sweetheart-mine Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Wow, we are having an actual logical and informative discussion about the Green Party......this is serious fun.... The Greens have an actual political presence in Europe, where parlimentary government more or less works. I wonder what there record is, where they don't seem like total organizational spazes. 5% is actually a shitload....The closest person to actually accomplishing a third party win as you point out was Ross Perot, one of the nuttier folks on the planet in some ways. John Anderson, the most rational and successful third party candidate I did not remember, only summoned up 7% of the vote. Amazing. George Wallace's platform (as one who is old enough to remenmber) was essentially states rights or more honestly white supremecy. We should go back and see about folks like Eugene V. Debs and Norman Thomas and other left and right wing third party candidates of the 50 years prior to that. There is only one choice this year...the choice to go with the same old shit or try someone new and non-traditional out. You know what I am talkin about.... LouieB a friend of mine, american but has lived in england for 40 years, is definitely left of center and we discuss politics all the time. she has never once mentioned the green party in europe, so i suspect they're organizational spazzes there, too. i'm going to ask her, though. in '04 we held a few meetings at our place, and about halfway into a meeting i was ready to burn the house down to get them out of here. i think one of the problems is that people active in the party like to consider themselves marginal people, and i get that, but if you aren't willing to let some of it go for the sake of organization -- well, organization isn't going to happen. although many were genuinely committed to some issues, they seemed pretty attached to their self-images as, oh my god, i guess you'd call them "mavericks." hanging on to that notion 100% when you're trying to grow a party gets in the way. the green party mavericks have trouble working as a team, at least here. people rarely knew what anyone else in the party was doing because they were too busy talking nonstop themselves. (keep in mind this is being written by a person who can't stand joining a group of any kind, so who am i to talk!) i almost forgot about john anderson in 1980. i voted for him. in 1992 perot caught our interest for about a week and then we realized he was mostly crazy. voted for nader in 2000, but m. christine, you win a prize for admitting you voted for him in '04 too! here, i'll admit something embarrassing: in 1992 my husband and i were delegates to our state democratic convention for . . . jerry brown. Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Angela Davis ran in '76 - you didn't vote for her? I wonder if viatroy voted the Communist ticket that year. Link to post Share on other sites
Spawn's dad Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Geebus....how freaking old are you? Link to post Share on other sites
sweetheart-mine Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Geebus....how freaking old are you? who? i just turned 154 last week. Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 I have voted in more presidential elections than Analogman but not as many as Lou. Link to post Share on other sites
Spawn's dad Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Yeah, but not in '76. Don't make me count your rings. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 As noted in some other thread, Analogman did not vote for the first time until 1992. Analogman is rather fond of President Clinton, and the democratic candidates that followed him. Link to post Share on other sites
Spawn's dad Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 I could probably dig up the newspaper photo of my third grade glass dressed up in the bicentenial clothes we made out of fabric from my dad's company. Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 What are you trying to say? Link to post Share on other sites
Spawn's dad Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 coupla things, I suppose. Link to post Share on other sites
viatroy Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 I didn't vote for Angela, but I rocked her 'fro for many years. That was my first election. I admit that, as left as I lean, I've always gone for the Dems because they were the only option to defeat the Republicans. I'd like to see a third party I could stomach actually get their shit together enough to be a contender. Until then, I will continue to vote hard against Republicans. And that means voting Democratic. Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 During the 1988 election, I was a first grader, and every class at my elementary school voted on who they thought should be President. I gave an impassioned speech in favor of Dukakis, and apparently it worked, because my class was the only class in the whole school that didn't vote for Bush. This will be my third time actually voting for President. Link to post Share on other sites
John Smith Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 My daughter told me about a discussion she had with one of her friends. She asked the girl why she would not vote for Obama and the girl said flat out I don't like black people. My daughter said that's making a decision because your a racist then. The other kid replied no I'm not racist I just don't like black people (or mexicans for that matter). My kid asked her if she hated her sister who is 50/50. The other kid could not comprehend that her sister was black. Very interesting stupid stuff from hs freshmen. Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 My 7th grade daughter's jr high school had a mock election yesterday. Obama: 247McCain: 17 Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 I have voted in more presidential elections than Analogman but not as many as Lou.Actually we have voted in the same number I suspect. You missed my discussions with the youngbloods earlier this year about how I didn't vote as a youth because I felt voting wouldn't change anything (anarchist sentiment) so my first vote was 76 for Carter because the president of my local union suggested it might be a good idea. (was heavily into trade unionism in those years...). Also the voting age was 21 when I was 18 otherwise I could have voted in the 68 election. No longer to I advocate NOT voting (age does change one...) and if anyone reads my comments above, clearly I think this is the election to NOT sit out.... I didn't vote for Angela, but I rocked her 'fro for many years.I went to school with Angela's brother....not the sharpest tack in the box.....(I do believe Angela's fro was a wig....) LouieB Link to post Share on other sites
viatroy Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 My electoral prediction depends on MO! Without MO, it's a tie. Project your own electoral vote Just to be on the conservative side, I'm giving McCain OH, VA, FL, NC, NV and NH -- but not Missouri! If I turn NH blue, it's a tie. Link to post Share on other sites
austrya Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Nickelodeon did a "kids pick the president" thing and Obama won there. Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 My 7th grade daughter's jr high school had a mock election yesterday. Obama: 247McCain: 17 Gary Hart(pence) won in a landslide in my 6th grade mock election. Link to post Share on other sites
moxiebean Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Gary Hart(pence) won in a landslide in my 6th grade mock election.Nixon won in a landslide in my 3rd grade mock election. I was assigned to mark the McGovern votes on the chalkboard, so I didn't really have much to do. (BTW I voted for Nixon) Link to post Share on other sites
JUDE Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 So it seems that Obama has a lock on the elusive K-12 demographic. Link to post Share on other sites
watch me fall Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 So it seems that Obama has a lock on the elusive K-12 demographic. Not here he doesn't. Link to post Share on other sites
Central Scrutinizer Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 "How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative" http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/22/rig...tion/index.html Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 So it seems that Obama has a lock on the elusive K-12 demographic.Sarah attends an urban school which is Charlie Parker's alma mater. I'm sure it's an anomoly. The KC suburbs are chock full of Evangelical Republicans. Link to post Share on other sites
Spawn's dad Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Spawn (despite being pro Obama soup to nuts) dreamt last night that McCain won. Guess I should take away his Wilco albums. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts