Listening to news reports early this morning on the failed and ineptly engineered attempts in the U.S. Senate to push through energy legislation that looked meaningfully toward the future, I shook my head as I drove my VW TDI diesel into town. So often it seems like our country has two major political parties - the We Fuck Up EVERYTHING We Put Our Hands On! Party (The GOP), and the Enablers of the We Fuck Up EVERYTHING We Put Our Hands On! Party (The Democrats).These past seven years of devastation of public comity, and respect for basic rule of law, by the Bush administration have clearly shown major differences between Bush's hegemony over the GOP, and the basic ideals of the Democratic Party. You know what I mean.
But this past eleven months since the Democrats have had control of Congress have shown us a leadership of the Democrats that fails time and again to push a progressive agenda past the point of being able to say to the folks back home "We tried, but the nefarious Republicans stymied us." Again, you know what I mean.
Every day, at blogs like DailyKos or firedoglake or atrios, you can read hundreds of comments by committed progressives who are so fed up by this they ask "why not go out and start our OWN party?" Or express some similar thought.
I usually write back, if I'm in the mood or it is somebody I know, saying, "We tried that with the Green Party. It didn't work."
It didn't. But we tried. When the Green Party USA and Green Party of Alaska started, it was because the original members were sick and tired of year after year of the growth of corporate influence over politics. Most ideas put forth long ago by prominent Greens in the lower 48 and Alaska are now part of the platforms of any progressive Democrat. But, even with that progress on the individual candidate level, many longtime Democrats seem to hate those who wanted something better, for having abandoned something early Greens saw as corrupt.
If I had a quarter for every time I've read a comment somewhere about how Ralph Nader cost the Democrats the 2000 election, I'd be a millonaire. But the reality of Florida 2000 is that Al Gore won that state. If he had gotten himself a legal team half as good as the prosecutors of OJ Simpson, he'd be winding down his second term now, instead of picking up statuettes and prizes.
Locally, the most irrational examples of Green Hatred Disorder, are statements that diss Diane Benson because she briefly left the Democratic Party to run as a Green Party candidate. Therefore, so goes the meme, she isn't good enough to run as a Dem against solid candidates who never left the fold. That argument just doesn't hold any truth.
Benson was a solid Democrat when the Sheffield administration scandals unfolded. She was still a Democrat when the Exxon Valdez scraped its guts out over Bligh Reef. She was a Democrat when Tony Knowles put Bill Allen in a prominent position on his gubernatorial transition team. She watched over the years, as our state's Democratic leadership were too often enablers of the Corrupt Bastard Club.
Democrats who are hostile to ex-Greens and current Greens are helping assure the continued decline of their party in Alaska. Young people, Veterans and seniors identify more strongly with stances currently taken by the Green Party of Alaska than with any information one might find on Ethan Berkowitz's issue-free campaign page, for instance. Young people, especially, want to see the corrupt corporate paradigm thrown aside, not tinkered with and tweaked.
Tony Knowles only became governor through incredibly inept gubernatorial campaigns by the Republicans. He couldn't even win a three-way race against a Republican AND a quasi-Republican this past election. The last time a real Democrat, willing to stand up to big oil, won statewide office without the GOP shooting themselves in the foot was when? 1974?
If Democrats don't build a bigger, younger, more open, more forward-looking, less oil-enthralled party over the next ten or eleven months, even Lyda Green will be able to take Don Young's place.
one of my artichokes from last summer
16 comments:
Be of good cheer while creating a long term body of work that reflects your values and accomplishes your goals. The hatred you write of is a reaction to change, a change we know is coming. I am a lifelong Democrat. My grandfather was born in 1881, and grew up working the clay mines and railroads of eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. He was a fire-breathing Democrat of the John L. Lewis variety, who fought for railroad labor unions when the outcome was determined by clubs, guns, and the survivors. He was proud to retire on a union pension in 1946, a pension that was not available when he was a young man. There was man who saw change and lived it. He lived through horrible administrations, like those of Coolidge and Hoover, and paid the price in the Great Depression. You stand on the shoulders of those old Democrats. Be patient and persistent beyond hope, and keep bringing your values to party, just like you are doing in this blog. Change washes over us in fits and starts, and when it does come, you will find yourself wishing it was slower.
polarbear,
I am NOT leaving the Dems, no matter how screwed up the party leadership is. But, if we don't fix it soon, we won't get our chance again, perhaps ever.
My grandfather was a 1000% Democrat, too. A Chicago Democrat, which might have been a different critter altogether, though.
Hey Phil, this is really turning into an important source of information. Thanks for all the work you're doing.
The problem with the oil industry, Phil, is that blue collar folks see oil development as a source of jobs, just like they see roads to nowhere as a source of jobs.
This is especially true for the construction trade workers, who will support foolish roads to nowhere simply because they mean lots of overtime for union members.
Bill Egan was wary of Big Oil, but knew that his support base wanted those oilfield & pipeline jobs.
I'm very concerned about the environmental effects of development, but I long ago learned that I need to be able to get beyond those issues when it comes to Party politics, especially when it comes to getting Democrats elected to the US House & Senate.
Conservation issues are not the only ones I'm concerned about, and I'd rather support a Democrat even if he supports opening ANWR than support a Green who stands zilch chance of getting more than 10% of the vote, as long as I know that the Democrat will support civil rights, women's right to choose, reversing Bush's regressive tax breaks for the rich, getting our troops out of Iraq, and the lifetime appointment of right wingnut Federalist Society judges to the Federal bench, including the Supreme Court.
Quite frankly, I'm not happy with any of the candidates running for the Dem presidential nomination. The only ones that have positions that are close to mine are Edwards, who has now crippled himself by limiting his financing, and Kuchinich, who seems hell-bent on annoying anyone would would like to help him and has an idiotic strategy that avoids Iowa, and whose past right-to-life positions guarantee a lack of support from Democratic female voters in the general election. Unfortunately we no longer have Paul Wellstone when we really need him.
I voted for the Greens every chance I could. I was always struck with the honesty of the Green candidates. Well it was always Jim Sykes and he never seemed to be pandering or maybe he was just pandering to me.
But notice the past tense. I will give the Dems a try again. I do think that there is a great opportunity for progressive folks to gain (regain) some power locally. But I feel that the Democrats are still running towards the "middle", meaning Republican Lite.
I am still going to vote for the lite product even though it hurts a little, but hell I may even vote for candidate that wins this time.
Be very careful that you don't go too far left (or right(fat chance))-remember it's us folks in the middle who elect most members of our government - and right now we are DIDGUSTED with the far right.
freshwrestler,
Yeah, I know the feeling. On election night last November (2006, that is), I was down at election central in the Egan Center. Carl Gatto walked up to me, and I said "Well, at least SOMEBODY I voted for won."
There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos
Jim Hightower
boy hit the nail on the head with this one Phil... Ya I'm tired of changing Party's and when I Look at my voter changes its a little embarrising. But its life, just have to vote for the person who will hurt you the least and if your really lucky someone that you can trust...
BOSSA
I was a co-founder of the AK GP, co-founded the GP of another state and was on its Council for years and served as a delegate on the National Committee of the GP US for years.
I was unwilling, however, to continue to do so because the party was essentially taken over by a cultist faction with its apparent base in the International Socialist Organization, calling itself "Greens for Democracy and Independence."
Those fanatics seemed less interested in bringing about social, economic and environmental change than they were in taking over the GP US for undefined ends. They seemed to prefer having 100% of nothing than 50% of something. I have never seen such a bunch of time-wasters in my life.
As a result of the perennial infighting, they contributed little or nothing to the AK GP when it most needed it. GDI drove away its most respected leaders, such as Medea Benjamin.
I don't think their current hegemony in the GP US can be reversed as the remaining decent leadership in the GP US was ill-equipped and unprepared to deal with these fanatics. They brought feather pillows to a gunfight.
I voted for Nader in 1996 and 2000 in Alaska. I contributed more to his campaign in one state in 2000 than any other individual. But I think that the future of the GP US is hopeless and don't believe the Alaska party, despite its long time dedicated activists, can survive.
All that remains for progressives, I believe, is to push the Democratic party toward more progressive positions, until and unless the opportunity for another viable progressive movement presents itself.
to Harpboyak,
Please check out the Rating that NARAL has given Dennis Kucinich.
NARAL Pro-Choice America's Congressional Record on Choice.
http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/
elections/statements/kucinich.html
I hope I didn't screw up! A friend called me today, saying "Don't give Lyda any ideas!!!"
I signed up as a Green when I first moved back to Alaska, in 1994. I've remained a Green ever since. It's a way of stating my ideals that the Democrats simply don't provide. I was a delegate for two years to the national committee of the Green party, and saw a lot o silly infighting. But guess what? the Democrats do it too, and so do the Republicans. So do the Libertarians, and API, and any political body. I still got a lot done. I worked hard, and so did others, and the Green party is still growing. It's not a powerful force yet, and if a fruitcake is running on the Green ticket, I won't vote for him or her. But I won't vote for a fruitcake or someone who has bad ideas or is ineffectual no matter what party they belong to. If I like the Democrat, or the Moderate Republican, or the Republican, or the Libertarian, I'll vote for them. But my party affiliation and my party work belongs to the Green Party, because it's the ONLY party that espouses what I think makes for a good and just society. The Democrats come close to it, on occasion, but they leave out some important aspects.
I have a lot of respect for the Green Party's views and positions on important issues. On the other hand, it seems that many of the Greens are a bit "holier-than-thou" -- it makes me wonder if I'm good enough to vote for them. Jim Sykes, for example was (is?) a good clear-headed thinker -- but his patronizing attitude and style was a real turn-off.
With respect to Ms. Benson, I think a lot of Democrats were upset with her candidacy as a Green when she challenged the most qualified Democratic candidate for Governor that we have ever had -- Fran Ulmer.
As I recall that campaign, Ms. Ulmer was the most credible and capable spokesperson for our agenda that could be found -- it seemed to me that Ms. Benson's candidacy was simply an ego trip, lacking coherent positions on issues of importance. If her flirtation had cost Fran the election, it would have been unforgiveable.
That said, I highly doubt that very many folks still hold her momentary Green experience against her - at least insufficient numbers to cost her the nomination (which seemed to be the subtext of Munger's comments).
alaskavet,
I suppose your picking up a subtext about some voting against Benson in the upcoming primary is valid. But people that orthodox in their political views probably will vote for Berkowitz or J. Metcalfe anyway.
I'm more concerned that Dems aren't welcoming Greens, and doing that openly. If Benson somehow loses to one of the other two challengers in August, Benson and I will both be out there volunteering for the victor.
Alaska Dems don't seem to have anything close to a coherent vision on how they might become a party for Alaska's future, for young people and for those who are in need for one reason or another. All three of the AK-AL seat challengers are liberal on some issues and would be a vast improvement over Young, to say the least. But unless the party gets a lot more imaginative and activist in its approach to attracting more voters, it will continue to shrink, and the House seat will remain in GOP hands.
Generally speaking, my experience with the Interior Democrats has been pretty good. At the state level, at least in the Interior, the local Democrats seem to view the Greens as allies, which is refreshing.
I think the two parties make natural allies, but elsewhere in the country there's the most vicious mudslinging you can imagine. And I STILL run into Democrats who are convinced that the Greens cost Al Gore the election in 2000--never mind that he actually won, that Bush was appointed, and that those 90-odd thousand people purged from the rolls in Florida still mostly have not been reinstated, or, well, never mind, I could get quite upset here. That attitude, despite the facts, is what makes it clear to me that the Green Party is often merely a convenient scapegoat to many otherwise thoughtful people, and that your "Green Hatred Disorder" is just that--an irrational failure to look at the reality of election results.
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