Guest rant by my hubby, which he also sent to the Boston Globe. Read A vote for Stein is a vote for Romney first so you know what he's talking about. (And when are they going to come up with something better than "A vote for [Green candidate] is a vote for [Republican candidate]?" Yawn.)
My vote is just that, my vote
Joan Vennochi, in her "A vote for Stein is a vote for Romney" editorial today, misses the larger picture of why some voters are choosing a third party this year. We are disaffected for a reason, and neither the Democrats or the Republicans are listening.
The attitude of "vote for the lesser of two evils," rather than the more logical, and inherently democratic, choice to vote on one's own principles, is one of the more glaring failures of the current two-party domination of national and local politics. Another is the continued ploy of both Republicans and Democrats to campaign towards the center, regardless of an individual candidate's own beliefs. This tactic alienates liberals and conservatives alike, and is the real reason Gore lost the 2000 election. Don't try to pin that one on me. Sure, I voted for Nader, and Gore still received the electoral votes in Massachusetts.
Although I detest such labels, I'm sure that some would call me a liberal. I certainly share liberal opinions on the various social and economic issues bandied about during this election. I am voting for Jill Stein on Tuesday not because of my political leanings, but rather because she and the Green Party offer the only gubernatorial candidate who has consistently conveyed views that match my own. I concede that Shannon O'Brien might as well, but I have no basis for that judgment. I have received a clear, concise message only rarely from O'Brien's campaign. Often, she has chosen instead to complain about how bad Mitt Romney is in contrast. How does that win my vote? If the Massachusetts Democratic party had chosen a more compelling candidate, perhaps we wouldn't be having this conversation.
If the state of Massachusetts elects Romney, that fault lies entirely with Shannon O'Brien and the Massachusetts Democratic party, not with me and my fellow citizens who vote Green. I will have no guilt or remorse about my votes, because I will have voted on my own principles and not the dictates of a given party. Instead, on Wednesday, November 6, I will dream of Vermont governor Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign.
Thanks for reading.
Rick Hayes
Dorchester, MA
My vote is just that, my vote
Joan Vennochi, in her "A vote for Stein is a vote for Romney" editorial today, misses the larger picture of why some voters are choosing a third party this year. We are disaffected for a reason, and neither the Democrats or the Republicans are listening.
The attitude of "vote for the lesser of two evils," rather than the more logical, and inherently democratic, choice to vote on one's own principles, is one of the more glaring failures of the current two-party domination of national and local politics. Another is the continued ploy of both Republicans and Democrats to campaign towards the center, regardless of an individual candidate's own beliefs. This tactic alienates liberals and conservatives alike, and is the real reason Gore lost the 2000 election. Don't try to pin that one on me. Sure, I voted for Nader, and Gore still received the electoral votes in Massachusetts.
Although I detest such labels, I'm sure that some would call me a liberal. I certainly share liberal opinions on the various social and economic issues bandied about during this election. I am voting for Jill Stein on Tuesday not because of my political leanings, but rather because she and the Green Party offer the only gubernatorial candidate who has consistently conveyed views that match my own. I concede that Shannon O'Brien might as well, but I have no basis for that judgment. I have received a clear, concise message only rarely from O'Brien's campaign. Often, she has chosen instead to complain about how bad Mitt Romney is in contrast. How does that win my vote? If the Massachusetts Democratic party had chosen a more compelling candidate, perhaps we wouldn't be having this conversation.
If the state of Massachusetts elects Romney, that fault lies entirely with Shannon O'Brien and the Massachusetts Democratic party, not with me and my fellow citizens who vote Green. I will have no guilt or remorse about my votes, because I will have voted on my own principles and not the dictates of a given party. Instead, on Wednesday, November 6, I will dream of Vermont governor Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign.
Thanks for reading.
Rick Hayes
Dorchester, MA
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