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www.salon.com

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently made headlines for calling perennial Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein “predatory” and “not serious.” AOC is right.

Giving voters more choices is a good thing for democracy. But third-party politics isn’t performance art. It’s hard work — which Stein is not doing. As AOC observed: “[When] all you do is show up once every four years to speak to people who are justifiably pissed off, but you’re just showing up once every four years to do that, you’re not serious.”

To be clear: AOC was not critiquing third parties as a whole, or the idea that we need more choices in our democracy. In fact, AOC specifically cited the Working Families Party as an example of an effective third party. The organization I lead, MoveOn, supports their 365-day-a-year efforts to build power for a pro-voter, multi-party system. And I understand third parties’ power to activate voters hungry for alternatives: I myself volunteered for Ralph Nader in 2000, and that experience helped shape my lifelong commitment to people-first politics.

Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

  • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
    2·
    3 months ago

    Such hostility for having thoughtful views, no wonder America is in this position. I’m voting for Harris, as a pragmatist. But I will not demean others for not voting for a genocide or voting third party. That is their right in a democracy. I’m simply pointing out that the choices we have been given are not going to change until we choose to step outside the paradigm. How can a third party that everyone seems to want develop, unless people choose to support it?

    • Soup@lemmy.cafeEnglish
      1·
      3 months ago

      Fair enough, but as I said in the beginning- if the Green Party wants to be taken seriously- they need it offer up better options than a few clowns that show up every four years to spoil elections.

      Stein and West are useless three years of every four. And you know this.

      So stop offering up a non-point of choice when it’s proven that it only hurts our chances to save democracy.

      And:

      I will not demean others for not voting for a genocide

      I never once “demeaned” anyone for not voting for a genocide. This is fucking stupid. So… Nice try playing the victim card. This is why I can’t take you seriously.

      • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
        2·
        3 months ago

        “It’s never the right time,”, cries liberalism.

        It’s all well and good to recognize the structural constraints imposed by America’s political system, and the difficulty of passing major reforms in the face of organized opposition. But for too many of America’s leading liberal politicians, “realism” has become an identity unto itself, unmoored from any programmatic orientation toward the future or sustained effort to bring about significant change.

        • Soup@lemmy.cafeEnglish
          1·
          3 months ago

          The fact that you think an op-ed piece is relevant to this discussion shows how you lack the maturity to even be a part of it.

          The Green Party is pointless. And the fact that it remains so even with people like you trying to prop it up- exemplifies that.

          We’re done here.

                • Soup@lemmy.cafeEnglish
                  1·
                  3 months ago

                  It’s funny how you accuse liberals of everything you can throw at them, call them names, and insult them on the regular- then switch at all to being a victim when it serves to make you appear to be on the high road.

                  I hope you don’t think anyone buys it.

                  • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
                    2·
                    3 months ago

                    I’m not a victim. Just as flawed as everyone else. I do fall into emotional reactionary patterns. But I try to be aware of it, and learn. I don’t hate individuals, just the ideology.