"If you don't vote in this
election, you're voting
for George Bush."

Only Progressive Unity Can Defeat Bush

GFK Opinion/Editorial

by Zack Kaldveer, Media Coordinator, Greens for Kerry, and Sophie Mintier, Treasurer, Greens for Kerry, October 21, 2004

W e consider this election to be the most important in a generation. The Bush/Cheney administration is the most extreme, incompetent, and dangerous in our nation's history. The prospects of a second term and the consequences it would have on our country and world led us to a simple question: "How do Greens and progressives participate in what was clearly becoming the most important challenge in a generation: ending the reign of George W. Bush?" The answer to that question is to vote for John Kerry in swing states.

We joined the Green Party because of its commitment to human rights, sustainability, economic and environmental justice, peace, and civil liberties. Indeed, if these are more than slogans, and truly represent our core principles, then uniting to defeat Bush was a moral imperative. For that reason, we formed Greens for Kerry (GFK), and our mission was simple: help beat Bush, mobilize to push Kerry to adopt a more progressive agenda if elected, and promote the growth of the Green Party on a grassroots level.

Like so many progressives, we are wholly unsatisfied with our current, money-driven, corporate dominated political system and the limited options that a two party democracy provides. But, given our current political reality, we believe it is our civic duty to help unseat George W. Bush, the mandatory first step if a larger progressive movement is to ever take shape. After November 2nd, and Kerry is elected, we must continue on with phase two of the long-term goal that most progressive share: building a political movement in America from the grassroots up. In less than four years this administration has weakened milestone environmental protection laws like the Clean Air Act (400 environmental rollback attempts); eliminated key labor rights fought and won by those before us; dismantled what once were considered unassailable constitutional rights; appointed extremist judges to our country's federal courts; and established a new military doctrine of pre-emptive nuclear war.

As progressives we recognize that John Kerry is not an ideal choice. However, to deny the significant differences between the two candidates on issues ranging from environmental protection, nuclear proliferation, women's rights, the Supreme Court, and labor rights, is intellectually dishonest.

We ask that when you enter that voting booth you consider the worker making minimum wage who won't be receiving a $1.85 an hour raise ($3,848 more a year, Kerry proposes $7.00 minimum wage) if Bush is re-elected; remember the single mother who's childcare services will be cut; remember the women who's reproductive rights will be jeopardized; remember the effect that Bush's policies will have on the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Then tell yourself it doesn't matter how you vote.

This election is not an academic exercise - lives are at stake. But don't just take our word for it: Noam Chomsky recently remarked, "Anyone who says 'I don't care if Bush gets elected' is basically telling poor and working people in the country, 'I don't care if your lives are destroyed.'" He also quite rightly stated, "... Then there is another choice: electing Bush or seeking to prevent his election."

Winona LaDuke, Nader's running mate in 2000, stated just his week, "I love this land, and I know that we need to make drastic changes in Washington if we are going to protect our land and our communities... I'm voting my conscience on Nov. 2; I'm voting for John Kerry."

In fact, 75 members of the Nader 2000 Citizens Committee recently signed a letter calling on swing state voters to support Kerry, which included such progressive legends as Jim Hightower, Studs Terkel, Cornel West and Howard Zinn. Are these individuals, who have dedicated their lives to strengthening our democracy and speaking truth to power all just sellouts? Or do they recognize something larger, something that we believe all of us feel on the deepest of levels Ð that our democracy, freedom, future, and past are under assault, and it is our job to put an end to it.

If you still aren't convinced, please consider using a key tool GFK and other progressive organizations are promoting this election year to both help defeat Bush and support third party candidates like Ralph Nader and David Cobb called "vote pairing" (www.votepair.org). Vote pairing allows would-be Nader or Green Party voters in swing states to swap their votes with Kerry supporters in non-swing states. This allows you to vote your conscience, vote out Bush, and begin to turn our country around.

The world community, and the millions of Americans who's lives will be hurt by four more years of this administration are pleading that we help put an end to this imperial regime. We need to heed their call. Voting for John Kerry in swing states is our only realistic response.

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