>After 20 years of
>Reagan-Bush-Clinton, I hope you can understand why people gravitate to
>Nader and the Green Party.
>There's an asteroid moving towards the Earth and the Democratic and
>Republican dinosaurs graze on, oblivious to the changes that are about
>to overcome them.
And how many times has this been said since the Civil War? At least the Socialists and Farmer-Labor Party could elect state legislators and the occasional Congressperson.
The Greens don't have the most basic requirement for a serious third party, namely a social base and non-electoral organizational support. They can't even get the support of institutional environmentalist organizations, much less unions, civil rights or any other mass organizational support.
As for what Democratic Party government policy would be, how can you tell since we've had divided government for twenty years at the federal level, except for 93-94 where there was literally only a one-vote working majority for budget issues and not even that for many other issues. But to give some sense of the difference in party politics, you need to look at a state like California which has a unified Democratic legislature and governor for the first time in nearly twenty years. Despite Gray Davis trying to govern somewhat as a DLC type governor, the legislative results have been impressive.
EDUCATION Abolished tuition for most university students- allocated $1 billion per year for purpose Increase of $2.3 billion for public schools
LABOR $1 Increase in Minimum Wage to $6.75 AB 1899 Right to Organize-- bars all state contractors from using state funds to oppose unionization SN 739- Right of local government unions to register unfair labor practices with state agency and right to vote for union shop AB 60 Restored daily overtime pay for anyone working more than 8 hours, worth $1 billion per year for Cal workers AB 1268 Picketline Freedom of Speech- sharply limits state judges from issuing injunctions during strikes SN 16 Prevailing Wage- legislatively ended practice used by GOP governors to undermine prevailing wage on govt contracts AB 633 Garment Workers- creates state doctrine of joint liability on garment manufactors for work condictions and pay by contractors
CIVIL RIGHTS AB 1670 - broad enhancement of coverage and penalties under Fair Housing and other civil rights laws Creation of a statewide domestic partners registry Legilstion that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation
HEALTH Made immigrant children eligible for state health care Right to sue HMOs and get second opinion from decisions, expand regulatory oversight Part-time professors: Extends health benefits for part-time faculty at California community colleges.
Add the bills that Davis has vetoed: Expand domestic partnerships Make undocumented immigrants elibible for drivers license Make undocumented eligible for discounted university tuition HMO reform to increase patients rights markedly