While the left’s presidential nomination is basically all sealed up, there is still spry old Dr. Jill Stein, presidential nominee and the new face of the Green Party, trying her very best to finagle Sanders supporters to vote for her. Through the use of social media and multiple media appearances, Stein has repeatedly tried to present herself as the only alternative candidate available to voters that are still not sure if they are with her – her being Clinton. Despite her complete lack of experience in public office or any real chance of becoming President, more than a few of those currently disenchanted with the Democrats have embraced the Green Party candidate for her leftist views, specifically concerning the environment.
Dr. Stein has garnered 4% support in national polls that include third-party candidates including Libertarian Party nominee former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson. This is both Stein and Johnson’s second presidential run, but Johnson seems to be gaining traction with the electorate, faring much better than both he and Stein had done in the previous election. If Johnson ramps up enough support to register 15% of support in polls, he would be eligible to appear in the debates, leaving Stein offstage in her continuing pursuit to be heard.
The rise of Johnson reveals the weakness in Jill Stein as a candidate and the Green Party as a whole. As previously mentioned, Stein does not have any experience in holding public office, despite having run in multiple elections. This is not entirely shocking as not one single candidate from the Green Party has won a major election. What is actually shocking is a party can hardly find any traction in a country with more tree-hugging environmentalists and nature lovers than other countries with actual elected Green Party officials. A grassroots movement that can muster up enough support to halt the Keystone pipeline or bans on fracking, but can’t find any other candidate to run for office besides a doctor.
Stein is well aware that the she and the Green Party are not making the strides they need to actually become a viable option for the presidency. Once it was all certain that Clinton would be clinching the Democratic nomination, Stein offered Sanders the top spot on the Green Party ticket. He respectfully declined, instead choosing to endorse Clinton in a last-ditch effort to stop Trump, therefore prompting Stein to chastise the Democratic candidate for not adamantly sticking to his convictions. She at least managed to cajole Cornell West to her side, one of the most passionate and controversial of Sanders supporters.
What Stein, the Green Party and Sanders-or-bust supporters need to realize is that being right on issues like climate change or the value of a good, affordable education does not alone make for a viable option for a President. There are plenty of people in the world that believe in social justice or universal healthcare, that does not mean they would make a good president. At the very least, a presidential candidate should have some history in public office, perhaps know how to write legislation and have the leadership skills to make sure it passes. Otherwise, the candidate is nothing more than another Trump feeding off voter’s anger and bitterness towards the establishment.
It’s completely understandable that the left does not want Clinton as their nominee; if the convention is any indicator, many Democrats are becoming disgusted with their party. But choosing the next schlub that walks off the street as your representative because they sound nice and don’t like Hillary either is not a great way to pick a president. If the Green Party and the left want to be taken seriously, they need to start picking serious candidates that can actually win an election.
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