time to vote Green?

[dennis00]

file:///home/smith/Desktop/chebanner.gif
I am feeling really let down by our new democratic house and senate. A nonbinding resolution? Impeachment off the table? Feel like transporting them to the other end of Pennsylvania Ave to the train station and riding them out of town on a rail.

[yourout]

1. The alternative is FAR worse.

I wish they were doing more but it is still far better than what we had under the Republicans.

[Lasher]

2. Maybe the folks over at Green Underground would appreciate your comment

Our Democratic representatives are doing the best they can. We barely have a majority in the Senate. At least we can now stop the seemingly endless legislative assault by extremist right-wingers.

Vote Green if you wish, but I want my vote to count.

[Greyhound]

5. "Our Democratic representatives are doing the best they can"

If that were true, I'd be happy, but this is nowhere near their best. However, it is still early and I sincerely hope to be proved wrong.

"We suck less" is not a good campaign slogan.

[Lasher]

6. If we suck less and there's just two parties, then we're the best.

I can tell you for certain, we're better off now with Democrats having a majority in the House and Senate.

[Greyhound]

8. I think that that is pretty clear, however being merely not as bad as them

isn't going to win any hearts or minds. This is exactly how we lost before and it will get exactly the same results if the re:puke:s are not monumentally stupid and we're not careful.

As I said, I desperately want to be wrong.

[pnwmom]

10. They've been in place for less than a month. Get real. n/t

[Tesha]

18. "The best they can"

> Our Democratic representatives are doing the best they can.

The saddest part is that you're probably correct.

Maybe we need reps who can do better?

Tesha

[Ken Burch]

3. If you want THAT option, you need to work for electoral reform first

Or, if you must, vote Green in races other than the Presidency.

Until the Electoral College is abolished and something like Instant Runoff Voting is put in place, voting for minor party presidential candidates is basically an exercise in electing the Republicans to punish the Democrats. It doesn't promote change within the Democratic Party and it isn't a realistic way to build an alternative.

The thing to do now is organize more and more protests, and in ways they may not expect. It is much more important to build the grass roots pressure in the streets NOW than it is to try building a new presidential party that would not have any chance of success for years, and perhaps not for decades.

[The Straight Story]

4. Vote green on st patrick's day, blue on election day :) (nt)

[dennis00]

7. You are all right

I guess i'm feeling frustrated at 5:30 in the ayem. I lived through Chicago '68 and Nixon's impeachment and I suppose I still expect that kind of action today. I'll not vote Green. That would truly be an exercise in frustration. You're all right. I love DU this Valentine's day.

[Doondoo]

9. NO! It's time to vote for REAL Democrats!

[aquart]

11. Thank you for your concern.

At Democratic Underground, we vote Democratic.

[rpannier]

12. That's what people said in 2000 when they voted Nader

I heard how there is no difference between the two parties.
Gore and bush are practically the same.
Etc.

What did voting Nader get us?
It forced Gore to spend money in states he shouldn't have in order to win.
We got roberts and alito (I suppose you think Gore would have chosen two judges who are similar to them)
bolton in the UN
kissy-kissy with the Saudi Royal family
hundreds of signing statements
cheney, rumsfeld, rice, ashcroft, gonzalez
scrapping the Kyoto treaty
scrapping of hundreds of international treaties
gutting of environmental legislation
the prescription drug plan
oil companies reaping huge benefits from "forgotten" royalties
american taliban judges permeating the federal courts
scrapping of habeas corpus and allowing torture
tax breaks for the wealthy
elimination of the 'Estate Tax'
severe damage to our international prestige

But...maybe you think it would be the same under Gore?

In addition...are you sure the Green party would be pushing for impeachment -- especially if they have as slim a majority?

[radfringe]

13. I'm getting a 1992 sortta deja vu feeling all over

the 1992 presidential campaign pitted GWH Bush against Bill Clinton...

jumping in and out of the race was ROSS PEROT, who managed to get 17% of the vote

blatherheads pointed to Perot as the 'spoiler' for GWH Bush for splitting the republic vote which resulted in Clinton's win.

We don't have a 2008 version of Perot...yet, but the mood seems to be growing ripe for such a version to emerge

Bush-2's coattails are either too short now or for those republic candidates, seeking to ride what's left, will probably find themselves strangled by the coattails.

General blather is indicating no big excitement or enthusiasm for the slate of republic candidates - which could indicate a Democratic win....maybe....

We had high hopes for the Democratic Congress and are slowly seeing those hopes dwindling. Impeachment is off the table, and other than Kucinich - none of the top top runners are even mentioning impeachment.

The Senate tied itself up in knots debating how to debate the Iraq Escalation Resolution Debate. The House, now debating it, are making lots of lofty statements and accusations - how the vote will turn out is yet to be seen, but then it still has to go back to the Senate. Meanwhile, bush plans on ignoring it.

General talk from regular people seem to indicate that the NON-BINDING resolution is a waste of time, and just an opportunity for political speeches.

here on the DU, I see almost daily postings calling for this person or that person to run for President, and it's all based on one or two statements that person made. I call them the Candidate du jour threads.

So why are so many of us rushing to back a particular candidate du jour? I wouldn't call it desperation, but we are definitly thirsting for a real leader we can believe. One that inspires, gives us hope and is able to unite us.

The door is opening for a dark horse - be it someone from either of the two major parties or more likely a 3rd party or even a real independent.

[William769]

14. "Time to vote green?"

Hit the road Jack & don't comeback! I guess you don't know why they call this Democratic Underground

[Selatius]

15. Hahahah, try doing that after you institute proportional representation and junk the...

Electoral College and institute other democracy reforms like a public financing mechanism for all federal election campaigns. You would have to change the laws in each of the 50 states such that each state allots seats in the US House in proportion to the percentage each party won.

This requires a state with multiple congressional districts to junk them in favor of a unified state district represented by multiple legislators. This not only gets rid of the problem of gerrymandering but also opens the door to breaking the two-party duopoly on power.

This is America, not some west European representative democracy. If you want a multi-party system, then you can leave the US and move to Europe. The Dems and the Repubs would not give up power if it were left to them, and it's going to take a lifetime or longer to enact democracy reforms, and that's a lifetime few of us have.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

16. Uh, I don't think it's time to vote at all.

The election happened a few months back. Your party is a bit late to the game, as usual.

[xultar]

17. hummmm let me see......... FUCK NO!

[Moderator]

19. Locking.....

From DU rules:


Democratic Candidates and the Democratic Party

Constructive criticism of Democrats or the Democratic Party is permitted. When doing so, please keep in mind that most of our members come to this website in order to get a break from the constant attacks in the media against our candidates and our values. Highly inflammatory or divisive attacks that echo the tone or substance of our political opponents are not welcome here.

You are not permitted to use this message board to work for the defeat of the Democratic Party nominee for any political office. If you wish to work for the defeat of any Democratic candidate in any General Election, then you are welcome to use someone else's bandwidth on some other website.

Democratic Underground may not be used for political, partisan, or advocacy activity by supporters of any political party or candidate other than the Democratic Party or Democratic candidates. Supporters of certain other political parties may use Democratic Underground for limited partisan activities in political races where there is no Democratic Party candidate.

Do not post broad-brush smears against Democrats or the Democratic Party.