Electoral politics, radical demands

THE SOCIALISTWORKER.ORG editorial "Declaring independence from the 1 Percent" and the two arguments presented by comrades Alex Schmaus and Bo Elder ("What campaigns do we need now?" and "Socialists should run as socialists," respectively) each appear to be in agreement on the role of socialists in elections--that is, to "raise class demands within a wider political arena."

The question of whether socialists should run their own candidates, whether independently or as part of some third-party initiative, seems to be a source of contention, however.

In reality, I don't believe this question to be all that contentious, as it somewhat distracts from the point raised in the original editorial: Elections can afford socialists the opportunity to put forward demands specific to the needs of the working class, with the possibility of building a sustainable political alternative to the current two-party hegemony of the Democrats and Republicans.

While it certainly matters where we, as socialists, choose to invest our time and support when it comes to third-party candidates, the primary questions should always be the same: How will this campaign contribute positively to the development of a movement that seeks to link up the demands of our class, while also demonstrating a commitment to countering any and all manifestations of racism, sexism, homophobia and other socials issues? How will it bring greater attention--and hopefully generate opposition to--the widening inequality between the rich and poor? And perhaps most importantly, how will it help weaken the stranglehold of the two-party system over political discourse and the election process itself?

So long as any of these criteria are met, it makes sense for us to do what we can to participate in such campaigns, whatever their limitations, in order to help facilitate the long-term development of a movement--and organization--capable of challenging the hegemony of the ruling class, its parties, and ultimately the system itself.

As socialists, we understand and acknowledge the limitations of this strategy. Electoral campaigns, whether they end in failure like Nader's 2000 electoral run, or success (Kshama Sawant's election to Seattle City Council comes to mind), are not an end in and of themselves. Rather, they can serve as a springboard for future organizing, publicizing and building around key working class demands.

THE BENEFITS are easy to see: Seattle's City Council most recently voted in favor of raising the city's minimum wage to $15 an hour, a victory for the hundreds of low-wage workers, organizers, and campaigners who took up the demand early on. This struggle, culminating with the election of Sawant and the minimum wage breakthrough, opens the doors for similar initiatives nationwide. According to the Los Angeles Times, similar measures are being considered in several California cities, as the movement for a higher minimum-wage gains traction across the U.S.

The downsides of the June 2 City Council vote notwithstanding--Seattle's new minimum wage will be phased in for a number of years beginning April 1, 2015, and employers will be allowed to pay a lower "training wage" to teenagers, for example--we can see how Sawant's electoral victory built on the Fight for 15 to bring sufficient pressure on established politicians and businesses, thus paving the way for one of the movement's first tangible victories.

This isn't to say that Seattle's example can and will be easily replicated; the struggle for a raised minimum wage, like any number of movements, will remain uneven in its implementation and overall success rate.

Within the context of the Great Recession, however, and the noticeable growth of anti-establishment attitudes among the wider population toward Big Business and the Democratic and Republican parties, the space for socialists to organize an independent, class-based alternative and pose a challenge to these entrenched interests has grown considerably.

We should be prepared to take advantage of this opportunity. Whether we run on a Green Party ticket or as an independent doesn't matter nearly as much as the demands we put forward and the connections we can--potentially--form with the working class along the way.

Socialist candidates should always be open about their views, connecting all the issues facing ordinary working people--austerity, war, police brutality and more--to the long-term project of building an organization capable of challenging, and eventually overturning, the present state of affairs.
Micah Love, Berkeley, Calif.