But that isn't wisdom, it's unwisdom & the ticket to obscurity. Local contests (by themselves) are like a very light drizzle of rain on a sand dune. All the drops soak in and no channels for future drops are formed. Local contests only trigger energy if they are felt to be linked to a national struggle. The exception is when there is some seriously outrageous local condition, but that can best be met by a one-time local struggle within the local framework. It has no keeping power. Carrol <<<<<>>>>>
above, of course, is not either/or thing...
believe there is only one serious potential 'test' in u.s. history, that of socialist party in 1910s, debs received 6% of directly-cast votes in 1912 at time when sp was beginning to have success in local and other down-ballot races, did his % reflect that growth or did his % facilitate the growth, answer to both questions, imo, is yes...
interestingly, as number of elected socialists rose to more than 1000 - including almost 100 mayors - in over 300 cities spread across half the states by 1916, debs' percentage of prez vote fell to 3%...
sp would be subject to violent repression by u.s. political state during ww1, moreover, sp split in aftermath of bolshevik revolution with about 80% of its 100,000 members declaring in favor of 'revolutionary' socialism, remaining 20% maintained 'evolutionary' socialist perspective... michael hoover
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