[Sosfbay-discuss] "Dare to Win"

[Andrea Dorey]

Alex,

I agree with you about Matt Gonzales.  He made the most incredible  
run for San Francisco mayor and, I think, he did it by running an all- 
out tough campaign that was not derailed or slowed by any  
considerations but those that led to his election to the office.
A magnificent candidate for the Greens.
He's one that makes me proud and not embarrassed to be a Green.
Andrea

On Apr 7, 2006, at 2:23 PM, alexcathy at aol.com wrote:

> 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
>
>
>
>
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