CALLING ALL COMRADES:
You may have missed the news, but there’s an election coming up in November. Just kidding — OF COURSE you already know about it, because we held a discussion Sunday, May 19 of the various options socialists might consider for the presidential election. We then published those three (revised) opinion pieces in AGAINST THE CURRENT. (September-October). We received an additional one by Cliff Conner, published on the ATC website.
* WHY SOCIALISTS SHOULD DEFEAT TRUMP BY DAN LA BOTZ
* SOCIALIST SUPPORT FOR THE GREEN PARTY BY HOWIE HAWKINS
* WHAT QUESTION ARE WE ANSWERING? BY KIT WAINER
* A MARXIST CASE FOR VOTING FOR KAMALA HARRIS BY CLIFF CONNER
As we did in 2020, Solidarity is not adopting a formal position on the presidential contest. There are various viewpoints in our organization, as there are throughout the socialist and progressive U.S. left. In the 2020 Trump-Biden election, we polled our membership, inviting comrades to choose among several options, and published the results in an article for the website. That’s the procedure we’re going to follow this time as well.
To be sure, the November election is about more than just the presidency. Not only are there the Congressional, state and local races, and critically important ballot referenda especially on abortion rights, but also the threats of rightwing voter suppression and attempts to overturn election results, even the possibility of chaos and constitutional crisis — which may turn out to be the most important events of the election and afterward. But for our immediate purposes, we’re asking you to “voice your choice” on the options in the presidential election.
We’re keeping the options limited to get, hopefully, the clearest indication of where the membership stands. So, for example, we’re not subdividing the choices among nuantial variations of “safe state” choices. Feel free to append any comments you may have!
PLEASE NOTE: In view of the Israeli army’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, support to the settlers who attack Palestinians in the West Bank, and widening attacks on Lebanon, it is important to join with all demonstrations and actions calling for ceasefire and an embargo on U.S. arms to Israel during the pre- and post-election period! The movement is not stopping for the campaign!
OPTION 1: In view of the extreme character of the far-right Christian nationalist threat represented by the Trump-Vance Republican ticket, socIalists should support a vote for the Harris-Walz Democratic ticket.
OPTION 2: Socialists should support a vote for Harris-Walz in the “battleground states” where the outcome is likely to be closely decided. In other states socialists should support a vote for the Green Party Stein-Ware ticket, or Cornel West’s independent campaign, where they’re on the ballot or waging an organized write-in campaign.
OPTION 3: Socialists should support building an alternative through a vote for the Green Party ticket wherever it’s on the ballot (or failing that, Cornel West or any progressive alternative to express our advocacy of independent politics).
OPTION 4: Other (please specify. This would include, for example, abstaining on the presidential vote and concentrating on down-ballot or referenda, etc.).
FURTHER COMMENT:
NAME:
PLEASE RETURN YOUR BALLOT BY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6.