

9. Because nobody votes for it......

Maybe people don't take it seriously.

[mmonk]

13. What came first, the chicken or the egg?

I find the arguments for a closed election system interesting. I suppose that is from contentment.

[Xyzse]

18. That is true,but to be taken seriously they need members of their party in Senate and Congress first

Without it, they really have no legs to stand on even if they win the Presidency, which is very unlikely.

To be taken seriously they need at least 2-3 Senators and at least 10 in the House, this is at a minimum. Then, they could run as President from there.
I don't mind if they run as another party, but they can't just run for Presidency with two entrenched groups there, until they make inroads in the Legislative branch first.

Until that happens, I just don't see a 3rd Party being able to do much. Even if I can agree with their positions more, I can't vote for them till then as I find it a waste.

[mmonk]

21. While I agree that he should run

as a Democrat to gain access to an undemocratic election system such as the United States, I pretty much disagree on the rest. The only modern candidate running against the status quo that frightened entrenched power was Perot.

[Xyzse]

22. Curious. So you mean, even my "minimum" requirements are still too small?

[mmonk]

23. What is your minimum? Senators or parties that agree?

I just believe he needs a platform both in time of debate and exposure to the people.

[Xyzse]

25. Ahhh...

My minimum requirements before I consider voting for a 3rd Party Candidate are as follows:

The Party has at least:
2-3 Senators
10 House Representatives

More would be good, otherwise I wouldn't see them as being able to do anything.
I mean, to get any sort of platform and exposure, I think they need at least that much. I believe that one has to make inroads in local and state elections before being able to push for the Presidency.

I know Perot came close and had the money to do so, but for any one else actually making a serious attempt, I think they need at least that much of their party already installed to be viable.

[Reter]

24. Any third party is allowed in the debates, as long as they are polling well

Not sure what the minimum requirement is, maybe 10%?

[B Calm]

7. Republicans pushing this propaganda?

Maybe he should run under the republican ticket.

[handmade34]

8. No

[SidDithers]

10. Fuck Ralph Nader...nt

Sid

[arely staircase]

30. +1 nt

[Gothmog]

35. We have Alito and Roberts on the SCOTUS due to Nader

A serious third party run is the only way that the GOP can win in 2016. In 2000, a large percentage of Nader's financial support was from republicans who wanted to steal the election and this tactic worked.

If the GOP wins the Whitehouse in 2016, we can kiss Roe v. Wade and the remainder of the Voting Rights Act goodbye

[onehandle]

11. Oh yeah. Let the Greens put another Bush in office.

Jeb's operatives, like the GOP's operatives in 2000, are already amongst us, egging us on.

I don't want Bernie to be Nadered in reputation.

[Vinca]

12. I hope he runs as a Democrat if he decides to run.

Third parties have zero chance in this country and Bernie deserves a decent platform. If the majority of people paid attention, they'd know Bernie is the one person in Congress who has done more for veterans in recent memory than anyone else . . . among other things. That said, the people (corporations) buying the elections will spend a fortune to keep anything he has to say under wraps. I will definitely vote for him in the Democratic primary if he runs.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Bernie has several options. Hopefully, he'll choose one and run. K&R

[CK_John]

17. If Bernie decides to run as an IND, he will be the best funded candidate ever. Koch brothers will

pour millions into getting Bernie on the ballot in all 50 states, they will leave no trace of the funds and even Bernie will not know where his support is coming from.

Bernie as a third party IND on the ballot guarantees whoever the Koch brothers what to become President, IMO Mitt would be their choice.

[tritsofme]

19. Whatever his decision, he sure to be little more than a footnote

in the story of the 2016 race. It would be pretty shitty for him to run outside the Democratic Party, but he is so irrelevant that he still wouldn't have any real impact on the race.

[Autumn]

20. I don't care what party he runs in. Bernie runs, Bernie has my support and vote

all the way.

[oneview]

26. Whoa. The Green speculation is nothing, but the fact that he says he might run indie is a big deal.

I would not like to see him run as a possible spoiler on his own in the general election, but he'd be welcome to run in the primaries as a Democrat.

This may be a wise move on his part though to leave those options open right now. Hillary and her people should maybe enter into negotiations with him now -- 1) invite him to run as a Dem in the primaries. He won't win, but Hillary needs at least one challenger, he could be Bill Bradley to her Al Gore in 2000. 2) Get him to do that, but also to promise openly to support the Dem nominee. 3) Promise him something else as well -- maybe a key speaking spot at the convention, and/or a committment to support of at least a piece of his 12 point plan -- I think a committment to rebuilding infrastructure would be a good choice.

If he comes into the primaries this way, it would also innoculate him against what could easily happen otherwise -- people assume that by running against Hillary, he will pull her to the left, at least rhetorically for a while. Maybe, or maybe not! She could go that way, but if circumstances call for it, she could JUST as easily "Sista Souljah"/hippie punch him and his ideas pretty hard. Leaving the door open to the nuclear option of running in the general election on his own could help to prevent a Sista Souljah event.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

27. I'm going to say a big 'Hell no!'

If he's not going to run as a straight Democrat, he should run as what he is, a Democratic Socialist.

The Greens shot themselves in the foot before, and he doesn't need their baggage slowing him down.

[Turbineguy]

28. It worked before...

for the republicans.

[arely staircase]

29. well that didn't take long nt

[MH1]

31. "Sanders' best option"? Dunno; but OUR best option? Not just no, HELL NO.

For the Greens, it would be THEIR best option. Perhaps. Except for the new segment of voters they'd drive away with their divisiveness.

I respect Bernie Sanders too much to believe he would run on a 3rd party ticket, unless it was absolutely irrevocably clear that the Dem nominee will be doomed no matter what. Even a Clinton is less awful than anyone who will run on the Republican ticket, and only a Democrat has a reasonable chance of beating the Republican - and only WITHOUT a 3rd party splitting the liberal vote.

Our system sucks, but you have to play by the rules as they're written and enforced, not how they ought to be or what you wish they were.

[Buns_of_Fire]

33. I agree with your sentiments 100% (FWIW). nt

[NuclearDem]

32. It's certainly the best option...

...for Jeb Bush.

[B Calm]

34. yep

[MohRokTah]

36. If Bernie Sanders ran as a Green, I'd be more opposed to him than to the Repug.

That would be the height of cutting one's nose off to spite their face.

I sincerely do not believe Bernie Sanders is that STUPID.

[hunter]

37. Even as a radical environmentalist and socialist, I don't play well with greens

Fuck Ralph Nader too.

You have to work with what you've got, as fubar as that is. Otherwise the bad guys just play you, divide and conquer.

The U.S.A. government is an imperfect machine, and even worse, a large proportion of our population is racist and/or fascist and/or easily-manipulated-Fox-News-watching-drooling-stupid.

I'd much rather have a competent leader like Obama than some venal puppet like Reagan or Shrub, or some banal evil fucker like Bush or Romney.