We’ve been talking about the Rocky Anderson for President campaign for twenty days now. I started with the question “What kind of presidential candidate is Rocky Anderson?”
I have a great deal of admiration for Rocky Anderson, and I’ve done what I can to help get the word out about his campaign. However, I also feel that I have the obligation to be honest in what I write. Therefore, what I have to write about the Rocky Anderson presidential campaign tonight is that it doesn’t appear to be going well.
This map tells the tale:
This map is based on an interactive map offered on the Rocky Anderson for President web site. It’s a map where people can click to find out about Rocky Anderson campaign volunteer groups that have been formed near where they live.
For most Americans, there are no nearby campaign volunteer groups. In the map you see above, states with one volunteer group are colored yellow. States with two volunteer groups are colored orange. The state of Washington is colored red because it’s got three volunteer groups.
Most of the United States of America is colored black, however. Black states are those where there are no Rocky Anderson for President volunteer groups at all.
It’s true that Rocky Anderson isn’t getting the kind of coverage that Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich or Ron Paul get. Yet, Rocky Anderson has received prominent coverage from media organizations specifically targeted to the kinds of voters that Rocky Anderson is seeking support from – organizations like MSNBC and Democracy Now.
These sources have large numbers of viewers and listeners, and plenty of their audience members have said that they love the idea of Rocky Anderson’s campaign. The number of people from these audiences that have taken the simple step to sign up to volunteer with the Rocky Anderson campaign, however, is small.
Why? I can’t answer that question with certainty. I can note that the Rocky Anderson for President campaign web site wasn’t ready to go when Rocky Anderson announced his candidacy. For days afterwards, and to some extent even in the present, the Rocky Anderson for President web site has remained awkward. For the first few days the site was online, I even questioned whether the site was truly representative of the campaign, or the result of an improvised supporting effort.
For a campaign that seeks to grow through online social networking, a lack of online readiness is a crippling flaw.
I’ll keep an eye on the Rocky Anderson for President campaign, and see if the volunteering for his effort picks up. At present, however, I have to conclude that the Rocky Anderson candidacy has had a weak start. The campaign of Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has been a much more steady presence, and seems at this point to present a more effective liberal alternative to the re-election of Barack Obama.
Hasn’t he or his staff heard of the internet?
Unfortunately, the Democrat and Republican duopoly parties have such a stranglehold over politics in this country that valiant candidacies like Rocky Johnson and Jill Stein will continue to be marginalized and ineffective. Only when some third force is powerful enough to break through and tear down the two-party barricades will the American people begin to experience choice and competition in the form of multiparty elections.
In my estimation, that initial breakthrough can only succeed from the middle of the political spectrum and only by drawing in roughly equal measure from both the duopoly parties. Electoral initiatives that come from either end of the political spectrum are destined to split the vote and produce a spoiler outcome. But if an electoral campaign can finally break open the duopoly stranglehold and establish a viable third political presence, it will open a pathway for the Greens, the Justice Party and other progressive initiatives.
I meant to say Rocky Anderson.
I wonder if he’ll get on the ballot in CA. I have talked to all of my friends in that state about it, so I’ve done what I can individually, but he’ll need 103,000 registered Justice Party members there by Jan 1 to get on the ballot. Small parties have done it in a few days before, but I wonder if he’ll do it. If not, that might be the end for him, unless there’s another way to get on the ballot….
He might do what Nader did in ’08, run (and win) for the nomination of the Peace & Freedom party. That’s how Nader got on the ballot in ’08.
Yeah, this is exactly why you can’t start a viable third party by jumping at the presidency right from the get-go. It needs to be done from the bottom up. Rocky Anderson should be building his party in Utah where he has political capital, just like the Vermont Progressive Party has done, but since Utah is a fairly bigger state with more attention, building it up there would work towards the goal of a national third party movement. Unfortunately we’ll just another Nader (from the late 90s beyond Nader I mean) it seems who will probably fizzle out after he realizes he didn’t make a dent.
It’s not all that easy to find info on his campaign but here’s what I got from a post on his Facebook page -
Email Rocky: TalkToRocky@gmail.com Rocky’s Official Campaign Website: VoteRocky.org For info and resources to organize locally with the Justice Party: JusticePartyUSA.org
I was very impressed with Rocky Anderson’s message on Democracy Now! a couple of weeks back. When I went to the Justice Party website on 12/21, I was amazed there was nothing there on the process to register 103,00 Californians in just over 10 days–and 2 holidays included. I thought any campaign for a new party would have learned from the Arab Spring and vital use of the internet/ facebook/youtube, etc. The process and fedform are now on the website, but time is so short. I talked to Cliff via phone and heard his emphasis on standard contacts via group affiliations. Not the way to go. The disaffected 2008 Obama supporters are connected via the internet. Why not target them there one-by-one via mass emailing, Facebook & YouTube contact lists??? C’mon, Salt Lake City. Get into the modern age! Rocky has a winning message that would really appeal to the 99%’rs. Economic justice for the 99%. Legal justice for the 99%. Income justice for the 99%. Voting justice for the 99%. Etc.
Please realize the campaign was only announced in December. Rocky accepted the nomination from the Justice Party Jan. 13. It takes quite an effort to run a national campaign while trying to set up 50 state organizations. As a member of his national steering committee I would welcome your help. When a candidate will only accept $100 donations there are even more obstacles to overcome. I can tell you, Rocky Anderson is exactly who he claims to be. Read about him: great article on Wikipedia. A couple of in-the-works websites:VOTEROCKY.org and JUSTICEPARTY.ORG. Together we can make a reality of a third party (Rocky calls it a 2nd party because he has concluded the RNC and DNC are clones.) Please join us… the man’s for real!