A recent article in Jacobin magazine mentions “the new vision of electoral activism on the radical left that began with Kshama Sawant’s election to Seattle City Council”. And while the number and awareness of third Parties and candidates such as the Green Party and the Socialist Alternative has grown somewhat in the past few years, there are still large areas of the United States where no Independent or third Party candidates are on the ballot for the fall elections.
In the states where Green Party affiliates do exist, most of them were established by the Jill Stein campaign with its energy, organization and financial backing, and since Jill herself has dropped out of electoral activism in favor of critiquing those already elected, many of these Green Party chapters are either dormant or in disagreement about how to proceed and have no candidates. The Socialist Alternative has expanded its chapters and run a few other candidates but the numbers have still been so small as to leave vast areas of the country without a Socialist Alternative candidate.
The fact that a few alternative political activists do exist and are running for office should be recognized, publicized and supported as they are by the NPA. However, most progressive blogs and magazines concentrate on various single-issues instead of promoting electoral activism and providing a place for progressives with electoral ambitions to come together and meet others of a like mind in their Congressional Districts.
Recent polls show the public may be ahead of the progressives on this issue. A recent Rasmussen Poll shows 53% of Americans feel that neither of the major political parties represent the American people. A recent Gallup poll in June of 2014 shows only 7% approve of the current Congress. 42% identify themselves as Independents and 2/3 would vote for a third Party according to Gallup polls and Washington Post polls respectively.
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