February 2, 2008

The Greens have a dilemma.  They could nominate Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney for President, and possibly win the Presidency.  They could nominate the controversial rich, white guy who recently endorsed an anti-environmental proponent of the war in Iraq and of the Patriot Act. 

The Greens have a tough decision.  A lot of Greens feel close to the rich, white Ralph Nader, who pushed HMOs as his choice for health care in 2000.  The voters-at-large have no such illusions.  Millions of African-Americans were disenfranchised.  It was the worst in Florida.  Nader and his supporters treated the disenfranchised voters like scum, according to voting rights activists who tried to get the votes counted in 2000.   One voting rights activist pointed out, "Nader only cared about attacking Gore and didn't once stand up for the voters, who had been traumatized by their horrible experiences.  Pat Buchanan showed more sympathy for black voters than Nader did."  How is it that someone like Pat Buchanan, who had a reputation for being a racist, came to the aid of African-American voters and Nader and his supporters snubbed those same African-Americans?

Because of some of the recent policies of the Democratic and Republican Parties, a lot of African-American voters are going independent.  If Democrats nominate Barack Obama, they will be running a rich African-American for President.  Are the African-American voters more likely to pick a rich African-American male or a rich white guy who snubbed African-Americans?  The Democrats are hoping the Greens throw away the November election by picking Ralph Nader.  Women are less likely to vote for a rich white guy who snubbed African-Americans than they are to vote for a woman who has been the victim of sexual put-downs in the press. Hillary Clinton is working on capturing the sympathy vote. If Ralph Nader wants Clinton to win, he should seek the Green nomination so the Green Party won't get more than a handful of votes.

Cynthia McKinney has the support of Democrats, third party voters, and independents, and would be a uniting force for the Greens in the November election.  She filed Articles of Impeachment against George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice in 2006.  She voted against the war and against the Patriot Act.  She stood with disenfranchised voters in 2000 and 2004.  She voted against Bush's Florida electors in 2001 and his Ohio electors in 2005.   She is the woman the Bush Administration most fears.   The movie American Blackout was about her struggle for justice for voters in 2000 and subsequent elections.  She is an American hero above and beyond anyone who has previously run for the Green nomination for President. 

In 2006, Cynthia McKinney was declared Congresswoman of the Year by the Patrick Henry Democratic Club of America.  The Green and the Peace and Freedom Parties have the opportunity to hake history by nominating this courageous woman for the Presidency.  If a four-way race occurs with Michael Bloomberg pulling a large chunk of Republican voters, Cynthia McKinney could get enough Democratic, Green, Peace and Freedom, and independent votes to be elected the next President of the United States.

Will Ralph Nader and his supporters prevent the Green Party from achieving a record-setting victory?   Does Nader's ego mean more than a Green victory? America will see.