The only thing that wins ... is winning.

• Author: Tirado, Jose M.
• Position: Thinking Politically

It's a bit early yet for bets to be made on who will be the next President of the United States, but barring a mass conversion to leftist ideology or Green priciples, my money says that most Americans will be speaking about a President Bush, President Kerry or President Dean (a slim wildcard might be a President Wesley Clark). So what has been the progressive Green response? Vote Democratic! Yes, that's right, the most visible and viable progressive movement in the country has some of its best and brightest advocating working for the Democrats! Talk about dumb and dumber.

Why do I say this? Because from the early excitement coming out of a Green meeting in July, some of the most respectable Greens on the national stage are de facto suggesting Greens vote for Rep. Dennis Kucinich. It was widely reported that Medea Benjamin of Global Exchange, San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez, and California Green gubernatorial candidate Peter Camejo all came out of a meeting with Kucinich gushing loudly at the Progressive Democrat's appeal to Greens and suggested Greens help put Kucinich at the head of the Democratic ticket.

Now, I like Rep. Kucinich. I believe he is one of the only Democrats truly worthy of that name and certainly the one whose politics most resemble my own. He is not, however, going to win the Democratic nomination, he is not going to be the next President of the United States and he is not Green. I am. That's the way I vote, and here's why.

Greens stand for not just a few policy changes nor for getting a few progressive elected officals in positions of political power; we stand for a new and different system. A system that is more sensitive to the enormous problems affecting our environment; more truly democratic, responsive to the people and not corporations; more internationalist in scope and less violent, isolationist, and imperial. We cannot get the system we want by voting for people who do not want our system.

In order to really change this country, we must change our electoral system. This crucial fact, which is beginning to get a bit of press, remains the single greatest obstacle to a more democratic society in the United States. The very rules used to elect officials from Congress to President must be changed (getting Proportional Representation and Instant Runoff Voting and getting rid of the Electoral College). That can only be done by voting Green everywhere and putting into positions of influence...