With membership at new lows and no electoral wins to their name, it’s time for the Greens to ditch the malignant narcissist who’s presided over its decline.

“With membership at new lows and no electoral wins to their name, it’s time for the Greens to ditch the malignant narcissist who’s presided over its decline.”

  • DeadWorld@lemm.eeEnglish
    101·
    2 months ago

    Ive been thinking more and more that the only way forward for the green party may just be to pic a few states and focus on local races. Get control over city councils and some mayoralships. Hell, a green caucus in state houses could actually do some good

    • Optional@lemmy.world
      154·
      2 months ago

      The fact that they’re not doing that but just going straight for an unwinnable Presidential election tells you a lot.

    • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      50·
      2 months ago

      Yeah, to be relevant they need to win some elections in large cities and state legislatures. That would be the base necessary to start winning congressional seats and then work up from there. Because the Jill Stein narcissism tour every four years is clearly doing more harm than good.

      And it would be the best thing in the world for the Dems. They need cogent and real opposition and right now they’re just running against crazies - which is important, but doesn’t do much for establishing an agenda. A functional Green Party would actually help pull the Dems back more to the left.

      • shitescalates@midwest.socialEnglish
        22·
        2 months ago

        The best part of running for a state legislature or congressional position is that they could team with democrats to block the GOP, so unlike the presidential election you aren’t voting against your interest for electing a third party.

        • barsquid@lemmy.world
          4·
          2 months ago

          Those races are also FPTP so they do risk the same spoiler effect. Maybe it would do for a deep blue area?

          I’m searching around and something like CA-12 was 90% Biden. Candidates could split that like five or six ways and still not have any danger of a Repub.

          I don’t think there are any state level positions that would accommodate that. Even Vermont is only D+16, so the third party is a larger risk.

          • DeadWorld@lemm.eeEnglish
            12·
            2 months ago

            Seeing the disrepair the Republicans have left the south in, I wonder if there is room to do a grass roots campaign in more red areas with a focus of charity and community service? “We are here to help. No, we are not Dems” might work in Louisiana or Alabama

          • silence7@slrpnk.net
            10·
            2 months ago

            There are some parts of the US where they are not first-past-the-post.

            • Alaska - uses top 4 primary + ranked choice general
            • Maine - uses ranked choice voting
            • California & Washington - use a top-two primary

            The Greens could effectively run in those places, as well as races where the Democrats aren’t running a candidate.

            But when I see them running for local office, they’re basically running to be on the ballot, not mounting a serious effort to win.

      • psvrh@lemmy.ca
        6·
        2 months ago

        You can also vote the Democratic primaries, too.

        That worked out, suprisingly well, for Sanders. Think about how much change you could affect voting for Sanderses at every level.

    • AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.worldEnglish
      35·
      2 months ago

      I remember in the late 90s the Green Party in my district was on a roll, culminating in the election of a member to the California State Assembly (one of the highest posts ever held by the Greens in the US). Then came Nader’s presidential bid and its perceived role in the election of Bush, which permanently crippled the legitimacy of the local party. They’re still doing great work with voter guides, legislative analysis, etc.; but they’ll never escape the shadow of Nader and Stein.

      I think the only viable path for a third party now is to start a new one from scratch, and disavow presidential bids from the outset.

    • isaaclw@lemmy.world
      15·
      2 months ago

      Sam Seder has been saying rhis for a decade at this point.

      Its how you build a political movement.

      • DeadWorld@lemm.eeEnglish
        10·
        2 months ago

        Funny, I just heard him bring it up in a clip. Glad I’m not the oblyone thinking this, means I’m not completely crazy. Could a political party operate a community grocery “store” with campaign funds?

    • Eldritch@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      2 months ago

      If they were a serious political party. But that would require you to believe that they are wildly incompetent and being supported for that incompetence. Rather than they’re doing this intentionally. Not seriously running to win or improve anything. But being a divisive spectacle to destroy solidarity on the left.

    • psvrh@lemmy.ca
      9·
      2 months ago

      This is how the Tea Party and MAGA co-opted the Republicans, and it’s the model progressives should use to move the needle in the Democratic party (and they have, with some success).

      If progressives want to see change, progressives need to vote. In every election. General or primary.