Green strategy, “Negotiate, don’t capitulate?”
David Marin (California Green Party County Council of Contra Costa) emailed PoliZeros with his Green plan for 2004. Negotiate with the Democrats and win concessions if the race looks close and the Dems need Green support.
Read about it here. It’s well thought out, and certainly doable – if consensus could be reached and a negotiator up to the task could be found. However, consensus on something this controversial would be, um, difficult to get from the notoriously decentralized and proud of it Green Party. But yes, Greens should be thinking about forcing concessions from the Dems, should the opportunity arise. But first they need a viable candidate.
Many such plans are being floated in advance of the Green Party National Convention later this month, where a candidate may or may not be chosen, or an endorsement may or may not be given. Got that? The choices are 1) nominate David Cobb, a nonentity who represents the right flank of the party and loathes Nader, 2) endorse Nader, nominate no one, 3) endorse no one, nominate no one.
The party is deeply split on these choices, and many see a bad moon rising. Unlike Democrats or Republicans who might have a bitter convention but then come together and unite for the candidate, no one thinks Greens will unite, regardless of what the final decision at the convention is.