The Green Party - 2004

In the interest of full disclosure, allow me to announce that I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000. And more to the point I live in Florida. At the time I didn't realize quite how committed President Bush would be to pushing his extremely conservative agenda.

But times change--and Norman Soloman, who is occasionally nutty, has some good advice for the greens; advice I intend to take to heart.

"In discussions about races for the highest offices, sobering reality checks can be distasteful to many Greens, who correctly point out that a democratic process requires a wide range of voices and choices during election campaigns. But that truth does not change another one: A smart movement selects its battles and cares about its impacts.

A small party that is unwilling to pick and choose its battles -- and unable to consider the effects of its campaigns on the country as a whole -- will find itself glued to the periphery of American politics.

In contrast, more effective progressives seeking fundamental change are inclined to keep exploring -- and learning from -- the differences between principle and self-marginalization. They bypass insular rhetoric and tactics that drive gratuitous wedges between potential allies -- especially when a united front is needed to topple an extreme far-right regime in Washington."