“Again and again, third parties have pushed new ideas into the mainstream, like women’s suffrage, unemployment compensation and the direct election of senators. It’s no coincidence that the newest third-party politician elected to office, the Seattle city councilor Kshama Sawant of the Socialist Alternative party, rode to victory in 2013 in part by calling for a $15 minimum wage. Now that movement is going mainstream, with a number of cities following suit. Third-party movements in America have helped break political stagnation and enable the country to shift direction at critical times.”
However, we’d go further.
What’s causing “political stagnation” is a political establishment that puts corporate profits over our communities. We can see this on full display in education.
Seattle’s richest 1%, inflamed over the passage of the $15 minimum wage and the leading role Kshama played, and fearful of a similar housing justice movement that could threaten their jaw-dropping profits, are absolutely dedicated to defeating Kshama and any movements of the 99%. They see unseating Kshama as instrumental in solidifying the City Council as a compliant body to advance corporate interests.
And they are acting on that – corporate donors have given $100,000 so far to our opponent. We can expect hundreds of thousands of dollars more to be thrown against us.