Green Party candidate enters race for congress

[brooklynite]

Source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The special election in the 11th Congressional District is no longer a two-man race.

Councilmember Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst) and Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan learned on Tuesday that a third candidate, James Lane, would be running in the May 5 special election as the Green Party candidate.

Lane was the Green Party candidate for Public Advocate in 2013. Lane, who works for an internet media company, lives in Brooklyn.

Lane said the two issues he will stress on the campaign trail are police accountability and climate change.

Read more: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2015/3/4/green-party-candidate-enters-race-congress

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FWIW, Working Family's Party has endorsed Gentile.

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. Don't know a lot about Gentile but what little I do know is positive.

However, if he's not speaking to these issues:

>>>"I want to give a voice to the average New Yorkers in this election who is concerned about the need for living wage jobs, affordable health care, and a decent opportunity for all regardless of their race, sex, sexual orientation or country of origin,”>>>>>>

...he's asking for trouble.


>>>he said in a statement in which he called the Democratic and Republican parties “two corporate dominated parties that promote the interests of the one percent.”>>>>

Well, that goes without saying. But Gentile has the opportunity to make it LESS true than is already the case. Talking about income disparity, wealth disparity and the increasingly obvious class divide should resonate as much in (much of) Staten Island as it does in Bklyn.

[Johnyawl]

2. exactly what we needed...

...divide the left to ensure that the republican wins.

[LiberalLovinLug]

3. The US really needs a third progressive voice

In Canada here, we have only managed to elect one Green Party member, the leader Elizabeth May. But then we already have that third more progressive party that splits the vote (that's why we have a wingnut Con PM). It would be great if you could just begin to elect 2 or 3 congresspersons from the Green Party without affecting the national balance.....for now. How would you do this? I guess just not run a Presidential candidate, but then you'd have the problem of not getting voters out to even get those few. Hmmm...maybe have a national speaker but they don't run for election? You'd still have to convince a few districts to be radical enough to throw their votes to a rep that would have almost no influence in Washington for your district. But it has to start somewhere.

[Johnyawl]

5. Canada is a parliamentary system, the US is not.

And you admit that your plan isn't even working in Canada. All you have to do is look at what has happened to Maine in the gubernatorial race the last two cycles to understand the damage a third party can do.

[LiberalLovinLug]

7. Its true you'd split the vote

But its clear that the two corporate 1% parties is not working for most Americans. Its also clear that the Democrats will continue to shift to the right the less pressure there is to NOT do that. I think for the long view there'd be nothing better than have 10 or more Green reps in Congress just so the American public can hear the other side of the argument once in awhile...even it that means a Republican President for a cycle.

Of course the ultimate solution is a Proportional Representation type democratic system. This is hopefully where Canada is heading. Then that rabid 20% tea bagger idiocracy would never again have serious influence. Imagine having 200 Democrats in Congress, but another 100 Greens that they'd have to come to consensus with in order to pass a bill.

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. I'm all for breaking the duopoly. The more the merrier.

[Johnyawl]

6. That has worked SOOOOO well in Maine.