[Sosfbay-discuss] "Dare to Win"

[alexcathy at aol.com]

I finally downloaded and read the "Dare to Win" article that Gerry 
originally linked to. I thought it was a nice nuts 'n bolts piece. I 
don't know why this thread went off into this direction.

We spent much of 2001 through 2004 arguing over the 2000 election.

We spent much of 2005 arguing over the 2004 election.

I do hope we don't spend 2006 the same way.

Accordingly, I am going to devote just one brief e-mail to this subject.

The so-called Safe States strategy is only relevant to quadrennial 
presidential elections, thanks to the grossly undemocratic effects of 
the Electoral College system. Now, this is one of those time when we 
must heed Orwell's statement about needing to restate the obvious: 
elections for president of the United States are unlike any other 
elections in the world. Though clearly not the intent of the founders, 
U.S. presidents have become elected *emperors*. I voted for Ralph Nader 
in 2000 and I am proud of that vote, but it is understandable why some 
people were frantic to get rid of Bush in 2004.

With that one caveat ...

I have always said that Greens should "Dare to Win" for every office 
everywhere. The problem is that, truth to tell, most registered Greens 
still consider the party a "protest" vehicle and do not really believe 
we can actually "win" anywhere.

Now, let me stick my neck out with a prediction.

It is not going to be me, it may not be any of you, and it may not 
happen this year, but eventually some Green candidate is gonna win a 
major election. Peter Camejo has said more than once that he thinks 
Matt Gonzalez could be that person, perhaps by winning Nancy Pelosi's 
seat in the U.S. Congress.

Mark my words, on that great day, all the bullshit MSM pundits and all 
the bullshit professors of history and political science and all the 
bullshit political "consultants" will be chattering about how it was 
"inevitable" and how "everyone" cold plainly see that this Green Party 
thing was a "phenomenon." And then every time you turn around you'll 
see ambitious opportunists showing up at GP meetings telling teary-eyed 
stories about being "born again" into the 10 key values.

Don't worry. That day is coming unless by some miracle the Democratic 
and Republican parties somehow manage to get their acts together. I 
really don't see that happening. Nader and Camejo are right. They *ARE* 
the two corporate political parties and at this stage of the game they 
cannot change even if they wanted to.

Look at this amazing "explosion" over immigration with millions of 
Latinos marching in the streets. The Democratic Party is supposed to be 
the party that "bleeds" for the poor, right? The Republican Party is 
supposed to be the party that "bleeds" for the supposedly "forgotten" 
man who does "hard work," gets married, supports "family values," 
right?

 Bullshit!

Clearly *BOTH PARTIES* and most of the So-Called-Liberal-Media are 
completely clueless. Just goes to show how out of touch they are about 
matters every Milpitas cab driver can see.


 Alex Walker