KERMIT said it best: It's not easy being Green. Admittedly, he was referring to being an amphibian, not a supporter of Ralph Nader's presidential campaign. But some Green Party adherents feel the political establishment and the crown princes of the two major parties treat Nader like a frog. The Commission on Presidential Debates excluded him. Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush (R) disregard him.
Despite being ideologically closer to the Democratic Party than the Republican, Greens, following Nader's lead, frequently attack Gore more vehemently than they do Bush. At the Sept. 13 University Democrats meeting, students were encouraged to protest Nader's Sept. 17 appearance at the University. If Bush could have seen what was happening outside the hall at his first debate, he would have been immensely cheered. With none of his Republicans there, some of the Greens and Democrats argued with each other. This in-fighting among liberals must stop. Gore and Nader supporters should start working together to achieve their ends.
As Nader has done on occasion, Greens should acknowledge that he is not going to win this election. Three weeks away from the election, no poll gives Nader more than 7 percent of the national vote. Stubbornly insisting that Nader is running to win just makes the Green Party look like the Reform Party with body piercing.
The Reform Party has one advantage, however, in that its candidate, Pat Buchanan, received federal funding on the basis of the Party's showing in the 1996 election. With Nader's principled stand against taking corporate money, he needs all the help he can get. But the Green Party did not perform well enough in 1996 to draw matching funds.
Here's a goal for Greens: Ensure that Nader gets 5 percent of the vote to earn federal matching funds for the 2004 election. Such a showing also would increase individual donations, as it would show him to be a more viable candidate. At the same time, Greens must work to elect Gore to the presidency since Nader doesn't have a chance this year.
Greens cannot afford to wait out four years of a Bush presidency, especially with a Republican Congress, in hopes that the results will reinvigorate liberals. Gore and Bush are not the same person; they will take the country in different directions. Jess Anderson of GrUVA, the University Green Party, said in an interview that "the bottom line is that people should vote their conscience, and not their fear." But Greens must be strategic in their support of Nader in order to prevent Bush from being elected.
Suppose Nader was elected on the rebound in 2004. He couldn't reverse all the policies enacted in the previous administration immediately. He never could remove the Supreme Court justices appointed by Bush. Those judges, promised to be in the mold of Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, would affect everything from abortion rights to the environment for the rest of our lives.
After the Wednesday meeting, Jon Lange, treasurer of the University Democrats, argued, "Increasing the strength of the Green Party will only hurt the Democrats in the long run." President Laura Marie Martin struck a more conciliatory note, saying, "I'd like for the Green Party to move the Democratic Party to the left."
Democrats, remember - you liked Nader once. And you can like him again, when you stop seeing him as the man tearing down your candidate. Yes, this would be easier if Nader wasn't tearing down Gore, but get past that. Face the fact that Gore is not going to win certain states, and start thinking about how to turn this to some advantage.
Democratic and Green students from states that are highly likely to give their electoral votes to Bush should vote for Nader. That will help him get that five percent and a chance to run a stronger campaign in 2004. Virginia, along with Texas and several states in the Southeast and West, falls into this category, and this is where GrUVA's efforts to educate people about Nader are important and will pay off.
On the other hand, students who reside in Washington, Missouri or any of the other swing states who vote for Nader decrease Gore's chances of winning the election. They will be helping to elect Bush. Nader supporters in those states should realize the impact of a Bush presidency and vote for the candidate who is more likely to be open to Green Party concerns.
By thinking realistically, by working cooperatively instead of competitively, both Gore and Nader supporters win. It's the kind of solution Kermit would love.
(Pallavi Guniganti is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.)
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