Prominent Progressives Make "Split State" Endorsement for President
A group of progressive advocates -- including Daniel Ellsberg, former
California State Senator and activist Tom Hayden, and actor Peter Coyote
-- offer a unique approach to this year's presidential race in an open
letter to be circulated on the Internet. They advocate strategic
"split state" voting that takes advantage of the fact that a presidential
election is really 50 distinct state elections (plus Washington, D.C.).
The letter urges support for John Kerry in swing states and for Green Party
candidate David Cobb in "safe states."
Signers also include Medea Benjamin (Code Pink, Global Exchange); John
Eder (Maine state legislator/Green Party); Angela Gilliam (professor/feminist
scholar); Kevin Gray (Jackson '88/Sharpton '04); Elizabeth Horton Sheff
(Hartford City Council/Green Party); Rabbi Michael Lerner (Tikkun); Robert
McChesney (communications professor/author); Norman Solomon (author/columnist).
All signers endorse the letter as individuals, not on behalf of any groups.
AN OPEN LETTER TO PROGRESSIVES: VOTE KERRY AND COBB
There is no greater political imperative this year than to retire the
Bush regime, one of the most dangerous and extremist in U.S. history.
As people dedicated to peace, economic justice, equality, sustainability
and constitutional freedoms, we are committed to defeating Bush.
The only candidate who can win instead of Bush in November is John
Kerry. We want Kerry to replace Bush, because a Kerry administration
would be less dangerous in many crucial areas, including militarism, civil
liberties, civil rights, judicial appointments, reproductive rights and
environmental protection.
But while helping Kerry-Edwards defeat Bush-Cheney, we don't want to
endorse Kerry positions that are an insult to various causes we support,
including movements for global justice and peace that have burgeoned in
recent years. Indeed, we want to communicate to Kerry and the world
that we oppose many of his policies, including some that are barely distinguishable
from Bush policies.
Accordingly, we encourage progressives to organize and vote strategically
this year.
1) In "swing states,"
where few percentage points separate Bush and Kerry, we encourage activists
to mobilize voters behind Kerry. (A frequently updated list of swing states
is posted at www.swing04.com.)
2) In "safe states"
(and Washington, D.C.), so overwhelmingly pro-Bush or pro-Kerry that we
can be confident of who will win in November, we encourage activists to
mobilize voters behind Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb.
3) In all states,
we encourage activists to engage in election-year vigilance to ensure that
all votes count, especially those of racial minorities -- and to advocate
for instant runoff voting and other reforms so that voters in future elections
can support the candidate they most believe in without risk of electing
the candidate they most oppose.
David Cobb has earned our endorsement in safe states by deftly steering
the Green Party toward a nuanced strategy dedicated to ousting Bush, while
seeking to grow a grassroots party that stands unapologetically for peace,
racial and social justice, economic democracy, civil liberties and genuine
ecology. The Green Party gives political voice to movements that
challenge Bush's Iraq policy and resist trade arrangements that trample
on workers' rights, human rights and the environment.
Despite a Democratic Party base that is increasingly progressive, anti-NAFTA/WTO
and anti-war, John Kerry has lost the strong, brave voice he had as a young
man who challenged the Vietnam War and now offers a faint echo of too many
Bush policies -- from Iraq and military spending to the global trade regime
and corporate coddling (e.g. Kerry's plan to reduce
corporate taxes).
We are disappointed that, four years after the Florida disaster, Kerry
and leading Democrats (with exceptions such as Dennis Kucinich, Jesse Jackson
Jr. and Howard Dean) do not promote common-sense electoral reforms like
instant runoff voting that would once and for all eliminate the "spoiler"
risk that deforms U.S. elections.
With our electoral system yet to be fixed, we are left this year with
the improvised solution of endorsing one candidate in some states and another
candidate in other states. This dual-endorsement solution is preferable
to endorsing either a candidate with important positions we oppose or a
solidly progressive candidate whose votes in swing states could help Bush
get four more years.
In this crucial election year, we encourage progressives to work tirelessly
to vote Bush out -- as we build grassroots networks and coalitions to hold
the Kerry administration accountable to the progressive values and policies
shared by most Americans.
Medea Benjamin
Peter Coyote
John Eder
Daniel Ellsberg
Angela Gilliam
Kevin Gray
Tom Hayden
Elizabeth Horton Sheff
Rabbi Michael Lerner
Robert McChesney
Norman Solomon
(Signers endorse this statement as individuals, not as representatives
of any groups.)