Question: Why are people who vote green more frowned upon than people who don't vote at all?

[Smith_3]

I mean, I have seen many more posts blaming Nader voters for Bush than I have seen posts blaming the largest political faction of the US: the non-voters. :shrug: So it is better to just stay home? Then you will not draw any criticism from democrats?

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Nader attacked Democrats -- wrongly

Nader wasn't exactly "speaking truth to power" or giving a rational opposition from the Left -- he had an emotional animus against the Clintons and Al Gore. Many, if not most, of his accusations were baseless or derivative.

He bragged that he would punish the Democratic party by souring the results of the election.

And then it actually happened.

--d!

[elocs]

2. I reject your premise. Blaming Nader for helping to elect Bush

is certainly not frowning upon those who vote green than not voting at all. A clear choice was presented between Al Gore (kind of an environmentalist, isn't he?) and George Bush. One of those two candidates was clearly going to be the next president and I don't know how that is difficult to understand. We all know what Bush did to this country and to green causes and issues. Those who chose to vote for Nader had consequences for their choice which the entire country suffered. Voting for Nader did not in of itself elect Bush, but it in no way helped to elect Al Gore.

[BeFree]

9. Ahhh, real history

Kids, what elocs has written is the truth of the 2000 election.

And well written....Succinct yet verbose.

[blogslut]

3. You see what you want to see

And you hear what you want to hear.

[Romulox]

4. It's actually the "moderates" who openly blackmail the party (see Bayh), but the Left gets beat up

for the same reason bullies pick on the small kid at school--because they can, and because standing up to the true source of their problems is scary and hard.

[sarge43]

5. Sorry, but that's a straw man.

Criticizing Nader is not the same as faulting the Green movement. Where did you find any anti-Green sentiment on DU?

As for non-voters, the ancient Greeks called those who didn't participate in the political life of their society "idiotes". That still applies after 2500 years.

What Dogmudgeon said. At best Nader wanted to burn down the village in order to save it. At worst he's a self-serving bs artist.

[pnwmom]

7. I'm anti-Green when they spout off Naderish slogans.

And Nader has run as a Green before.

[pnwmom]

6. Because some of the people who don't vote

might have voted for the Republican if they'd chosen to vote. I'm happy when they stay home.

But when progressives vote for a candidate who can't win, they're throwing their votes away, and reducing the margin between the Democrat and the Republican.

You'd think by now people would have figured out that there are differences between the Republicans and the Democrats.

[Brazenly Liberal]

8. I'm sorry, but I don't buy that premise. It's not about being green at all.

I didn't vote for Nader because he would make a lousy President. It had nothing to do with green/not green.

I felt he not only was not a serious candidate, he showed utter disdain for the job and the people he would be serving. This is not atypical of Ralph Nader. He's a passionate guy who will sacrifice almost everything to fight for what he believes in, but he is also a professional scold and an asshole who started out self-involved and has over the years become impossible to work with.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Fuck Nader, fuck Nader voters.

And I routinely criticize non-voters, as well as other people who vote against their interests.