( – promoted by buhdydharma )
In my previous entry, I posted about Green Party candidates who are running for political office in Ohio. Before proceeding to the topic of this entry, I want to point out that a non-Democrat left-winger is running for U.S. Senate in Ohio. His name is Dan La Botz, and he is running as a member of the Socialist Party of Ohio. His web site is here.
Committee to Elect Dan La Botz
P.O.B. 19136
Cincinnati, OH 45210-9998
Rossl has, in his turn, posted about three Green Party U.S. Senate candidates who stand a real chance of doing well this year and who can certainly use your help to pull off wins or, failing those, enough of a showing to send a clear message where voters want Democrats to go. I should also point out that John Gray is running for U.S. Senate in Arkansas, and has a chance of winning as well.
http://www.johngrayforussenate…
John L. Gray
Candidate for U.S. Senate
P. O. Box 434
Greenland, AR 72737
Now to the topic at hand. Although the Green Party is arguably the largest political party in the nation behind the Democrats and Republicans, it is by no means the only one – or necessarily the most successful. This is not to dishonestly suggest that the organization doesn’t exist, or that it isn’t doing the work required to gain ballot access and challenge the duopoly. It is simply that it takes years, sometimes decades, to build a successful ‘third’ party. Results won’t happen overnight, as some unrealistically demand, but they will be achieved.
No, the most successful ‘third’ party in the United States right now is arguably the Progressive Party of Vermont. A glance at their page of elected officials reveals local seats, including the mayoralty of Burlington and at least two city councilpeople, five state representatives, and one state senator. They’ve also run candidates for governor, and count U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders as an affiliate in that legislative body, though Sanders is technically a self-proclaimed Socialist.
This year, Progressives are running even more candidates for the statehouse in Vermont, including former gubernatorial candidate Anthony Pollina.
These victories by Progressives did not take place overnight. According to the party’s web site, it reformed in 1982 to help Bernie Sanders get elected mayor of Burlington. They’ve employed very smart strategies and tactics for getting their candidates elected, and it helps that Vermont has more open ballot access laws than most other states.
The Progressive Party also exists in states including Washington, Missouri (as an offshoot of the Green Party), and Oregon, with candidates running for office this year in those areas.
Progressives and Greens have been in America for decades now, and the former will celebrate its hundredth anniversary in 2012. There’s no legitimately denying that these organizations, though still smaller than the two establishment political parties, are doing the work necessary to change American politics for the better. We’re here, we’re organizing, we’re fighting, and we’re not going away. Those of you who want to hold Democrats accountable and force them to move leftward should may wish to consider lending your energy to help these parties win.
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