Monday, October 13, 2008
Green Strategic versus Tactical Voting
Green Party supporters have always voted strategically, their long term goal was to keep voting Green, keep building the Party, election after election: that was and is and will be their strategy for winning the war on behalf of the environment. Environmental progressives, who might think of themselves as green while not necessarily voting Green in the last several decades have voted tactically in every election: "what's the best outcome I can get today." It might mean voting Green, Liberal or NDP. The only ones who just don't "get" the importance of doing something about the environment are the Tories, in part because they are financed by oil companies, pharmaceuticals, agribusiness and other corporatists. Their strategy is to remain the ruling class by empowering corporations over individuals, while espousing libertarian values as a kind of mask for Everyman. A strategy is a big picture plan, a tactic is a decision taken to live to fight another day.
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2 comments:
Voting for the Greens is a dangerous exercise...especially if the only reason is to throw them a few bucks.
In 2000, Ralph Nader received enough votes to make George W. Bush President of the United States. For those of you thinking of voting Green, do you believe that those people who voted for Nader don't regret the last eight years?
Well, voting Green this time is exactly the same thing. You might as well mark the X next to your Conservative candidate's name. It will have the exact same effect.
You will be directly helping Stephen Harper remain as Prime Minister. You will be electing the Conservatives as the next government.
The Greens have no chance of winning any ridings this election...one of the most important elections for this generation. But those of us who aren't voting Tory all agree on the importance of environmental issues.
That's why strategic voting is important this election. Believe it or not, it also helps the Greens in the long run.
By voting for the non-conservative candidate with the best chance to win your riding, you'll deny Harper not just a majority, but the government altogether. Green supporters can force a coalition government where environmental issues can no longer be ignored because the Greens would have formed the most powerful lobbyist group in the history of Canada.
Greens can hold the ultimate balance of power.
So, the choice is yours...vote Green to throw your party a few bucks, but accept at least 4 more years of Harper.
Or, use your clout to stop Harper and actually see Green ideas come to forefront of a government.
Vote strategically.
George Bush became President because Cheney and Jeb Bush stole the election for him not because of Ralph Nader. It also would have helped if Al Gore had won his home state of Tennessee.
This election is actually not going to be the most important election in Canadian history, the next one is.
And all the majority of MPs have to do to stop Harper is pass a private members bill restoring the right of the Governor General to offer the government to another individual capable of retaining the confidence of parliament, and once the bill passes drop Harper in the first non-confidence vote and let the Tories he's bullied and kept in line tear him to pieces. The idea of Gloria winning Guelph however does give me the creeps.
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