Monday, September 20, 2004

How to Win Enemies and Influence People

By Greg Bates

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Posted 09/20 | Add a Comment

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  1. Thanks to Greg for his extremely rigorous and thoughtful critique of the politics of Nader. But do we have another fifty years? Of course, long term political changes are needed, but it may also be time to begin to strongly question the viability of the nation state since we are thinking in terms of half centuries…

    Posted by Rhino Rick from Tokyo, Japan  on  09/21  at  07:02 AM

  2. Great article, Greg!

    Nader’s candidacy this year provides us with the opportunity to strengthen the independent progressive movement.  That many on the left miss this opportunity in favor of convincing themselves that they have some kind of power with the Democrats, is not surprising, as they have done so time and time again.  Many people are saying that 2008 will be the moment for a major independent candidacy for president - Now is the time to begin our campaign for 2008!

    Gwen
    http://www.letnaderdebate.org

    Posted by Gwen from New York  on  09/21  at  11:52 AM

  3. Excellent Greg! Keep up the good work!!!!!
    I’ve linked your post on our site…

    Muslims for Nader/Camejo

    Posted by costellojr from  on  09/21  at  12:09 PM

  4. Thanks for your good words on Cobb, but I think your analysis of how the Greens were “egged into” running a candidate is wrong.  As Norman Solomon said in 2003, Green leaders had already decided to run a candidate… there was just a process to follow, which Nader’s surrogates (such as Camejo and Miller) helped to shape, only to complain about how undemocratic it was after losing.

    From my perspective in SF, I’ve seen no positive influence of the Nader/Camejo campaign on the Greens… if anything, it has caused us to waste valuable time on infighting rather than on supporting our candidates.  Who knows if the Greens might have qualified for the Ohio ballot if Cobb’s campaign hadn’t been busy trying to keep Camejo from bumping him off the ballot in California?  Camejo’s anti-Green crusade has (partly) succeeded in Utah, where Cobb has apaprently been removed from the Green line on the ballot (but without Nader replacing him).

    Most active SF Greens have thought for some time that the “build the party” strategy of trying for ballot access everywhere was the best, and that the proposed “safe states” strategy was terrible.  Cobb’s shift in strategy owes at least as much influence to grassroots Greens who don’t support Nader as it does to Nader and those who support him.

    Posted by Green Democrat from SF  on  09/21  at  08:27 PM
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