Democrats and the Green Menace

 Not quite a quarter of a century ago a Presidential election was so close it was decided by a painfully long recount in the state of Florida. Fortunately, that was back during a time when Presidents and candidates actually respected the constitution. Bill Clinton's second term was up and unlike some these days, he knew it was his duty to give up the highest office in the land. His Vice President, Al Gore was the democratic candidate and Texas Governor, George W. Bush represented the republicans. 

The entire election was so breathtakingly tight in Florida, on election night at least one major TV network called the state for Gore, but then rescinded their call. As the votes were counted and recounted chaos ensued. There were problems with the ballots, which were marked by punching holes next to the names of whoever you were voting for. However, the system really didn't work. It was confusing to many because the names didn't line up right. On other ballots the holes weren't complete enough to be read correctly by the counting machines. Confusion reigned and all of America became familiar with a new term, "hanging chads." Before it was over the Florida results ended up in front of the United States Supreme Court. 

When the legal dust settled George Bush won Florida by a little over 500 votes and therefore the Presidency. Despite some grumbling about republican, post election hanky-panky Gore accepted the results and early in 2021 he sat in the Senate and presided over the certification and a peaceful transfer of power. Again, this all happened back in those quaint days before the arrival of dictatorial wannabe assholes and run amok gangs of thugs carrying cans of bear spray.   

So much so after the election, the anger of most democrats wasn't focused on the Bush campaign and some of his supporters who acted wildly inappropriately in the days during the recounts, but rather, the green party candidate, Ralph Nader. Nader had run as, "alternative," to Gore and Bush, attempting to appeal to far left eco-activists who weren't satisfied with what they perceived was the pro industrial policies of both men. In other words these rubes found both Gore and Bush too far right to be acceptable.

In that election, which was decided by one tenth of one percent, Ralph Nader received 1.65% of the vote. In raw numbers he got 97,488 votes. To this day, there isn't a democrat around who lived through those gut wrenching weeks, or the subsequent eight years of Bush rule who doesn't blame Ralph Nader and the green party for the loss. 

All of which explains why veteran members of the democratic party get a serious case of the cold sweats during a close election in a state which has a green party candidate on the ballot. It also explains their tendency to sometimes overreact in close run situations when a green candidate is running--for no other reason, at least in their minds, than to really fuck things up.

This election cycle the green party is running Dr. Jill Stein. She is on the ballots in every battle ground state, plus many which aren't. This morning, on a national cable news network the Harris campaign began running ads which showed, Donald Trump saying he likes, Jill Stein (no real context is provided) and telling potential Stein voters that voting for her is, in effect, a vote for Donald Trump. It is a sure sign the people in charge of the VP's campaign don't want to get, Gored, so to speak, once again.   

There are even some democrats out there who are claiming Stein, who ran in 2016, cost Hillary Clinton the election by siphoning off enough votes she lost Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.  

That allegation is a stretch. In Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin Clinton came close, but in each of those states Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson received far more votes than Jill Stein. It isn't hard to make an argument that Johnson's presence in the race hurt Trump more than Stein's hurt Clinton. Theories such as these really prove only one thing. That it's easy to believe democrats tend to become, let's say, a tad paranoid when a green party candidate is on the ballot.

Still...

The 2024 election is barely three weeks away and if the polls are correct, it is a dead heat. Every single vote out there is too precious to lose. Especially to some ego driven eco-idealist who doesn't mind handing the election to the most virulent anti-environmental, climate change denier in the nation. 

The Harris ad was right. However, Jill Stein is out there and she is going to get votes. That's the reality of the situation. The only question at the moment is how many will she get? Probably not as many as the democrats fear. Tragically though, in this, the year of our Lord 2024, even not as many might be too much.

sic vita est

10-14-24