Well of course if Bush is anointed or elected or whatever, we will not have a Gore presidency as a comparison point, and vice versa. But I think as I have said before that we Nader supports and third party supporters generally should not be afraid to grant that therea re significant differences between the two parties, particularly in things that do not affect globalization and foreign policy (although the Repugs are often somewhat better there), and that the Dems are often better.
Moreover, we have to say that the more successful a third party becomes, trhe worse it will hurt the Democrats, and that a third party cannot hope to be a contender for some time to come. So we are advocatoinga course of action that involves "spoiling," would have the effect of throwing elections, and denying ourseves and our constituencies the real of somewhat marginal advantages that the Democrats would bring.
We have to advocate this not because there are no such advantages, but because the alternative is giving up on the left and the prospect of social change that is more than marginal and consigned to the right-ward drifting vagueries of the Dems.
Be clear: anyone who tells you, like Nathan, taht there si no alternative but the Dems is telling you that there is no alternative, no hope, and nothing left of the left. That's what Brad says: we are in the Iron Cage,a nd we cannot ever get out. That may be true, but I'm not convinced yet.
--jks
>
>
>Well, this is putting the Nader 'Tweedledum and
>Tweedledee' to a test, certainly.
>
>Over the next year, the credibility of the Green
>Paty will be subject to that test. If the Bush
>administration turns out to be bad, then the
>Greens will suffer accordingly.
>
>Barry
>
> > From: "Tom Waters" <tjwaters at earthlink.net>
>
> > Marta Russell <ap888 at lafn.org> wrote,
>
> > > The attack began before it was even clear that Bush had won!
>
> > This is their window of opportunity. After Gore hands the presidency to
> > Bush, it will get a lot harder for them to insist that the difference
> > between these two is all that vast.
>
> > Tom
>
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