American election
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Put the blog up now
https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-red-flag-or-stars-stripes.html
The write-in states are
Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont
Thanks. It will be interesting to see how many people in those states exercise their right to do this eg perhaps for the Green Party or the Libertarian Party assuming they are not in the ballot paper there. Might be something our companion party there could do at a later stage if its development.
The old Socialist Labor Party of America used to run presidential and vice-presidential candidates till 1976, (scroll down to see their names and votes), I remember a member of our US party telling me that he used to secretly vote for them.
There was a US presidential election in which the WSPUS had a presidential candidate (1932?? 1936??). I can’t remember his name and can’t remember where I read it. I thought maybe in Karla’s book but when I went back and looked for it I didn’t find it. Anyone know his name and the year?
(There was no mention of whether he was actually on the ballot in any state or was a write-in.)Nationwide, more than 28 million ballots have been cast, a record fuelled by coronavirus concerns. US media are reporting that registered Democrats have so far outvoted registered Republicans – casting more than double the number of ballots.</p>
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/election-us-2020-54576498Polling places where more than 90% of active registered voters were minorities, the average minimum waiting time was 51 minutes; in districts where more than 90% of registered voters were white, the average fell to six minutes.
A rare but good article critical of the lesser evil argument,
US Presidential Campaign Spectacle: Distracts from Essential Issues while Playing the Race Card
That is just another example of how huge is the “democratic deficit” in the USA which means that its government is in no position to lecture other countries for their lack of formal democracy. No wonder they won’t allow foreign observers in to see if elections there are fair,
Marcos has drawn attention to this failure of a trotskyist party — the so-called “Socialist Equality Party” — to get on the ballot paper in California. Apparently, to do that there, you have to collect 200,000 signatures, which the SEP was unable to due to the pandemic.
We know the SEP over here of course. It’s one of the fragments of Gerry Healy’s WRP. When they contest elections they get even less votes than us. Still, they should have the right to stand.
The left in California can still vote for the Peace and Freedom Party, i think
http://www.peaceandfreedom.org/home/
I notice the linked article’s author is a member and combatting lesser evil voting is one of its main focus, understandable since they are standing.
And there is now a new Peoples Party angling for support
I see from that link that there are also votes on specific propositions, a reminder that some states of the US are more rather than less democratic than in some other countries— in this case allowing as in Switzerland the right of citizens to propose a referendum. California, with a population of some 40 million, is larger than most European states and seems to be up to west European standards when it comes to formal democracy.
Their ‘What is socialism?‘ series, is still peddling Leftist two stagism, economic systems, etc versions of capitalism as ‘socialism’.
More than 40 million Americans have already voted early, according to the independent US Elections Project
This link from the NYTimes is useful.
https://electproject.github.io/Early-Vote-2020G/index.html
Run by Michael McDonald, an expert on early voting, the website has become a must-bookmark stop for everyone who obsesses about politics, offering frequently updated data on early voting returns across the country.
What may be a record turn-out of voters
- More than 50 million Americans have already cast their ballots, putting the country on track for the highest turnout of any election since 1908.
Some of you can’t see the forest for the trees. Analyzing the early votes is largely a waste of time. In the end, Trump will declare the election null and void on some spurious grounds and send the decision to the Republican held SCOTUS who will uphold Trump’s allegations, whatever they may be. Instead of wasting your time with early voting discussions, use your time wisely and productively by planning for what actions you will take to face down the fascist coup.
I’m well aware of the mistake of relying on early voting to determine the outcome of the election. It is known that on-the-day voting will involve more Republicans and that early results will favour Trump who is expected to use those unofficial results to declare a victory.
We try to accurate in the terms we use and to call any attempt by Trump to capture the presidency illegitimately a “fascist coup” is giving the word a very loose meaning.
And just what actions can be recommended?
I recall Daniel De Leon’s strategy of the sword and shield. The shield being industrial action and the general strike to protect the vote. Arms folded was another name for a general strike – non-violent civil disobedience.
Certainly you do not recommend an uprising against Trump. We know who have the guns, the militias and the sympathies of the local law enforcement.
Will there be a legal tussle? Probably, if the vote is close. Gore went to court and reluctantly accepted Bush, preferring to blame defeat on the Green Party and Ralph Nader than question the constitution.
Having said the above, i believe it will all be an anti-climax with an undisputable win for Biden.
And the real question you should be actually asking is what sort of action will the left progressive liberal take against lesser-evil Biden as he reneges on policy after policy in alliance with Republicans like Mitt Romney and the Lincoln Project Never-Trumpers.
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