Source: Drew Angerer/Getty Images News/ Getty Images
When Bernie Sanders lost the California primary, the media was quick to claim that Hillary Clinton won the nomination. The Sanders camp was furious. One half argued the press was jumping the gun too quickly. No way could she be declared one, seeing how the convention is in July. According to them it was disrespectful to Sanders, who just declared he will bring the fight to the convention. Another half admitted defeat and honestly believes that they can shape the Democrat party in Sanders’ image next election.
For the second half, another party came in to tell them that there’s a plan B and they don’t have to wait for the next cycle in 2020. Jill Stein, the presumptive nominee for the Green Party called disaffected Sanders voters to rally behind her instead. She managed to brand herself as the new saviour for those who hate the Democratic establishment.
However when you look closer to her actions, she couldn’t be considered as a legitimate alternative, but a mere protest candidate. In fact, Ralph Nader, a former candidate from the same party was probably more of a serious candidate than her. Gary Johnson (or any of the Libertarian candidates like John McAfee or Austin Petersen) could be considered as more serious candidates and they have been called fringe by other parties before.
When inspected closer, you’ll realize that the Green Party is only on the ballot for 25-30 states come November. Mathematically, you will need a miracle to happen in order for her to be a president. Assuming that she won most of those states, which is unlikely, then she would need the other 3 parties, Libertarian, Republicans and Democrats to duke each other out and hope the already obsolete first past the post system to let her take the lead.
The next assumption made by those transitioning from Sanders to Stein is that the Green Party has invited Sanders to jump ship to their side. Aside from the fact that the action for the Democratic establishment to call him uncommitted and the anti-thesis of loyalty; Sanders has not shown interest in jumping ship. He seems to be more interested in getting other people to join the democrat party and push it to the left from the inside. He has expressed his intention to help Hillary Clinton to take down Trump.
So put aside all of your current imagination of Sanders dragging new democrats to the green side. Sanders isn’t going to run as a green. Not to mention this isn’t the first time Stein asked Sanders to be on her side. However, it’s probably wise for Stein to wait for him to respond, out of respect for him seeing how he is still a Democrat and being hurled abuse on how he is hijacking the party for his own interest. Probably Sanders jumping this early might undo his work in galvanizing the democratic base.
So despite whatever Dr Stein has framed herself in the past few weeks, she couldn’t possibly take a huge lead come November and be the alternative. Vote her all you want, but treat it as protest vote rather than a definite lead.
Originally written for Opinions Unleashed
Terence Aaron is a contributor for Eccentric Journal
