Recently I was criticized for being open about my support for Julian Hatch for U.S. Senate because I was “wasting my time”. Then I was criticized for saying nice things about Pete Ashdown in the recent blogswarm with insinuations that because I said nice things about him I was defacto a supporter of the democratic party, when in fact I was being “gracious”, as a friend, also a green, recently told me about my remarks. The last I checked, our constitution still gives me the right to say nice things about people regardless of what political party they align themselves with, although our constitutional rights are coming more and more into question, no thanks to the Republicans and the sellout Democratic Party (see my disclaimers in the lower left side bar). So does this mean that if I say nice things about members of my family, who are (sadly) Republican and some of the most life-loving people I know, that I support the Republican Party?
Nonsense.
FOR THE RECORD
Disclaimer: I support Green Candidates only. During this election cycle, 2006, I support:
Julian Hatch for U.S. Senate
Tom King, Utah State House District #43
Deanna L. “Dee” Taylor, Salt Lake County Council, District 5
Chuck Tripp, Salt Lake County Council at Large
Kathy Dopp, Summit County Clerk
I am sad to say that there are people in all political parties who criticize anyone who openly says anything positive about a candidate or member of another political party, maintaining a “holier-than-thou” attitude – including some in the Green Party. Not befitting of a green, in my opinion.
FOR THE RECORD
While I feel there are individual people who align themselves with the Democratic Party who really lean more towards Green values, do good things for people, and are “great” people, the Democratic Party as a whole is a sellout (and why these folks cling to the Dems is a mystery to me). Folks who align themselves with the Democratic Party are living a dream, in my opinion. If you browse through posts I have made over the last year, you can see my comments to this effect, subtly and openly.
Sometimes actions speak louder than words. Words can be twisted and manipulated. Actions, on the other hand are more difficult to misinterpret. I have acted on a lot of things but one example I highlight is my participation in a sit-in in Rep Jim Matheson’s Office (D-Utah), just days before the Iraq invasion, who had signed on to the War Powers Act, granting George W. Bush the authority to declare war on Iraq. In a last ditch effort to try to prevent that war from happening, I and 24 other people refused to leave his office all day. The demand was simple: Rescind his signature and support on the War Powers Act. At the end of the day 10 folks were arrested for refusing the leave after office hours when Matheson refused to comply. One week later the same group of us participated in a blockade of the Salt Lake Federal Building doors which again resulted in 10 arrests. It was made widely known locally and nationally that I and everyone else who participated in those actions, considered Rep Matheson and his democractic colleagues to have been sold out. Much remains the same today and I still consider it the case that Democrats as a whole refuse to stand up for what is right, instead caving in to the desires of the corporations which control everything else, including the influence over making policy. Those that say we need to stay in Iraq, or it is up to the Iraqi people as to what the U.S. does are not being firm in the message that the U.S. needs to immedidately withdraw. Period. No exceptions.
Here is the REAL difference between Greens and the other parties:
|
Issue |
Green Party |
Republicans |
Democrats |
| Invasion and Occupation of Iraq |
Oppose | Support | Support |
| Patriot Act | Oppose | Support | Support |
| Invasion of Afghanistan |
Oppose | Supported | Supported |
| Kosovo War | Opposed | Supported | Supported |
| Military Budget | Reduce | Increase | Increase |
| Israeli Occupation of West Bank and Gaza. |
Oppose | Support | Support |
| Global Warming – Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions |
Support | Oppose | Oppose and Failed to Act. |
| Right to Choose | Support | Oppose | Support (?) |
| National Health Insurance |
Support single-payer national health insurance |
Oppose | Oppose |
| Clean Water | Support | Oppose | Weak Support |
| Death Penalty | Oppose | Support | Support |
| Labor: Wages and Unions |
Support | Oppose Workers | Minimal Support |
| (Global) Corporate Power Trade Agreements and Institutions (NAFTA, FTAA, CAFTA, WTO) |
Restrict | Expand | Expand |
| Real Campaign Finance Reform & Publicly Financed Elections |
Support | Oppose | Oppose |
| Electoral Reforms & Democracy |
Support | Oppose | Oppose |
| 2000 Florida Election – Congressional Investigation |
Support | Oppose |
Oppose |
| Reform the Presidential Debate Commission |
Support | Oppose | Oppose |
| Strict Standards on GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) |
Support | Oppose | Oppose |
| Corporate Agriculture |
Oppose | Support | Support |
| Drug War | Oppose | Support | Support |
| Telecommunications Deregulation – Giveaway of public broadcast spectrum to private companies. |
Opposed to Deregulation |
Supported | Supported |
| Bank Deregulation and Banking Reform |
Opposed to bank deregulation. |
Supported bank deregulation. |
Supported bank deregulation. |
| Increased Accounting Oversight  |
Always Supported |
Oppose |
Opposed until the Enron scandal broke. |
| Other issues on which most Republicans and most Democrats agree — and Greens disagree |
Plan Colombia The bombing of Iraqi civilians Powerful agribusiness lobbies instead of family farms |
||
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 
Libertarians
As a useful exercise you may want to include Libertarian positions on your table. I think you and your readers might find it informative. Keep up the good work.
Criticized?
Dee, you are wasting your time with Julian Hatch. All he will end up doing is pull votes from a great Democratic candidate, and thus help the Republicans reelect Borin Orrin. As far as having an “Holier-than-thou” attitude, it seems to me that is what I run into anytime I speak with people from the Green Party.
Green’s would have a better chance by getting involved with the Democratic Party, and by helping to build policy in that Party. But as of yet, Greens seem like whiners who are simply an extension of the Republican Party, due to the fact that in the end, it was the Greens who cost Al Gore the election and gave us George W. Bush. I respect you values, and ideas. What I cannot respect is the outcome. By comiing together we can make real change. By working together we can make change. Working apart only helps the majority Republicans who will never see or care about Green issues.
I thought it was cool that you said nice things about Pete. If I had ever met Julian, or if he had attended one event where other candidates attended than maybe I could say that he is a real candidate. The mistake people make over and over again comes from speaking only to those who already share their opinion. Julian may have your Party’s support, but that it, and as we all know, that will get you nowhere fast.
Peace, Love, and Best Wishes.
El Critical One
Re: Criticized?
A lot of Greens used to be Dems but found out that they were pretty ineffective in a party that has sold out to big-monied interests. As the Dems continue to shift to the right, more and more are defecting to the Greens.
Pete’s a great guy and one of the few good Dems.
The two-party system is going to continue to drive voters away from the polls. I know, because I was almost one of them. If Ralph Nader hadn’t run in 2000, I wouldn’t have voted. Al Gore didn’t steal my vote, he failed to earn it. Same with Kerry.
Dems will always use the scare tactic that not voting for their candidate means a vote for the Republican, but they’ve failed for the most part to have candidates that are truly an alternative to the Republicans (see chart above). On issues that they’ve generally been progressive on like reproductive choice, we now see many Dems flirting with the anti-choice side. This is despite all the work of progressive Dems within the party. The only way to get the Dems to change is to give them an incentive to change. The possibilty of losing to Greens is one possible incentive.
Re: Criticized?
Dear El:
A lot of folks think like you do – that Greens’ votes were/are “spoilers”, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Greens did not cost Al Gore the presidential election – A whole host of others did. Please read my blog post Who Really Spoiled the 2000 Elections?.
Julian Hatch represents and works for the Key Values:
Grassroots Democracy
Social Justice
Ecological Wisdom
Non-violence
Decentralization
Community-based
Economics
Feminism
Diversity
Responsibility
Future Focus
Julian Hatch will never work with the Democrats because the Democrats are sold out to the large corporations, not much different from the Republicans.
In addition to demanding an immediate withdrawl of troops from Iraq, which only Greens appear to have the courage to demand, Julian Hatch also supports issues like:
· Affordable Health Care Reform
· Pro-choice position not allowing our bodies to be controlled by the government
· Reform the corporate tax code.
· Provide a simple and fair tax system for all citizens.
· Introduce and pass comprehensive Utah BLM and FS Wilderness Bills within three years.
I do believe we can work together – on the issues that support the values of the Green Party listed above. Sooner or later Democrats – and perhaps even Republicans – will realize that some of the things they support are actually the Green Party’s values and will make the decision, finally, to effect a change by joining the Greens….not the other way around.
Re: Criticized?
Just watch, not one green candidate will get elected. Ya, I’ll become a Green. Not!
DJ Johnston
Re: Criticized?
The reality in Utah is that you are probably correct. However, voting Green is investing your vote in the growth of the party. Across the nation close to 300 Greens are holding office. It could happen in Utah one day, too.
Vote Green to help build a better alternative.
Re: Criticized?
Green Jenni says: “A lot of Greens used to be Dems but found out that they were pretty ineffective in a party that has sold out to big-monied interests. As the Dems continue to shift to the right, more and more are defecting to the Greens.
Pete’s a great guy and one of the few good Dems.”
Big-monied interests? In Utah? You must be smoking the green. It is also obvious that more and more Greens are coming back to a Utah Democratic Party, a entity that is coming back to the people.
I also take issue with your comment that Pete is one of the few good Dems. Once again I say your high! The Democrats are an inspiration on Capitol Hill. Pete is great , but he is only one of many great Democrats who are rebuilding a party for the people. Open your eyes and go meet with Dem Party officials, go meet with their elected servants. You might find that you don’t agree on every issue, but your unwillingness to see the truth that the Democrats in Utah are mostly pretty great people proves that you really don’t know them.
I would never say that Green Jen is one of the few good Green people out there, that would be an uninformed, unfair, and is in fact dishonest.
Re: Criticized?
“Big-monied interests? In Utah? You must be smoking the green.”
FYI: I don’t smoke nuthin’- green or otherwise.
Was I just talking about Utah? I wasn’t aware that I was. My conversion from Dem to Green began with Bill Clinton.
Locally things aren’t quite as bad as the 90s with the exception of Jim Matheson. His record (includes voting to restrict a woman’s choice, for the Iraq War) you can see more of his record at http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=MUT95447
I love (and have voted or would vote for) some of the local Dems like Mayor Anderson, Scott McCoy, David Litvack, Ralph Becker, Jackie Biskupski . . .
Even as Green I don’t believe in voting straight party as I explained quite extensively here: http://green-jenni.livejournal.com/96966.html
I believe in the following values, how many Dems would work for these, even if it meant they might not get elected? A few Dems would, nearly all Greens would:
1. Grassroots Democracy (this would mean giving up some power, even some Dems would balk at this).
2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
3. Ecological Wisdom (this means Dems would have to put strict regulations on big businesses that pollute, regardless the size of the campaign contribution.)
4. Non-Violence (this means ending the war AND occupation of Iraq, not just now that it’s becoming unpopular, but should have happened before it began. How many Dems in congress voted to give Bush war powers? Kerry and Dean were pro-occupation. The Dems had a couple of pro-peace candidates but the party leaned toward the centrist ones.)
5. Decentralization
6. Community-Based Economics and Economic Justice
7. Feminism and Gender Equity (this also means defending a woman’s right to control her body, something that many Dems are retreating on. This also includes Gay Rights)
8. Respect for Diversity (Dems have been doing better on this in the last 50 or 60 years, but historically have a very bad record)
9. Personal and Global Responsibility
10. Future Focus and Sustainability
I’m also concerned about my privacy and right to free speech. How many Dems voted for the Patriot Act?
Additional
Spank the Donkey does a pretty good job of explaining what happened to the Dems with even more good info here http://citypages.com/databank/23/1147/article10891.asp:
What happened to the Democratic party?
“You could say that times changed and the party changed with them, and you would be right so far as it goes. But it had nothing to do with the sentiments of the people. The party’s right turn was a move conceived from within and designed to make the Democrats a more appealing vehicle for major private and corporate donors. This past election notwithstanding, the strategy has been an enormous success. Cash receipts have grown mightily. The business wing of the party has generated a president who became the first Democrat since FDR to win re-election to the White House, and missed electing his successor by a handful of votes (one vote, really, in the Supreme Court). The business Democrats’ hold on the national party apparatus is complete.
Additional 2
How many Dems stood with Feingold in his censure of Bush?
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0322-09.htm
73 Democrats Side with Credit Card Industry Over Consumers
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0415-09.htm
162 House Democrats Vote to Give Bush $81 Billion More for Iraq War
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0316-11.htm
Democrats Eye Softer Image on Abortion
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1219-03.htm
Pro War Vote May Haunt Democrats http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1017-07.htm
Cindy Sheehan takes on Democrats, Hillary Clinton
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0921-09.htm
Democrats’ Platform Shouldn’t Back Gay Marriage, Kerry Says
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0506-05.htm
15 Democrat Sell-Outs Who Passed CAFTA
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0728-21.htm