cwelsch
Jr. Member
Posts: 677
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« on: September 19, 2004, 07:34:24 PM » |
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Libertarians, but then I am one.
The Greens will never do much more than left-protest vote and city council wins. Their voters are mostly Democrats who are really left, and whenever the Republican has a good chance of winning or the Democrat is even relatively left, tons of the Green base will run home to the DNC.
The Greens won't become an independent force until there is a wedge issue between them and the Democrats - and enough voters are on the Green side. Slavery, temperance/prohibition, free silver, abortion, war, these are potential and past wedge issues. Unless something keeps the left from supporting Democrats in a tight spot, the Greens are screwed.
The Libertarians have a relatively independent base and secure ballot access in almost any state. They also suffer from wedge problems, but there's enough ideological differentiation that the LP is not just GOP-extrta strength. The LP does need a good wedge issue to keep it apart from the GOP, but it's already got consistent (low-level) support in most states. Libertarian candidates in almost any state can usually get 0.5% or 1% in statewide elections, and it's fairly common to get 2 or 3 percent. That's not a powerhouse, but it's a start.
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