Reply #33: I have major mixed feelings on what you've posted.

[diamondsoul]

On the one hand, people outside the Party have no business using Party events to make their case. (BTW, I say this as a registered Democrat) On the other hand, as I mentioned up-thread, many of the third party voters are disenfranchised former Democrats. How will we build a better Party if we exclude them when they come to us wanting to be heard?

I'm kind of stumped on how the Democratic Party should handle it, to be perfectly honest. I believe Dennis Kucinich is the only Democratic Candidate who has a prayer in hell of bringing these former Dems back into the fold. It's what every Green I've spoken to says, along with other third party voters I've spoken with. That being said, maybe if the Democrats really want to win in 2004 we should be welcoming our disenfranchised back into "the Big Tent" and nominating Kucinich since he will most assuredly help re-unite the party.

I know what that sounds like, and let me make clear I do not want to pressure anyone to switch candidates, it's just a point that nobody seems to be considering. We can't keep driving the disillusioned out of the Party and trying to exclude them when they get fed up. We've got to accept and understand their anger and frustration and try to resolve these things if what we really want is a unified party. We can't blame THEM for sticking up for their principles so strongly they feel compelled to leave the Democratic Party. If anything they should be commended for their strong stances, whether you agree or not. If the Party ceases to represent those issues that are critical to these voters what choice do they have BUT to leave?

I guess what I'm saying is that people shouldn't be pissed off at Greens, and certainly shouldn'tblame them for the fracturing of the Party. The Party itself did that, not the people who defended the issues that matter most to them. That's Democracy, folks, and if the Democratic Party stops respecting true Democracy, we're in BIG trouble.