Socialist Action: What would Debs do?

Socialist Action, which previously made its case for voting for one of the three socialist presidential candidates on the ballot, has issued a pamphlet providing historical perspective on socialist, labor based movements allying themselves with more broadly progressive and/or radical campaigns:

Ralph Nader’s and Cynthia McKinney’s 2008 presidential campaigns are actively supported by a part of political spectrum usually referred to as “progressive.” These “progressives” are generally understood to be those who want to support candidates who go beyond the limits of the Democratic Party’s positions on foreign policy and social change. A number of small socialist groups have announced Presidential candidates: the Socialist Workers Party, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Socialist Party. The campaigns of Nader and McKinney have been endorsed by some other socialist groups. This article addresses advocacy of a vote for one or another radical or progressive non-socialist candidate by socialists, based on a review of historic experiences of the 20th century US socialist movement in connection with non-socialist electoral campaigns that ostensibly held out the promise of a new radical political party and progressive social change.

The pamphlet excoriates the Communist Party USA and Democratic Socialists of America for their embrace of Obama in a “defeat the right” lockstep with the Democratic Party, before moving on to discuss those socialist organizations that have endorsed Nader or McKinney and providing historical perspective from the candidacies of Robert LaFollette and Henry Wallace. The article provides some interesting quotes from contemporary socialist political organizers and is an interesting look at the views of one socialist party on the history of others.

One point our readers might take issue with:
The article states that “No minor party candidate for President has ever received an electoral vote.” This assertion is almost immediately contradicted with an overview of the electoral totals of LaFollette, Strom Thurmond, and George Wallace. While the article makes a point of parties that largely exist as “ephemeral shadows” of their presidential campaigns, the statement still does not withstand the Libertarian Party’s sole electoral vote in 1972.