[lbo-talk] fight within Respect

Tim Francis-Wright tim at francis-wright.com
Mon Oct 22 14:51:43 PDT 2007


Robert Wood wrote:
> Out of curiosity, what has Respect managed to accomplish with this
> electoral success? In terms of shifting political debates or the
> conditions of immigrant populations, etc.?

Compared to the Greens in the United States--who have had several election cycles to build their movement--Respect is a rousing success.

Take Massachusetts, where the Greens ought to have _some_ success. The Green-Rainbow party has not won a single partisan election. Ever. And its activities are limited to contesting a handful of seats every two years (7 out of a possible 200 in 2006), while running quixotic campaigns for the constitutional offices. This kind of campaigning is what makes the Libertarian Party the respected political force that it now is.

I would have some respect for the Greens if they strategically recruited candidates against the troglodyte faction of the Democrats. But they don't, and never have.

(To be fair, the Greens have twice won a seat in the Maine state legislature.)

--tim francis-wright



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