I'm not usually one to congratulate Greens on their political strategy, given that their strategy essentially consists of siphoning off center-left votes and ensuring Republican victories. Sometimes they go even further and happily suckle at the Republican teat, fully aware that they are pawns in the GOP's game. (See the
Carl Romanelli tag for details.)
But in Connecticut's Fourth District, Green candidate Richard Duffee has agreed to drop out, leaving Democratic nominee
Diane Farrell a clear shot at the Republican incumbent, Chris Shays. Yes, Shays: the same gentleman who referred to the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison as a "sex ring," and defended Mark Foley by noting that Foley hasn't killed anyone. Because that's the standard United States Congressmen should be held to.
The AP notes that the Farrell campaign approached Duffee weeks ago to negotiate his withdrawal, and that Farrell's positions against the Iraq war and for stronger environmental protections sealed the deal. Duffee has selflessly put the greater good above his own ambitions, and has proven that some Greens have realized how dangerous the Republican majority is, and that playing the spoiler and keeping them in power does neither the Green Party or their principles any good. As one of Duffee's campaign staffers said:
"We are not spoilers. We want to let the press and the country know that we are modern 21st century politicians," he said. "We're way beyond egos. We're about issues and getting them done."
Shays and Farrell have been locked in a tight race. Show her some love.