Shades of green
“It’s always a factor, but in a sense the Democrats already spoiled it — we’re just trying to do our best to make sure they don’t spoil it worse,” Dickinson said. “They are corporate funded, and they make too many compromises with corporate interests. And they’re funding that terrible war over there.”
The question is one every third party has to deal with, in one way or another: What is the purpose of a campaign that you are certain to lose? Unlike in most of the rest of the world’s democracies, the American political system is strictly winner-take-all, and it’s next to impossible for third parties to directly win a seat at the table. For some, the point of a presidential campaign is to force the mainstream parties to take your platform seriously, by taking votes away from it. In this reading, the “spoiler factor” is the third party’s only power — at least until it somehow develops a constituency big enough to contend for power.
The Cobb strategy was different: less ideological, more pragmatic. It focused on building the grassroots, and keeping big, unwinnable elections out of the way of that goal. If there is a consensus out of Pennsylvania this year, it may be because Greens don’t believe that the two strategies will conflict in 2008. They may believe the Democrats can’t lose.
As religious readersof the Battle Creek (Mich.) Enquirer, we were somewhat flabbergasted when we came across this description of a sideshow on display at the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival in the paper’s July 2 edition:
“Other visitors enjoyed Allen’s Original World Famous Redwood Log House, a historic mobile home made from a hollowed limb of a Redwood tree. It is 33 feet long, 8 feet wide and 9 feet 4 inches in height at the largest end. The limb was cut from a Redwood at the Georgia Pacific Lumber Co. near Eureka, California, when Redwoods were still being legally harvested.”
For starters: That’s a hell of a limb!
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
Choo-choo Fantasies
Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
seven-o-heaven
Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Recent the town dandy
Jan. 13, 2011
The Golden Boy
Dec. 23, 2010
Wish Lists
Dec. 16, 2010
The Train Geeks Return
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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