Why do people vote for Democrats? Simple answer: Because Green candidates get Republicans elected. Exhibit A: the 2000 Presdiential election. If Nader doesn't run, Gore wins New Hampshire and Florida is moot and the country is spared eight years of misery. If we had a parliamentary system in this country, the Green Party might form an effective coalition with the Democrats. But we don't, and thus the Greens are the Ross Perots of the left.

The fact of our electoral system is that the winner takes all. There is no reward for losing. That occurs in primaries as well as general elections. Senator Snowe would not be in office if not for the Green Party. Same can be said for Carol Weston Senator from Waldo County.. Would David Emery be the Republican Candidate for Governor in 2008 if Peter Mills had not run, defeating Woodcock? Or visa versa? At any rate I am voting for the the person I think will be best for the office - but not Green - Green is the new Red

The current administration gave citi group the billions.. so how is that pinned on the previous administration??? let it go PL

Pat, you hit on something close to home. People -- a very large part of the electorate -- seem to have a difficult time voting for the "best" candidate, the one who most closely mirrors one's personal vision for the nation or the state; instead, they vote for one of the major party candidates, the one deemed "electable". Unfortunately, this approach becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy, in that we, as voters, settle for not the best person, but for the one perceived electable. The result is a less vibrant, and at time troublesome, democracy.

If all of us had the courage to vote our convictions, we might be an even greater nation.

Here's a question....why even have political parties?

"The current administration gave citi group the billions.. so how is that pinned on the previous administration??? let it go PL"

Really? TARP began under Bush, and the Bush administration were the ones who bought 100 Billion dollars in assets for 500 Billion. They put essentially no restrictions on the money, and none of the initial funding was used to stem the foreclosure crisis. Citi received the first 20 Billion in October of last year, and the otherr 20-30 in January. How, exactly, does this not fall on the previous administration? You people parrot talking points from Conservative talk-radio without knowing a darn thing about the situation. At least the Obama administration has had some measure of success in seeing that this money is spent in as an effective way as can be, and Geithner has done a far better job (though not great, by any means) of using the Remaining money in TARP than Paulson was.

Should go with popular vote. No need for the electoral college anymore.

Republicrats are beholden to big corporate donors, and Green candidates routinely win spending 1/10 of the money their opponents do.

What makes me think i can trust a green candidate not to do the bidding of corporations? because they take no money from corporations and limit the amount taken from individuals, just like the Green Party does.

The Green Party functions mostly on volunteer labor, and all we need to win is aware voters.

I have seen it time and again, Republicrats are always promising to do what biological entities, like voters, need, and then acting mostly to support only imaginary entities, like corporations and their own party.

I am among many that will not vote for Republicrats, we will vote for another whether the Green party exists or not. I insist upon my right to vote for someone i actually would like to see in office, and people like Pat and i will continue to work hard so that those who feel the same have a reason to go to the polls.

There is nothing new about the fact that most politicians are increasingly beholden to those who give them money to pay for TV ads, and that those who donate often reap direct rewards paid for by the taxpayers at 10 to 1 rates and better.

For example, ADM Inc. donations to both the republican and the democrat parties and their candidates in 1989 alone have reaped a 1000% return in corn alcohol subsidies almost each and every year since.

Where do the voters get to make this kind of investment so we can afford to pay for this?

The third part of the first GPUS plank @ http://www.gp.org/platform reads:

"A. 3. All viable candidates at the state and federal levels should have free and equal radio and television time and print press coverage."

The broadcasters no longer even pay token rent to use the people's radio waves...

Let's eliminate the middleman that costs us so much more than just the most money, they should be our way of hearing what candidates have to say.

Volunteer, run, and vote, for the party that works for you and other actual earthlings.

It's your party if you just become involved and share your concerns; as opposed to the "realistic" parties which will never belong to you regardless of how much time, effort, or money you dump down that hole along with your vote.

Vote to support biological beings, not imaginary ones! Vote Green!!

hankwilliams: if Gore had carried his OWN state, we would have been spared Bush...but not the misery. Can't blame this on little ol' Ralph Nader.

Make the press expose where the lobbying money goes (especially when the lobbyists are former legistlators) and how they vote.

"Make the press expose where the lobbying money goes..."

Maybe some of the money goes to the press to present the "official" news.

Who, or what, controls the press?

It's happening...we, as a nation, are becoming more and more devided.

The old saying stills holds true; "United We Stand, Devided We Fall"

We're falling into Obama's prescribed Socialism program.

Socialism is great until you run out of working peoples money!

Grab your ankles !!

How come this exact same article and comments appear in Renee Ordway's column?