Forum Post: Why Isn’t the Occupy Movement Rallying Around Jill Stein, the Green Party’s Presidential Candidate?
Posted 12 years ago on Sept. 11, 2012, 12:24 p.m. EST by Shubee
(119)
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I see no significant difference between the political positions of Jill Stein (Green Party) and Rocky Anderson (Justice Party) in their 2012 presidential campaigns. Both candidates enthusiastically support the goals and aims of the occupy movement. However, just from a quick cursory look at their respective campaign websites, the Green Party has Jill Stein already on the ballot in 33 states whereas the Justice Party has Rocky Anderson on the ballot in only 14 states.
Occupiers need to maximize their impact on all fronts. Please think this through. Voting for the best anti-establishment candidate is a tool for social justice and should be encouraged.
Update: Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala will appear on at least 85% of the ballots cast this November. http://www.jillstein.org/ballot
It's not their job.
Just be sure to vote.
the more folks do...the merrier.
Occupiers are free to do whatever they like. They can either act as an organized movement or just a bunch of anti-intellectual whiners that are pursuing an ineffective strategy.
It's not their job to tell you who to vote for.
You should be able to figure that out.
If you like Jill, please do vote for her.
I guess I get your confusion. Texas is a stronghold of anti intellectualism.
I consider myself as being sympathetic to the occupy movement. I also take it as my job to point out that a vote for Obama or Mitt Romney is a vote to enslave the 99% and the world to the masters of mankind. Their victory is assured but woe to those who raise no cry against it. http://everythingimportant.org
Ralph Nader? the man who brought us George Bush? now wants to give us Romney, imagine that!
Nader the traitor has crawled under a rock,
It’s the only place safe from the things that he wrot.
As millennia approached us, we had one last shot,
To keep the planet we’re on from getting, too damn hot.
But Nader thought better his name should be heard.
And Gore was left standing with only his word.
You are completely wrong on many levels. First: Ralph Nader endorsed Rocky Anderson, not Jill Stein. Second: The Democrats are extraordinarily evil. Obama is following the policies of Bush. Third: I'm only saying that occupiers are morally required to vote Green if they don't live in a swing state.
tell it to the polar bears...
Heck yeah I'm voting anti-establishment! I refuse to vote for either dominant party on principal that both are greedy and corrupt. I wish there were more people out there on other various websites promoting this viewpoint. I feel like there are so few sometimes on "certain" news forums that it gets to be disheartening. We should start a blogging campaign for promoting anti-establishment on other well-known news forums. Especially the closer we get to election time!!!
Thank you tangential. I really do believe that the occupy movement is doomed to disappear quickly if so many occupiers continue to refuse to announce that they will vote anti-establishment out of fear that the occupy movement will lose momentum. We have to exercise power in a united voice to have power. Truthfully, I think it's crazy to worry about offending a few of the possibly Republican occupiers if we denounce Mitt Romney. And what strength could we possibly have if we pretend that Obama and the Democratic Party aren't a major part of the problem?
I see the logic in believing that voting for Obama would be better than a vote for Romney. But that logic is only valid in swing states. So most occupiers have no excuse but to vote Green.
I won't say who/what party I'm voting for - but I will say that I'm NOT voting for the current 2 parties which occupy our government and control our country on either the local level or national level. In order to allow fair competition (As politics IS more or less a business empire!) Also, failing to cast a vote at all is not an option. Even if my state follows tradition and votes D, I will be a part of that GROWING number that votes otherwise. Eventually, if enough vote that way, they will see we as a minority are gaining momentum.
OWS does not advocate or campaign for specific candidates. Remember?.
Jill Stein looked pretty good last night on Moyers. Unfortunately our system really does not permit 3rd parties from succeeding.
Money out of politics, and other election/campaign reform must happen 1st.
Why can't OWS reach out to someone like Stein or Anderson and say we will support you if you will support us? Then we pick a candidate and push the hell out of them. If they get elected, but don't stick to their promises, we pick someone new to back in four years.
If the number of people sick of the current leaders are so great, can't we use that to our advantage? What's stopping us?
I wouldn't be against OWS campaigning for Jill Stein. Of course much reform must occur before a 3rd party can be successful.
I think you should agitate OWS leadership/supporters for just such a direction.
You have my vote.
Thanks. If an alternative is on the ballot, there is no excuse. We might not literally be 99%, but we do have a very large amount of votes that can be cast. Affecting elections is how you get people's attention.
Ok! Go green! Can't wait for the change to start happening!
Why beg for someone to support you? Demand support of all politicians who wish to be elected http://occupywallst.org/forum/free-democracy-amendment/ and take them to court when they don't. If people are truly sick of the status quo, they'll demand a change of themselves in how they choose to vote. If not, they'll continue voting for anyone who, with all of their wonderful promises, has no legal obligation to serving the specific interests of the People.
I've heard Jill Stein of the Green Party and Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party both say that they strongly favor the OWS movement.
And specifically what will they DO for OWS goals
in the White House?
NOTHING
At least Obama is in favor of an amendment to overturn the super-pac
Citizens united decision that lets kochs & shelly to give hundreds of millions
and he is eclectable
voting for Jill or Rocky WILL make YOU feel good -
it will not help America
Jill Stein (Green Party) and Rocky Anderson (Justice Party) are both running on the platform of the 99%. Are you too controlled to read their websites and to listen to them on youtube? Obama is a proven shill for Wall Street and the criminal banksters.
I agree that Obama will very probably be a little bit better for the 99% than Romney would but only a small percentage of occupiers live in swing states so there's no excuse for most people to not vote Green.
Voting Green is appealing to me.
I can't see any advantage to Occupy to do so. The candidates already have existing organizations which any member of Occupy can work with. I can only see splintering of Occupy if they endorse a candidate.
As I see it, I think you’re strongly committed to an ineffective strategy and fear unity of purpose.
Permit me to rephrase my question. Why have so many in the OWS movement surrendered to evil and what is wrong with campaigning for the best OWS candidate?
I live in Texas. It's not a swing state. So I'm not wasting my vote by voting Green.
Money out of politics will probably never happen so you're probably not even pursuing a rational agenda.
Well vote how you feel you should. I am in a solid blue state and I voted for nader as a protest. I knew he couldn't win but wanted to show my support.
Real reform must occur for a 3rd party to succeed. You are probably safe voting freen. I might ask swing staters to vote dem but in fact I never ask people to vote for anyone.
Good luck in all your good efforts.
I have no objection to anyone in a swing state voting democratic. However, occupiers that are too sheepish to vote Green in all other states and can't answer criticisms intelligently seem extremely deceived and stupid to me.
no reason for harsh judgment. It's a difficult thing to do, to understand. We must be tolerant, while persuasive.
Many different views and approaches can be frustrating. I have no answers only a request that we be tolerant, respectful, work to be inclusive to grow the movement and protest all pols for real progressive change.
The sheepish, deceived and clueless aren't persuasive or progressive.
No, Thats right. They must BE persuaded!
How can anyone be persuaded of anything unless essential truth is being heard? http://everythingimportant.org/
Religion is just bronze age fairy tales. So you're preaching to an unbeliever.
Sorry.
Good luck in all your good efforts.
I'm fine with preaching to the 99%. Atheists are condemned for the same reason that Paul Ryan, Ron Paul and Ayn Rand are condemned.
What reason is that?
They have all fallen for the first demon's message. http://everythingimportant.org/
Oh. I see. So I am condemned? To hell?
To whatever you already believe is just, everlasting annihilation and just recompense for your hatred of truth and justice.
You are clearly opposed to me informing occupiers why they should vote for the best anti-establishment candidate. That's plain evil.
I love truth and justice. Why would you say such a horrible lie. Doesn't your religion state you may not bear false witness?
Does that mean you're gonna burn in hell?
I think you should vote for who you believe in no matter what state you are in. I voted obama in 08 because I was disillusioned with the way our govt worked amd he promised change. I have a personal responsbility for all he has done against our interest because of that vote. That is why I have a duty to correct that mistake by pushing for an acceptable person for president. In response to my voting for rocky or jill giving nv to the rep by not voting obama at least the left would get off their asses and fight the loss of our rights that started under bush and accelarated under obama.
It would be better to rally AGAINST the common enemies than trying to find a common party to rally behind at this point! Baby steps. :D (Thus avoiding factions and fractions)
No one vote for either R or D party - pick any other party you want - just not either of those 2.
Why??? Maybe because she couldn't win enough votes in her local Stabucks, to win an election
Just because the occupy movement will probably fail because too many in the movement are happy to be slaves, it doesn't mean that those who sympathize with your sentiments should try to stop those who are trying to enlighten the rest of the 99% that are destined to be slaves to the masters of mankind.
Jill will be at United We Stand Festival in UCLA on May 10th. Check it out.
Please vote anti-establishment
..................................................................signed .....................................................................david, charlie, shelly
Why don't write-in votes for Rocky Anderson, according to the site, in states like S. Dakota, Nevada, etc will not count as write in votes?
I could get behind Stein too, if there was some sort of direction of support to that.
But I still like rocky. Probably because I've seen a bit more of him, compared to Jill, who is always spoken highly of here. Rocky's wiki page was longer.
the time I spend pondering this and what will my vote be valued for, except for personal satisfaction. As much as I hate to admit, neither can win this time, so it is for hopefully a longer goal, and when enough people go alternative, a new party could gain acceptance. In the past it has happened. We need all the arrows in the arsenal.
The main thing would be to not divide occupy for politics. And to keep occupy united in larger goals.
Write in votes in most states need to have the candidate registered or the vote will not be counted.
In order for another party to win in later election cycles we need a large portion of the electorate to vote third party this cycle. Lets show the dem rep parties that we see through their lies.
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Feel free to join Jill and Cheri on the national lever or your local level.
If you are in Tampa, the next Green meeting is tomorrow night at Sacred Grounds Coffee House.
Thanks. I registered at their website and assume that I'll be notified when they have an event near Dallas TX.
The campaign is in full swing. It is up to you to find them and attend.
They already have my vote.
Your vote, in the grand scheme of political backing, is one piece of a 100 piece puzzle. Its not nearly enough.
I feel that it's my job to expose the larger issues, such as the three greatest globally significant deceptions that seduce and control the American mind: http://everythingimportant.org/