I don’t know whether he would be able to win an election for governor
It is effectively impossible to win any significant political office in the US as a third party or independent, with the rare exception of individuals who are celebrities outside of politics i.e. Jesse Ventura. There are just far, far too many voters who will select either D or R and never move off that, regardless of the candidate. I'm not even totally sure AOC would win if she ran as a third party candidate.
If socialists want to serve in office (and I think we should), there is no choice other than to operate within the Democratic party.
Choosing to operate in the flailing corpse of the Democratic Party, being dragged into abandoning any sort of working class appeal or socialist perspective, tying your horse to a Dem party that will govern using austerity, white supremacy, and repression of dissent from the left, is not a choice. It’s just not a way forward for socialists, even if you can “win” elections.
Acting like people are permanently tied to the two parties of capital, that consciousness is fixed and never shifting, that the working class would never consider an alternative before they’ve even been presented that alternative, is not an accurate or productive way of thinking about the situation.
It is effectively impossible to win any significant political office in the US as a third party or independent
No, no, no. You don't understand. The Democrat label is bad. You literally cannot call yourself a Democrat without becoming corrupted by the dark magics that infest the party.
You need to create a third party, because third parties are pure and sweet and invulnerable to the temptations of power. Third parties are clean, while the Democrat party is dirty and foul. Third parties are honest, where as the Democrat party is a miserable lie. Third parties are formed only of the most true-hearted proletariat, never careerists or ideologues whose judgement might be clouded by ambition and pride.
Only by abandoning the (D) label can Carter successfully run for a higher office. I won't even hear you discuss the mathematical problem created by entrenched two-party interests or the volume of extra work necessary to obtain name recognition or the inevitable Naderite reactionary force you run up against in a third party bid.
Third Party Good. Dem Party Bad.
Any argument to the contrary is wicked devil talk, and proves you aren't serious about leftism at all.
It is effectively impossible to win any significant political office in the US as a third party or independent, with the rare exception of individuals who are celebrities outside of politics i.e. Jesse Ventura. There are just far, far too many voters who will select either D or R and never move off that, regardless of the candidate. I'm not even totally sure AOC would win if she ran as a third party candidate.
If socialists want to serve in office (and I think we should), there is no choice other than to operate within the Democratic party.
Choosing to operate in the flailing corpse of the Democratic Party, being dragged into abandoning any sort of working class appeal or socialist perspective, tying your horse to a Dem party that will govern using austerity, white supremacy, and repression of dissent from the left, is not a choice. It’s just not a way forward for socialists, even if you can “win” elections.
Acting like people are permanently tied to the two parties of capital, that consciousness is fixed and never shifting, that the working class would never consider an alternative before they’ve even been presented that alternative, is not an accurate or productive way of thinking about the situation.
No, no, no. You don't understand. The Democrat label is bad. You literally cannot call yourself a Democrat without becoming corrupted by the dark magics that infest the party.
You need to create a third party, because third parties are pure and sweet and invulnerable to the temptations of power. Third parties are clean, while the Democrat party is dirty and foul. Third parties are honest, where as the Democrat party is a miserable lie. Third parties are formed only of the most true-hearted proletariat, never careerists or ideologues whose judgement might be clouded by ambition and pride.
Only by abandoning the (D) label can Carter successfully run for a higher office. I won't even hear you discuss the mathematical problem created by entrenched two-party interests or the volume of extra work necessary to obtain name recognition or the inevitable Naderite reactionary force you run up against in a third party bid.
Third Party Good. Dem Party Bad.
Any argument to the contrary is wicked devil talk, and proves you aren't serious about leftism at all.