http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/green-party-gov-canidate-howie-hawkins-gains-ground-dems-upset-cuomo-article-1.1971352
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Green Party gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins working to woo Democrats unhappy with Cuomo
With political campaigns stress the democratic and republican candidates the voters sometimes forget that there are other parties like the Green Party. This article explains that although Green Party candidate, Howie Hawkins, has no chance winning he could deprive Cuomo of the landslide win he is hoping for. Hawkins casts himself as the "progressive choice" in the race. He disapproves of fracking, and the Common Core school curriculum, but wants to increase education aid. It's disappointing that smaller parties aren't able to advertise their goals to the public leaving them at a great disadvantage on election day. We don't even represent the Green Party in the election simulation. If these small scale parties had more resources to get their views out do you think they would do better in the election or will a democrat or republican always win?
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If these small-scale parties had more resources, like money, they could launch a wide-scale campaign that could really promote their party and make them better-known. Thus, they would definitely do better in the election. Whether they can override the Democrats and Republicans in an election, I think they can, but only if they run enough large-scale campaigns that could potentially cause the new generation to support them (the old generation might be harder to break ties with their political party, since they have supported the party for so long).
ReplyDeleteAmerican democracy is unique in that we only have a two-party system, whereas most other republics have multiple parties people can vote for. This makes it easier for parties to avoid compromise and creates a political culture that values party loyalty over breaking the deadlock. (One only has to look at the way State Senator Tony Avella was blasted for leaving the established Democratic coalition in the Senate) I don't know about New York's policies, but many states actively discourage the participation of third-party candidates by requiring to get a ridiculous amount of signatures in order to even get on the ballot, which can be difficult for parties with low funding to do. If we give voters more than two options, chances are voter turnout will increase and Republicans and Democrats will have to learn how to compromise.
ReplyDeleteOur country's political landscape is so polarized to the point that there is no room for additional parties. There is no such thing as reaching across the aisle and understanding different perspectives anymore. The Democrats and Republicans make it clear in every single election that there is no room for outside parties in any level of government. These two major political parties have the money and power to retain control of their respective positions in government.
ReplyDeleteI feel that in our government, whoever has access to the most resources has access to the most power. Democrats and Republicans have the means of getting their campaigns out there and they have a lot of support behind them. If the Green Party had the same resources, this election would be completely different.
ReplyDeleteIts sad to see an unbalances spread of resources which doesnt allow for the public to get the full picture on parties that although may not be popular at the moment. SInce the Green Party cannot afford to make themselves more know many people have a misconception that the race is soley between Astorino and Cuomo. Both candidates dont even mention Hopkins because without a lot of resources he is not a threat to them.
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