Community | October 29, 2008 | 11 comments

Zinn Will Vote for Nader!

source: http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/zinn-will-vote-for-nader/

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By Manila Ryce
The Largest Minority
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2008/10/28/zinn-wont-be-voting-for-obama-after-al...
Oct 28, 2008

Zinn Won’t be Voting for Obama After All

This letter to Ralph Nader retracts Professor Zinn’s previous endorsement of Obama. He gave us permission to publish it.

Dear Ralph:

I was wrong in saying I would vote for Obama. I was not thinking of the slam-dunk states, of which Massachusetts is one, and I will vote for you in Massachusetts.

I still think that the electoral arena is one that saps our energy, and gets us nowhere. What you say about civic activity not having a chance to change policy is pessimistic and wrong, and if civic activity cannot be effective then electoral activity will be even less effective.

Civic activity is the only way things can change — you should know that better than anyone because you’ve been so good at it. Such activity affects public opinion which in the long run, when it becomes widespread enough, forces changes in policy. Electoral activity, in a managed political system when the candidacy of third party candidates can only show weakness, will not change public opinion. We are not in a Debs-era situation, when a powerful Socialist movement represented millions of people.

In solidarity,
Howard

see also:

Howard Zinn: Vote for Obama but direct action needed
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/howard-zinn-vote-for-obama-but-di...

http://www.votenader.org/
  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   Politics,   Election 2008
  2. tags:
    News,  Politics,  News and Politics,  Barack Obama,  5 more
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11 comments // Zinn Will Vote for Nader!

  • MrButterCuts
  • DandelionSalad
  • MrButterCuts
    • 0
      MrButterCuts  

    • And this is the problem with our two party faux democracy. The views espoused by both candidates are so narrow in their construction, so dogmatic in their delivery that they cannot possibly fully represent anyone, reducing our elections to a zero sum game in which each choice will always be, for many, the lesser of two evils.

    • 4 years ago
  • asherp
    • 0
      asherp  

    • I don't really have a ton of resepct for the liberal intelligencia, especially when they fall into the electoral arena trap.

      Study the ISSUES, make your mind up based on THE FACTS and the CANDIDATE'S PLATFORMS.

      Pick the candidate that best represents you.
      That's the only way to vote.

    • 4 years ago
  • DreSandoval
  • DandelionSalad
  • tokomoe
  • DandelionSalad
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • I truly believe this must be the election where a third party candidate at least has a good enough of a showing to truly challenge the status quo Democratic and Republican parties. I too will vote for Nader this time out. His words and past actions represent the America we should have, not the one the status quo and media project. Voting shouldn't be about just voting for the "lesser of two evils."

    • 4 years ago
  • puretrixie
    • 0
      puretrixie  

    • I will absolutely VOTE FOR NADER!! I always have ever since he ran in 2000. Do the research on him and he is a stellar human being working for the rights of the people! The electoral college is useless and usurps our power by being able to change what the popular vote is to whatever they see fit! It means they can override the individual vote. I do not see that as a democratic way of life! Truth and honesty would be abound if NADER WAS the PRESIDENT and maybe our corrupt government could REALLY be reformed!

    • 4 years ago
  • Pericles_Lewnes
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