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Medea: Green or blue?

I recently got word that Medea Benjamin will be attending the World Social Forum down in Caracas, Venezuela, as a representative of the Progressive Democrats of America. I haven't been able to confirm this, but she's worked with them quite a bit recently. I can't find the words to tell you how frustrated I am about this.

The Green Party exists specifically to be an alternative to the two corporate parties. If their progressive wing still clings to the hope that they can drive out entrenched monied interests armed with nothing more than their sincerity, let 'em try it. I can write the script for 2008 right now: progressive Dems surge behind someone reasonably acceptable, but oddly, the conservative Dems get more air time, and eventually, all the Dems line up behind their conservative candidate, chosen to coax swing voters away from Jeb Bush, the Republican candidate. Once again, progressive Dems get the bait-and-switch upside the head. Despite generations of experience, they never learn. Nor do they pick up on the fact that with every electoral cycle, the conservative Dem gets a little more conservative. Kerry was to the right of Clinton, and Clinton was to the right of Nixon. And no, I'm not exaggerating.

For all her savvy, Medea seems to not understand that the only thing that will give progressive Dems any leverage at all is an exit strategy. Currently, the dynamic in the Democratic Party sounds like this:

Progressives: We want an anti-war candidate!
DLC: Sorry, that doesn't play well in swing states.
Progressives: Oh, really? Well, OK, then...

With a strong and viable Green Party, it would go more like this:

Progressives: We want an anti-war candidate!
DLC: Sorry, that doesn't play well in swing states.
Progressives: Listen, you're about to have a whole lot more swing states on your hands, because we're voting for the anti-war candidate regardless of whether they're a Democrat or a Green.
DLC: Huh?! When did you get so uppity?

In other words, the Green Party is the best thing that ever happened to the Democratic Party. Not that I give a shit, because I lost all hope for the Democratic Party many years ago, but for those still trying to find a Gene McCarthy or an RFK there, the best way to do so is to encourage the growth of the Green Party.

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Mixed Feelings

I would love to see Medea stay Green, but most Greens hate her now for suggesting the Kerry in swings states & Cobb everywhere else.

I would be willing to bet that her priorities are more about ending the war no matter what it takes to do that, than building a future for herself as a possible Green candidate. Let's face it, the Greens are several years away, if ever, gaining the presidency, and it's the person who sits in the white house that determines whether we go or stay in Iraq.

We may disagree with her strategy, but I can see how it may make sense to her. I wrote about my limited personal experience with and feelings about Medea in my blog here: http://green-jenni.livejournal.com/47596.html

Regardless of whether Medea is Green or Blue, I will still admire her activism and progressive work, just like I admire Dennis Kucinich and Cythia McKinney -- I just wish would could convince some of these really great people to go Green!
http://www.livejournal.com/~green_jenni/

  • By Jenni at 2006-01-21 02:38
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I'm willing to bet that the

I'm willing to bet that the deal is that because Global Exchange is sponsoring this event (and I believe founded it?) and that the Prog Dems fund Global Exchange, that the rumor is that Medea is representing them.

But whatever.

Like Jenni, there are no words for me to describe the admiration I have for Medea and her bravery and boldness. She is green through and through, no matter what. Actions speak.

"Life is what happens while you are making other plans."
~ John Lennon

  • By Anonymous (not verified) at 2006-01-21 03:55
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Mixed Medea

Medea has done a world of good in raising publicity for the war and other issues. But... then what? Has she really influenced the Democratic Party? The problem is, she's an outlier as long as she tries to do that. A fluke. A brave and principled fluke, but a fluke just the same. As long as she clings to the idea that the Democratic Party is a vehicle for change, she's limited to shouting and pleading for an end to the war. If she put all that energy into getting Greens elected, we could hit the conservative Dems where it hurts: at the ballot box. They can't ignore that. In some places, we could spoil pro-war Dems, and other places, we could actually win, and gain ourselves a bully pulpit of our own. That's how we wield our influence - by doing things our way, not asking someone else to do things our way.

  • By esteban at 2006-01-21 15:48
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