[UserGoogol]

She's making a decision which will hurt her campaign (Cobb-La Marche has already been attacked by other Greens for being too pro-Democratic Party), but since Maine is apparently a close election right now, I see her reasoning. Even the Green Party has grown to accept that Bush is signifigantly worse than Kerry. She does state in that article that if things turn around, she will vote for herself.

Cobb lives in Texas, at any rate, so he's certainly going to vote for himself because it's fairly obvious what way that state's gonna go.

The Cobb-La Marche FAQ says the following on related matters.

You don't really expect to win, do you?

Yes and no. We don't have enough people, money, or media access to take the White House. But there are other measures of success. In 2000, the Green Party grew enormously and became a household name. In that respect, it was a winning campaign. We can and will build on that success this year, by helping state and local parties to organize, helping Green candidates get elected to office, providing a campaign to disseminate our message, and more.

Didn't the Green Party cost Gore the election in 2000? Aren't you afraid of doing that to Kerry?

Greens do not accept the "spoiler" argument. Al Gore was the legitimate winner of the election, but the outdated and undemocratic Electoral College, along with corruption in the Florida electoral system, allowed the Supreme Court to decide that George W. Bush should occupy the White House.

This time around, David is running more heavily in states where the outcome of the vote is predictable, based on history. Green voters in those states can choose David without worrying that they are contributing to returning Bush to the White House. Of course, we are still seeking votes in other states as well, just not as intensely (unless they are required to gain or maintain ballot access, in which case we will be highly assertive).

Greens are also proponents of Instant Runoff Voting, which would conclusively eliminate the "spoiler" issue. Democrats who feel threatened by us would do well to take up the banner of IRV, because Greens are not going away, and we will not be convinced by "Not this year" arguments.

Is David Cobb running a limited campaign or is he running all out?

David Cobb has been running for the Green Party nomination as hard as he can (he's already visited more than 40 states) and will campaign for the presidency as hard as he can. A campaign, however, is about more than just a candidate - it's about Greens all over the country, working together.

Does David want to help John Kerry get elected President?

No, but he also doesn't want to help reelect George Bush. We plan to direct our campaign resources in ways that build the Green Party the most without helping George Bush.

[ July 01, 2004, 03:02 PM: Message edited by: UserGoogol ]