The Democrats and Republicans finished their conventions trying to convince us that they are the party of the middle class and of course they are since we are all middle class, aren’t we? Now that we know they are on our side economically, they can get on with the much more consequential cultural debates so we can find out which one is going to protect our unborn gay children and which one will protect a woman’s right to choose her child’s sexual orientation.
We will have a president and it is most likely to be Barack Obama. The only question is: how much money will be spent by the GOP to lose the race? At least that’s about as interesting as corporate media coverage will be.
All kidding aside, Ron Paul libertarians, if they know what’s good for their movement, will vote for Gary Johnson, especially in Red swing states so as to punish the powers which silenced them. They might even get a bit more sophisticated and vote for Obama in Red States so as to humiliate those same powers with a landslide loss.
As it stands, unless Gary Johnson, Jill Stein and their running mates get in the debates, we can expect popular vote results along these lines:
Obama: 48% Romney: 46% Johnson: 4% Stein: 1% Others:1%
If the debates are inclusive of the Green and Libertarian candidates, we could see something like this:
Obama: 44% Romney: 39% Johnson: 10% Stein: 5% Others: 2%
Obviously the latter results would send the strongest signal to both parties that their corporatism is no longer invulnerable. This message gets even louder if Johnson can win Nevada and/or New Mexico and Stein can win Vermont.
Something more like the former results are more likely since libertarians and progressives are not organized enough to get their candidates in the debates.
If libertarians and progressives decide to continue going their separate ways next time, they might share as much as 20% of the popular vote and if they come to their senses and do what I continue to advocate, go full blown fusion coalition, they will get not less than 29%, and if they come to their senses before the midterm and execute a congressional coalition strategy of crossover voting and mutual endorsements, they stand a real chance of slaying the two headed corporate beast in 2016.
Of course there is a chance that the GOP comes to its senses and puts Rand Paul on the ticket in 2016. You can be certain that any libertarian on that ticket will be VP, not P. More likely the GOP will go with something more traditional like Huckabee/Martinez in 2016 and that kind of ticket could win enough women and Latinos to get them in the White House through 2024. Progressives cannot expect to gain any more ground without a coalition partner, and by 2024, we will probably all be corporatists.
Let’s imagine for a second that libertarians and progressives come to their senses on November 7. What are the tactics for creating a coalition revolution in 2016?
First, create a platform consisting of civil liberties, constitutional rights, non interventionist foreign policy, bold reductions in militaristic and false security spending, domestic reductions through cabinet consolidation, and creative compromises on economic policies. The last will be the most difficult and therefore the most important.
The components of these creative economic policy compromises are: 1.) Splitting 50/50 all gains from budget reductions and revenue increases between debt reduction and population based block grants to states and/or local governments. 2.) Setting a goal of shifting in 8 years time not less $4 trillion and not more than $10 trillion out of Washington through debt reductions and block grants. 3.) A gradual shifting of funding sources for block grants from federal toward state and local levels through diminishing federal matching funds. 4.) Moving monetary authority from the Fed to congress. 5.) Increased allowance for liberalized legal tender laws which make room for greater competitive and complementary currencies in the consumer market place.
Second, with this platform in place use it to find, endorse and promote Senate and House candidates who agree with it, and in doing so avoid pitting libertarian and progressive candidates against one another.
Third, aim to get 40 coalition Senators and 174 coalition Representatives in 2014 and 60/218 in 2016.
Fourth, focus on open and vulnerable seats in 2014 and contest or reaffirm at least 80% of all congressional seats in 2016.
Fifth, bring together coalition convention sponsored by the GP and the LP and any other interested citizen groups, which meets to endorse a coalition presidential ticket. This convention should be held the weekend after the Democrats and Republicans have their shows. If holding it that late prevents the ticket from being on the ballot in all 50 states hold it in between or before the corporate duopoly conventions.
Sixth, support through crossover voting and mutual endorsements libertarian candidates in red states and districts, and progressive candidates in blue states and districts.
Seventh, run 2 presidential candidates inside the corporate parties and 2 outside the corporate parties. When the corporate parties reject our candidates, have them endorse the 2 outside candidates as a coalition ticket nominated by a fusion coalition convention.
These 7 tactics must be agreed to and activated by a coalition of libertarians and progressives if we are ever going to stand a real chance of overthrowing the corporate junta. Righteous dreams, by one or both of these ideological rivals, of total victory and unconditional surrender will result in failure, probably irrevocable and potentially catastrophic.
There is no time to waste attempting to convert one another or to sweet talk one into political favors for the other. Beyond this coalition there will be plenty of time for bickering and jousting for political control. Without this coalition, watch for corporate power continued indefinitely and populist politics of all sorts dead for another century.
Once again, I sound my unamplified hue: libertarians and progressives unite; you have nothing to lose but your corporate chains.
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