Let’s get some things out of the way right off the bat.
- I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000
- in Massachusetts
- After voting for Bill Bradley in the Democratic Primary
- And Al Gore was trying to be Bill 2.0
- Had Al been more vocally pro-climate he would have had my vote.
- I volunteered for Jill Stein’s campaign
- For Governor of Massachusetts
- When both Democrats and Republicans fought to keep her out of the debate
- I sat next to her at the court case attempting to get her in.
- I’m sad she became anti-vax (or was and I didn’t know it)
- I’m horrified at her more recent Russia connections and no longer support her
- I’ve been to a Cornell West speech
- When he was speaking at Standing Rock
- I’ve read some of his Theology books
- I watched Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden vote for the Iraq War, and saw them do nothing to stop it
- I voted against both in the primaries
- I voted for both in the General
Throughout my adult life I have seen “Mainstream” Democrats time and again dare me to not vote for them as they embraced pro-corporate philosophies. They threaten me every time with the bogeyman Republican instead of speaking to my issues. I have been endlessly chided for voting Green at times as if the Democratic Party owned my vote. While the Republican extremists control their party and forever pull it rightward, the Democrats are constantly trying to convince you that running to the middle somehow energizes people even after time and again it’s shown the Progressive agenda is most in line with the majority of people in the country.
Time and again I hear people bemoan how Democrats don’t message well. Except the only democratic messaging that makes it through corporate media is the pro-corporate message. So of course Democrat messaging sucks when all heart has been sucked out of it to appease Wall Street. The real fire and the good messaging doesn’t get airtime.
The Corporate Media loved Joe Biden for the same reason I was so reticent to support him. He was a lifelong moderate from the Great State of Corporations Delaware. Once in office and he started to govern as a Progressive (I really couldn’t believe it) the Corporate Media looked hard for ways to rip down his favorables. The game is constantly rigged against Progressives.
So why in the world is it so hard to believe that Progressives on occasion look to a different party? When the Democratic Party shits on progressives time and again (Joe Biden’s performance as President being a noticeable exception) why is it so difficult for people to understand why they look elsewhere?
The next time you expect Progressives to vote for your milquetoast moderate Democrats and castigate us for looking elsewhere, please ask yourself when is it the Progressive’s turn for their candidates? Why is it always the Progressives who are being asked to hold their nose and vote for someone they consider a lesser candidate? Have you ever considered that if we put up more progressive Democrats who fought for excellent climate change policies, social justice, thriving wages for everyone, and checking corporate excess you might not need to worry about them voting for the Green Party candidate?
Of course defeating Trump (or whichever fascist becomes the next Republican nominee) is paramount. Those who will vote for Cornell in a swing state are not reachable by your logic anyway. If it wasn’t Cornell, it would be someone else. Hell, those people will write in Santa Claus before voting for Biden. They are not your votes.
I’m going to be supporting Joe Biden for president. I wish he led even more on progressive issues but I must admit he’s been the closest thing to a progressive President we’ve had in a long time. So maybe this is as good as it gets for Progressives and now is our time? An old white guy who was known as a moderate most of his political career forced into progressive governance by the needs of our times. I’ll go with it. I don’t really have a choice.
Sure Cornell West will get some votes, but Joe Biden was never, ever going to get those votes anyway. Those are votes the Democratic Party chased away a long, long time ago. So leave the man alone. And leave the people who vote for him alone. The best way to defeat Cornell West is to pressure Joe Biden to continue to be progressive and let Cornell just fade into the woodwork.