Georgia voters are likely to be able to choose from five candidates for president after Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Thursday put Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz back on the ballot. Raffensperger, an elected Republican, overruled findings made last week by an administrative law judge that removed West and De la Cruz. West is running as an independent.
is that the party, though? or is that loosely-aligned people who see value in the “green” label. I imagine CA has a robust state-level party, considering their success there. But that’s not translating to national gains.
as to why Stein, De la Cruz, or West are running… I don’t really know. I also don’t really believe what they say when they give their reasons. Maybe they’re trolling for donations? or maybe they like the attention? or, of course, they’re deluded into thinking there is a chance where there is none.
Bernie is an exceptional candidate, and it’s perhaps unfair to compare them to him… but he’s done more good, and more to shift policy towards the left than all three of them combined. Is it as glamorous as a presidential run? far from. But it’s more useful.
which brings us back to:
Well, they are running under the Green Party label, so yeah, that counts at the party.
Or maybe they want to make a difference and standing up for what is right. Even against the odds. I’m no fan of West, so I can’t speak to his convictions, but Stein and De la Cruz seem genuine to me.
I agree. I would have voted for Bernie as well.
but with virtually zero party support.
Shouting into the void might feel good and feel like standing up for something. and it accomplishes about as much. I would take a centrist like Angus King over them any day because he’s at least got an understanding of what can be done and where. If Stein and De La Cruz are genuine … I’m not sure that’s any better, to be honest. A presidential campaign is not a good vehicle for encouraging social change. Either run for office where you can push that change and improve lives, or protest outside of it.
But don’t tell me they’re changing discourse somehow. The needle hasn’t move. has never moved. at least not because of the campaigns.
They had green party support.
Stein and De La Cruz might not win, but they do play a crucial role in pushing the political conversation by highlighting issues that the major parties prefer to avoid. Their campaigns can bring attention to important topics like climate change, healthcare reform, and income inequality, which forces the mainstream candidates to address these issues to avoid losing votes.
While it might seem like the needle hasn’t moved, the presence of third-party candidates has historically influenced the platforms of major parties, as we’ve seen with issues like minimum wage increases and environmental policies.
Running for office at any level—whether local, state, or national—contributes to the broader fight for social change by challenging the entrenched two-party system and advocating for alternative solutions.
When was that?
Minimum wage has been $7.25/hr since 2009.