Greens & 2004

TThe Democrat-Green Death Struggle
by MICAH L. SIFRY

As much as I'd like to see Nader and his ilk stamped out without mercy, I think the Demcrats should be prepared to make some concessions to the Green in order to win the Presidential election in 2004, a goal which all else should be subordinate to. The Democrats should only make tactical, rather than policy compromises with Greens. Triangulation maybe necessary and we cannot afford to be hamstrung by the idealists of the Green Party and their rolling paper manifestos, such deals are unlikely to appease the Naderites anyway given their purism/fanaticism. So, what is to be done? The Democrats ought to agree to stop their efforts to eradicate the Green Party at levels of elected office in exchange for a promise from the Greens (and Ralph Nader) not to run a presidential candidate in 2004. Currently, the Democrats have been trying to deny the Greens a place on the ballot in some states and have also gerrymandered away Green districts on the local level. As part of my proposed compromise, such behavior should be stopped. Also, green friendly reforms such as instant-run off voting, which would make the Greens more viable, should get at least half-hearted support at the state and local level.

Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately), I don't think such a reasonable compromise is really in the cards. The Democrats probably do not want anything to do with the Greens and would be unwilling to make a deal with them or acknowledge their existence. The Greens for their part, are not exactly masters of rationality and would be opposed to making any compromises on principle with the "sell out" Democratic Party (or DemRep party, huh huh huh). I don't think the Greens are going to pose as serious a threat as they did in 2000, though, since now we have a Republican administration in office pursuing an ultra-conservative agenda. Hopefully this fact will lead more reasonable elements of the Green Party to vote Democratic in 2004 and decrease the threat on our left flank.