Daily Kos

View Story | 41 comments

  •  WFP is one thing, Green is quite another (4+ / 0-)

    especially with what's been happening in PA.

    The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

    by sidnora on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 05:37:24 PM PDT

    [ Parent ]

    •  Well now. . . (2+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      davybaby, Bouwerie Boy

      we seem to have established a pretty clear standard in Connecticut -- we expected both Lieberman and Lamont to pledge, absolutely, to abide by the results of the Democratic primary and support the winner.  If we apply the same standards here in New York, third party runs would be completely forbidden and no dKosser would allow themselves to support, in the primary, anyone who had not pledged to forego a third party run in the general.

      John McCain, you are _not_ my friend.

      by LarryInNYC on Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 06:01:45 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  I understand your point (1+ / 0-)

        Recommended by:
        DemocracyLover in NYC

        and in a world of perfect consistency you'd be perfectly right.

        But the point I was trying to make is that the motives of the parties in question matter, too.

        Third parties wouldn't exist at all if they merely served as extra ballot lines for major-party candidates. WFP has historically been somewhat to the left of the corruption-plagued Brooklyn Democratic Party, and certainly more reformist in nature, so it has sometimes served as a platform for the kind of candidates Kossacks like, while the Democratic line was occupied by a minion of the corrupt and jailed Clarence Norman (former head of the Brooklyn Dem org.). It has other aims, and its own factions, and therefore its endorsements do not always please me - for instance, this year they have endorsed Hakeem Jeffries over Bill Batson, whom I support, and have made no endorsement in NY-11 due to an internal split. But often they and the reformist wing of the local Dems are in agreement, not only on candidates, but, more importantly, on our ultimate goals.

        Those of us who care are also working hard on reforming the local Democratic Party; if we are successful (a tall order, and it's not going to happen overnight), we might see WFP lose support to the Dems, who would then be far better able to accomplish the same goals.

        The Greens, on the other hand, have a national organization and strategy that should trouble anyone who thinks of themselves as a Democrat.

        The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

        by sidnora on Sun Aug 20, 2006 at 04:03:20 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

View Story | 41 comments