Sabotaging Jill Stein

Green-Rainbow Party Candidate Jill Stein is running for Governor of Massachusetts. Her website gives you information about her campaign. There are links that tout her qualifications for the office, including news articles and there is a link that allows you to contribute money to her campaign.

Stein has done well in the debates she has participated in. Like all candidates who debate, she must get her point across in a limited amount of time. She is intelligent and articulate. She is able to convince voters that she is competent and knows what she is talking about. After all this, she blows her own chances by riding the "Little Person, Third-Party" platform and spends more time talking about how she's not an "Insider" and delivers a new option for voters and can deliver real change.

Here is the truth: All of this was interesting back in 1992 when Ross Perot ran for President, dropped out of the race and re-entered the race. Perot gave Third-Party people everywhere credibility by taking the time to explain his stance on issues and his plans for solving problems in simple terms that were easy to get one's mind around. Dropping out of the race deflated the hopes of some. Re-entering made others question his commitment.

Eightteen years later, the "Outsider" label is worn out. Stein needs to do what all Third-Party candidates needed to do a long time ago: Let the campaign evolve past the "Woe is me. Where is the voice for the Little People?" routine that was fresh back when the word "fresh" meant cool and spend more time explaining why they should vote for you.

While we're at it:

Stop whining about candidates being influenced by lobbyists and stick to how your ideas will work. Otherwise, you just sound like the kid in the playground who stops playing because he's too busy yelling, "He cheated!"

Casinos are not being debated or voted on right now. You're against them. We get it. Move on.

Instead of complaining about the "glut of office parks and malls", talk about making them more eco-friendly, unless you're thinking of razing them.

Spend more attention, focus, and energy on why voters should choose you instead of pushing the "small person vs. Mean Giant" image.

Allow your campaign to evolve. I'm sure it will attract more voters.