Via GreenPapers.Net. Originally posted on February 11 at The Politics of Courage
by Anthony Gonzalez
Jill Stein MD announced Friday she has formed a committee to explore the option of pursuing the Green Party’s presidential nomination after winning it in 2012 and subsequently receiving the highest percentage of the popular vote of any female presidential contender in a US general election — a percentage triple the one garnered by her party’s previous standard-bearer. Those who accepted that nomination in 2000, 2004 and 2008 declined to go for it again. Now, all who share Dr. Stein’s basic vision should stand by to take advantage of her consistent and respectable leadership.
Someone with similar values, Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont, also may seek this nation’s highest office but has not used his stature as an independent official to help build a third party, which the people of the US need and want*. The ex-mayor of Burlington is apparently unwilling to do so in the 2016 cycle.
Additionally, the longest-serving independent member of Congress in US history says if he were to wage an independent campaign, he would suspend it if in fear of being “a spoiler.” Assuming the Democratic nominee in that case would be a corporatist such as former secretary of State Hillary Clinton, though, I assert the adage that one cannot spoil what is already rotten.
Nonetheless, Sanders seems inclined to run as a Democrat if at all even though the Democratic Party has — despite continual polls showing most in that party and in this country at large are liberal on most issues — followed the Republicans rightward for decades and would therefore be unlikely to welcome him, a socialist. Furthermore, I thought the highlight of a Democratic bid by Sanders might be his performance in the primary debates, yet we read Clinton is thinking of simply ducking such confrontations.
As the US endures 23.2% unemployment, the largest wealth gap since before the Great Depression, and other urgent problems, we should not want the entry of a presidential candidate who might effectively pull a bait-and-switch by setting forth a leftist platform that will draw people into the political process and then, upon losing the primary race, encouraging them to vote for the status-quo in the general election.
If Sanders were to somehow clinch the nomination, his coattails would — barring a deep revolution in the party — be rolled out for, mainly, the same type of Democratic politicians who have resisted the overwhelming majority of his ideas thus far. The Green standard-bearer, however, will surely head a slate that is devoted to populism and lead a party that will keep fighting for it beyond the next administration.
*Gallup’s description of the Democratic Party as center-left is false. Both major parties are center-right.
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He’s explicitly cited “not wanting to be another Nader” (paraphrasing from memory) as to why he would lean towards running in the Democratic primary. With all his seniority and committee assignments and the like dependent on membership in the Dem. Senate caucus, they have a lot more to hold over him (and on the flip side, to potentially offer him for not running.)
I don’t see Sanders ever running as a Democrat. I think he was expecting a bunch of leftist & socialist groups to unite behind him & start campaigning and working toward ballot access. While the PFP has invited him to seek their nomination & Socialist Alt. has encouraged him to run, in general that has not happened. It appears he will not run.
As to why Sanders won’t buck the Duopoly, maybe what happened to Ralph Nader when he dared to step outside the lines may have something to do with it.
I think Paulie hit the nail on the head re: Sanders.
As a side note, apparently Sanders is putting out memes attacking David Koch by quoting the 1980 Libertarian Party platform wrt abolishing Medicare and Medicaid. “David Koch’s 1980 Libertarian Party platform” was the exact wording it cited, which I’m sure the actual delegates to the 1979 LNC would be amused by.
That’s not a totally new line of attack of course, but still interesting to see it pop up in my feed. I had to explain the lack of connection between the LP platform from that year and Scott Walker’s alleged agenda.
Sanders said he will make his decision public in March, so we won’t have to wait long. I expect that he won’t run at all, and if he does, it would only be as a Democrat, and that he won’t even get to debate Hillary much less make it out of the primary…which he probably knows, and that’s probably why he will not run at all.
Not that I would vote for either one, but from his perspective I think he makes perfect sense here.