Chlorophyll

It's recently been argued that Greens should not run for office, or at least not higher offices, because that legitimates or validates the electoral system as it stands, which is to say, seriously compromised by corporate money.

I see it as exactly the reverse. It is by not participating that we legitimate the system. Why? Because if we stand aloof, we abandon any possibility, however small it may be, of effecting serious change. Basically, we would be giving up.

The Greens need to offer people candidates they can believe in. That we don't win this time does not matter, because we will win sooner or later. Every race we run is more experience we gain - not just for the candidate, but for her/his staff, volunteers, media contacts, and supporters.

Of course, none of this means we should abandon movement activism, now or ever. Far from it. Electoral activism and movement activism should form a virtuous cycle, building each other up in both direct and indirect ways. We should be offering our support to progressive social groupings, both in the street and in office.