Green Party post-Cornel West

Now that the man is running as an independent (good-bye, good luck, and you're not getting my vote, in all likelihood), what's up for Greens?

At the time of West's announcement, Jill Stein, with full link to long Tweet here, said she and Ajamu Baraka, her 2016 Veep candidate, are beating the bushes for more candidates, presumably seeing the lackluster crop otherwise. (Sorry, but it's true, other Green prez candidates.) Other former candidates would include Howie Hawkins, I'm sure. I doubt she will. Maybe Baraka seeks the top spot? 

Peter Kalmus, this year's national convention speaker, would be interesting. He's hardcore on climate issues, the GP's original core. But, AFAIK, he's a one-note trumpet. Where's he stand on labor? Russia-Ukraine? Palestine?

Given where she was at in becoming a fuller antivaxxer even before the start of COVID, and other issues at that link, I hope she doesn't dive deeper in that tank in the candidate hunt.

It would be nice not to have an AccommoGreen (she was, based on the targets of her 2016 recount and her non-explainer for why she chose those states, contra her defenders) as his advisor, given that he first considered the MPP, not Greens. Ditto on not having someone who believed the #Russiagate claim of a rigged election. Or her blowing money on insider lawyers for the recount. (Maybe, per that link, Cornel wants her donor list.)  Or the lack of transparency on that. 

Riffing on Mark Lause, I thought the party had pretty much cracked up after 2016. In 2020, with "libertarian Greens" trying to run Jesse Ventura through the back door with their stalking horse, Dario Hunter, playing the race card and more, it probably went the rest of the way there. Here in Tex-ass, if my math is correct on the calendar and David Bruce Collins' is not, the Greens have to get signatures if they don't get 2 percent on a statewide race next year and that ain't happening. And, no, Cornel, don't choose Margaret Flowers to replace Stein; per Greg AtLast, we need to get beyond that GP factionalism.

And, indeed, this piece at Salon notes exactly those problems. And more. As far as lack of local-level elected candidates, yes, per Greens, a prez candidate draws people and money. But, a Green-denominated mayor of a California city says he never hears from Green state- or national-level people. (Other than to put his name on a website, I'm sure.) This does become a circular problem. But, as the piece notes, after Stein 2012, the party had a chance to address some of these issues, with bits of momentum it had. And it didn't.

For that matter, contra Jeff St. Clair's buzziness about St. Ralph of Nader, which in 2004 was partially but not entirely true re the national GP convention, where was Ralph doing more heavy lifting on national party organization that might trickle down better? And, also as noted by me, Ralph pledged to run a "safe states" strategy in 2000 — and of course didn't. Maybe some Greens were gun-shy?

And, unmentioned by the Salon author is the issue of TWO Green Party organizations in the US. 

Tough blow for the party.

Update, Oct. 26: With Daou out as West's campaign manager, citing PTSD over Gaza, some people are asking for him to return to the GP, many insinuating Daou was wrecking his campaign.

First, to that nuttery, I replied:

Actually, Cornel West was, and is, doing a damned good job destroying his own campaign. It was his own idea to leave the GP, after he was dumb enough to start with the Movement for a People's Party.

— TheRealSocraticGadfly (@real_gadfly) October 27, 2023

And, that is it.

As for him coming back, or the GP taking him back?

It would be a sign of desperation for Cornel West to go back to the Green Party with Peter Daou out, if his demands weren't met, and a sign of desperation by the Green Party to agree to meet them.

— TheRealSocraticGadfly (@real_gadfly) October 27, 2023

There you are.