[lbo-talk] Wallerstein & Nader etc.

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Fri Jan 30 11:51:30 PST 2004


This discussion of "strategic voting," a discussion carried on by people who don't even pretend to be able to deliver votes in any substantial number, still reminds me of the joke from the '50s on the height of arrogance, the flea approaching the elephant with intentions of rape.

Strategies are carried out by armies, not by scattered individuals. Where is our army? How are we going to raise it? Which states are sure things for one or the other party (regardless of candidate)? Which states are (or might be) "swing states"? How large and (at least potentially) coherent is "the left" (defined as those who would never vote for the DP except under emergency conditions) in these states.

[Note: if we are talking about non-electoral struggles, "the left" has to include a majority of those who are, in electoral terms, Democrats. But if we are arguing whether to vote (or, more importantly, engage in organized campaigning) for the DP in November, then left Democrats are irrelevant: they are by definition going to vote DP regardless of what posters on LBO-talk have to say.]

This debate on LBO can't be of any political importance, because no one who might be influenced by it will ever even know that it is going on. It's entertaining though, and that is surely part of what any maillist should be.

Carrol



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