election demographics

Marco Anglesio mpa at the-wire.com
Mon Nov 6 21:09:24 PST 2000


On Mon, 6 Nov 2000, Nancy Bauer/Dennis Perrin wrote:


> Perhaps (provide numbers, names, quotes). But when W. fucks up -- which he
> undoubtedly will -- the latest corporate Dem (HRC? Bayh? Bradley?) will jump
> into the spotlight and offer his/her services. Then corporate Dem followers,

I wouldn't be surprised if this actually happened. The goal of popular politics doesn't seem to be ideological conversion; it is the seduction of the masses. Nader certainly doesn't have the personal appeal to draw people out or tap into a heretofore unexploited pool of potential voters. There have been firebrand orators of the left, even recently, but he isn't one of them.

(OTOH, for the benefit of insomniac LBO-ers, the latest Zogby tracking poll is is 48-46 ... Gore. Make of it what you will.).


> like yourself, will fall gently into line, and proceed to slander those who
> do not share the faith, all on behalf of Dear Leader.

And Nader's public pronouncements over the last three months have been wholly noble and just? On the contrary; Nader is playing the game to win, and that does mean getting dirty and maligning people who might have otherwise been his allies. Gore, in particular, seems to sympathize with the environmental movement, but he gets lumped with your local texas oilman. Winning for Nader is a 5% share of the popular vote, nothing more, nothing less, no matter who actually assumes the presidency, and he's obviously aiming for that.

If the blame for a disastrous (or even mildly embarrassing) Bush fils presidency can be laid on Nader and the Greens, they will find it much more difficult to raise funds, gain volunteers from the general populace, and so on. While the true believers of the Green Party will remain, they can't elect a dogcatcher without appealing to the general populace.

Doubly bad for the Greens would be taking the blame and not getting the matching funds, a course of events that's seeming more and more likely as the day finally arises.

Happy election day. Wish me the same on November 27.

Marco

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