The Green Party presidential ticket of Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente did not win the White House and did not win 5% of the vote nationally. Some might rush to blame either or both candidates but the same attitudes and statements that hurt their run are already popping up, ready to destroy the Green Party. And that nonsense didn't come from their mouths while they were running and it's not coming out of their mouths now that the runs over. In other words, the problem is not the party's candidates.
At On The Wilder Side, Kimberly Wilder features Long Island's Steve Sloane who can't stop yammering. About his own party's ticket? Please, that wound indicate a sense of purpose and pride. Sloane voted for Nader so why can't he stop yacking about Barack?
Sloane writes, "I have been charmed by Obama and his family. They are lovely. I can feel the happiness that his election has instilled especially for Afro-Americans, but not just for them.
After I voted, I opened the curtain and there was my neighbor Drew, whom I have known all his life." And on and on. No need to worry about actual issues or free and fair elections when you can yammer on about being "charmed." Audrey Hepburn, your greatest fault was apparently in never running for Congress. Well maybe not. Steve Sloane explains, "It is Obama’s color that makes this victory great." Well strut that runway, Miss America. Toss those shoulders back and smile because all that matters is the outsides.
Sloane is only one of the many feel-good testimonials for Barack you can find at On The Wilder Side -- a site run by Green Kimberly Wilder. Yep, Green Party members.
The Greens lost the presidential election. This isn't some New Age Little League match up; everyone doesn't go home with a trophy. But that's how they choose to play it and how the Green Party itself chooses to play it. Take a look at this pathetic piece of crap the Green Party calls a press release:
The Green Party of the United States thanked Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente, Green candidates for President and Vice President, for their strong national campaign in the 2008 election.
The party also congratulated Barack Obama on his election to the White House today, and celebrated the election of America's first African American President.
"Even though we competed with Sen. Obama for votes in the presidential race, we're thrilled that voters have elected an African American President, something unimaginable a generation ago. We're just as thrilled that our own presidential ticket -- Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente are two women of African descent, and Ms. Clemente is Black Puerto Rican -- represented the voices of so many Americans who've been shut out of the system," said Clyde Shabazz, Green candidate for Congress in Michigan's 14th District.
Greens noted that voters expressed a mandate for change in the hope that President-elect Obama would follow through on his pledge of "Change We Can Believe In" and reverse the dangerous direction that the country has taken.
"Voters who were motivated by Barack Obama's message of change will now have to fight if they really want change to take place during the next four years," said Jill Bussiere, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. "Rosa Clemente, our candidate for Vice President, talked about the Green Party's 'imperative' throughout the campaign. The Green Imperative will move forward during the Obama Administration, as people demand that change be more than a campaign slogan."
Do you see the problems?
If you don't you're probably either a Democrat or a member from the useless half of the Green Party. The party's candidate was Cynthia McKinney. The candidate outlined many differences between herself and the other presidential nominees including that she was the only one addressing the prison-industrial-complex. She could have added that she was the only one bringing up reproductive rights. She could have added many other issues she was the only candidate to bring up.
But apparently there are no real differences and, since there are no real differences, there's no reason to ever vote Green.
That is the message the party sends out and if it wants to remain a tiny and meaningless party (meaningless in terms of elected office), it can continue on this path where the only 'reward' is basking in their self-defined 'goodness.'
Earlier the Green Party issued a press release entitled "The Real Difference" which they still link to at the bottom of their home page:
Q. What's the difference between the Democrat and Republican parties?
Q. Do they represent your interests and values?
Democrats talk about the different policies, positions, and priorities we'd see from a Democrat in the White House versus a Republican.
Most Democrat and Republican politicians -- including Clinton, Gore, Kerry and Bush -- hold similar positions on major issues --- and that's why we need a real choice at the polls: a party that gives power to "We the People" instead of powerful corporations.
If you look at where the candidates and parties stand on the issues you can see that the Democrat and Republican parties are in basic agreement on most issues OR they agree to ignore important issues.
Judge for yourself -- and compare with Green positions:
Summary Issue Position Comparison
Detailed Version
Print Version
Alternate PDF Version
Alternate PDF (Smaller)
We're not disagreeing with the above but how do you reconcile that and the statements and 'coverage' the party and their online sites have been offering since Tuesday's vote?
Political positions and issues don't matter? It all comes down to skin color?
Well then the Democrats and Republicans should nominate a Latino, an Asian-American, an Arab-American, a Native American and every other possible first in order to ensure that the whole nation is on a feel-good vibe for the next few election cycles.
Remember, it's all about skin color!
Is there a difference between the Green Party and the Democratic Party? When the Greens act like they're acting, there's not a damn bit of difference.
And that message is sent and received far beyond the Green Party. That message becomes an impediment for the party in future elections and with the press (which laughed their asses off at the Green Party's press release last week). See the Democrats stand accused of never following up on their promises to the people. So when the Greens -- who allegedly stand for something -- waste their time (and the limited attention given to them) in order to sing the praises of a Democratic candidate, they're telling Americans that the Greens just offer words as well.
Are the Greens for expanding and continuing the Afghanistan War? Are they for keeping US troops on Iraqi soil? We kind of thought the answer to both questions was no. And yet, there's the Green Party and their members applauding a candidate who stands for just that and for so much more. We kind of thought the Greens believed in ballot access so it's amazing to see them issuing praise for a candidate who won his first race by eliminating all his opponents. We kind of thought the Greens believe fair and free elections came via public financing so it's strange to watch them applaud the candidate who has probably destroyed public financing.
After the election last week, the country should have heard the Green Party explaining why their party mattered and what it stood for. Instead they offered a lot of fluff that telegraphed the message, intentionally or not, "Green Party -- the party even members don't believe in."