Jill Stein for President
Jill Stein’s messaging is essentially the same as that of Cornel West. But it turned out that Cornel is not a party builder. Doing all the “party stuff” was too burdensome, he said.
Now his campaign just may not amount to much. As an independent, I doubt he’ll get on more than 30 state ballots.
Eugene Debs was a great and charismatic candidate. But Norman Thomas was both a dynamic candidate and a party builder. He deigned to pay attention to mundane organizational matters and deal with the “just us” of the often cantankerous and idiosyncratic party membership. “Luminaries” like Debs, Nader, Perot, La Follette, and Henry Wallace would not do that. Jill Stein, to her credit, is a grassroots-level participant and organizer.
Meanwhile, in regard to 2024, it will be interesting to see three prominent critics of the system — West, Stein, and RFK — out there making a case for the electorate to cast alternative votes next November. “Voting outside the box” could become a major theme of 2024. Many who prioritize building an enduring alternative party will be inclined to vote Green.
