Question for Greens regarding Bush/Gore

[CounterCoulter]

Ok, bear with me here. This is my first thread starter at DU. I'm not looking to say I told you so or anything like that. I just don't really understand the Green thinking.

I've seen a lot of Greens on this board bash Republicans for being Bush Lite, and I've seen the same criticism leveled at Clinton/Gore. My question is: if Clinton/Gore/Kerry are Bush Lite, then do you truly believe that 1) things wouldn't be much different if Dole had won in 96 or if Gore had won in 2000?

I realize that you are to the left of Gore, but there are better alternatives than voting Green than Democrat. You need to win the hearts and minds of your fellow Americans. Voting for Nader has made the job of environmental activists that much more difficult. Sure Gore isn't as Green as you would like, but now that Bush has the bully pulpit, the media is covering studies questioning the validity of "Global Warming."

There is nothing wrong with being an idealist, however, I think that many of you would rather say, "I voted Nader, so I'm, like, so Liberal," rather than actually DOING something to change the world. Voting for Nader is liking preaching Communism on a soapbox in Midtown Manhattan. Much environmental/social headway was made in the 1990's without 60's radicalism. We can make a difference within the system.

Revolutionary ideas are great, but tearing things down to achieve them didn't work for Russia and its not going to work here. We CAN work within the system for a change. Hard work just doesn't sound as sexy as voting for Ralph Nader, though.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Uh, bash Republicans for being Bush Lite????

Repukes at Bush HEAVY, IMHO.

And I did not vote for Nader in 2000.

[NNN0LHI]

11. I suspect that CounterCoulter had meant to put Democrats when he/she...

...wrote Republicans? That is my guess anyway? It too late for an edit on the post now though. Welcome to DU CounterCoulter.

Don

[imhotep]

2. guess what

this issue has been beaten to death. Nothing you can say hasnt been said before, so give it a rest.

[yella_dawg]

6. Oh Goody!

Is this another "bash the new guys" thread?

yella

[LeftCoast]

3. Most Hard-Core Greens (imo)

are folks who are so disillusioned with the two main parties that they wouldn't vote if (D) and (R) were the only choices. My hope is, that in '04 most Greens look at the bigger picture and vote for the (D) at least for Pres.

I think that it should be stressed that Greens in no way owe anyone their vote. Having said that, I hope they realize that Bush really is Worst Case Scenario in terms of the vast majority of their values.

One thing I don't see mentioned a lot is that the Greens are in something of a bind. If their candidate for president doesn't get a high enough percentage of the vote, there are matching fund issues and a whole host of other things. They run the risk of losing a lot of the ground they've gained in the last ten years.

BTW, nice first thread post. :hi:

[thermodynamic]

5. That's why I'm hoping and praying Kucinich makes the ticket and wins

He's the civilized world's greatest hope right now.

[thermodynamic]

4. I've said the same of Democrats for ages

You need to win the hearts and minds of your fellow Americans.


Thats what the Dems need to do to stop disgruntled Americans from voting elsewhere, such as the likes of the Green party. Yet I have to say that millions of times while they still blindly blame the Greens for everything that's wrong. THAT is what I am sick of.

And unless we get swift changes, America (and the elements of the world that cling on the status of our economy and eventually all of the modernized world) won't be able to turn back from the path it's heading! We DO need someone extremist, especially to make up for the lacklusture movement during Clinton's era and DOUBLY ESPECIALLY for the backwards steps our idiot monkey* has been putting us through!!! No more of this 'take it slowly' crap because that won't cut it. Not in the long run.

So what have you done to change the world? I contribute to political parties and organizations, though I'd love to get personally involved in more or even DIE if the cause was right. Too many people around here are so namby-pamby that they don't want to consider self-sacrifice of the ultimate sort to make a statement that sure as hell would open up peoples' eyes. Of course, death can only be done once which is why I'm still alive. If the cause were to help out a lot of people (but WITHOUT hurting others - I am a nonviolent person), I would die for the cause. Maybe that makes me crazy. I don't know. And if I made lots of money, I'd be doing lots more too. But that's another reason why Bush wants the middle class abolished; the fewer of us to support left-wing initiatives means the greater power THEY have. I'm damn right when I say we need somebody who is seen as 'extreme'.

[KG]

7. your condesending tone won't won't get any greens to agree with ya.

they've been scolded on this board 100s of time in the last 2 years.

0 points for originality.

thanks for playing, tho.

[Iverson]

12. Bingo.

The point of honest inquiry rapidly passed into lecture.

[jonnyblitz]

8. oh give me a break. you thinK the greens are that radical?!?!

THEY ARE CAPITALISTS!! LMFAO!!! what the greens want should be the basic Democratic platform. This post just shows are far to the right the terms of debate have moved!!! scary!!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Good questions, wrong direction.

The Greens didn't lose the election for Gore. The Democrats did by running to the right. Most of the Greens that I know, and certainly all of the left Democrats will be more than happy to vote for Democrats that will stand for the issues that matter to them. It isn't the Greens who are voting for Bush's policies in the congress - it's Democrats. It isn't Greens who are standing in the Rose Garden with the Fratboy Emperor and applauding his policies. It's Democrats.

I'm not a Green. I voted for Gore. It's the "moderates" and the "We're not Liberals!" DLC/DNC that led the party to defeat.

Try questioning them.

[robbedvoter]

10. Gore won. The greens attacking you are the ones who want

W in office - because as Ralphie said, it's better for their business (think of it, it was less fun for them during Clinton - they had to share websites with the freepers!). Most greens are trying to be as pragmatic as they can by supporting Kuchinich. If he gets nominated, they might find another bone to pick with us, or they'll be happy for a while. If he doesn't, wait for savage attacks on the non-Kuchinich nominee.