General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: No group has done more to harm their own cause than the Green Party USA [View all]Sympthsical
(9,192 posts)Roughly 2% of the people who voted in 2016 left the presidential line blank.
They flat out refused to cast a vote for anyone for that office while still voting in other races.
Did Jill Stein play a role? Of course. Her campaign probably swayed some votes. It would be silly to say she had zero effect. However, I think she's given a very out-sized role in what happened, and I think it's done so because it's the most desirable of scapegoats. The people who go on and on (and on) about her are usually the ones who never want to discuss that perhaps some poor decisions were made in 2016 that perhaps were not so great.
I mean, it's done. It's a tiresome topic to me. It just feels like deflection. "Look over there so you don't look in my direction when it comes to bad, election-costing choices." The objective data and reality reflect very clearly that there were all kinds of problems in that whole mess.
But since we can't discuss those (because self-criticism isn't a thing), we discuss Stein.
She sucks. But she ain't all of it by a very long way.