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The Green Party has played the role of spoiler in two presidential elections. To avoid a trifecta in 2020, Tom PerezThomas Edward PerezClintons top five vice presidential picks Government social programs: Triumph of hope over evidence Labors 'wasteful spending and mismanagement at Workers Comp MORE, chair of the Democratic National Committee, needs to make a Green new deal.

In 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, who campaigned aggressively in Florida, attacking Al GoreAlbert (Al) Arnold GoreThe 'Green' new deal that Tom Perez needs to make Al Gore says Democrats should run on the Green New Deal Charlotte Pence to hold wedding reception at vice president's residence MORE for a string of broken promises to the environmental movement, received 97,421 votes in the Sunshine State. George W. Bush carried the state by 537 votes. In New Hampshire, Bush garnered 273,559 votes, Gore 266, 348, and Nader 22,198. Had Gore carried either of these states, he would have become president of the United States.

In 2016, Jill Stein, the Green Party standard bearer, received 51,463 votes in Michigan, where Donald Trumps margin of victory was 10,704 votes; Stein got 49,678 votes in Pennsylvania, which Trump won by 46,765 votes; and she garnered 31,006 votes in Wisconsin, which Trump carried by 22,177 votes. These three states, of course, put Trump over the top in the Electoral College.

To be sure, as political scientists Kyle Kopko and Christopher Devine have pointed out, exit polls suggest that some Stein voters would have voted for Trump, written in a candidate, or decided to stay home if forced to choose between the two major party candidates. In a Five Thirty Eight Chat in December 2016, Nate Silver estimated that the breakdown may have been 35 percent Clinton, 10 percent Trump, and 55 percent no vote.

Nonetheless, in a close election and 2020 may well be a close election every vote in a battleground state matters. This time, Green Party leaders and potential voters should have no difficulty discerning whether President TrumpDonald John TrumpWhite House counsel didn't take lead on Trump letter to Pelosi: reports Trump endorses Riggleman in Virginia House race Lisa Page responds to 'vile' Trump attacks: 'Being quiet isn't making this go away' MORE or the Democratic candidate, whoever he or she may be, aligns more closely with their four policy pillars: an energy policy committed to addressing the potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change by replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources of power; federal government guarantees of a living wage and an expanded safety net; dramatic reductions in the military budget; public financing of elections, more representative voting systems, and an end to corporate-dominated politics.

That said, Perez will almost certainly be unable to persuade Jill Stein (who Hillary Clinton called a Russian asset) or Howie Hawkins (a founder of the Green Party, the leading candidate for its presidential nomination, and an advocate of an independent socialist movement) to endorse the 2020 Democratic nominee. But he might be able to lay the groundwork for the Green Party candidate (who will be selected in state-by-state primaries and caucuses held in the spring and is certain to be a Never Trumper) to do throughout the campaign season what William WeldWilliam (Bill) Weld Protesters rally against Trump in multiple cities on eve of impeachment vote Bill Weld: As many as six GOP senators privately support convicting Trump Trump challenger Bill Weld rules out 2020 independent bid MORE, the vice-presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party, did, belatedly, in 2016. In a speech in Boston a few days before the election, Weld expressed his hope that the Libertarians would win. But in a very close swing state, Weld added, there may be different dynamics at play. The former governor of Massachusetts urged supporters to pull the lever for Libertarian Gary JohnsonGary Earl JohnsonThe 'Green' new deal that Tom Perez needs to make The Trump strategy: Dare the Democrats to win Trump challenger: 'All bets are off' if I win New Hampshire primary MORE in solidly blue states, a vote of conscience which would also help the Party reach 5 percent of the vote nationwide and qualify for federal election funds. In battleground states, Weld advised them to cast their ballots for Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonBooker will not appear on primary ballot in Vermont Nearly all Democrats expected to back articles of impeachment Sanders surges ahead of Iowa caucuses MORE.

Equally important, given the appeal of environmental issues and third parties to millennials, Perez should see to it that the Democratic platform and the nominee appropriate the mantra of Tony Affigne, a young American featured prominently on the Green Party web site: Im Green because from what I can see, the worlds only real chance to survive is through politics grounded in Ecology, Equality, Democracy, and Peace.

While theyre at it, Perez and his fellow Democrats should keep their fingers crossed that Justin AmashJustin AmashThe Hill's Morning Report - Busy week: Impeachment, Dem debate and USMCA First-term Democrats push Amash as impeachment manager: report The 'Green' new deal that Tom Perez needs to make MORE, the congressman from Michigan who left the Republican Party and supports the impeachment of President Trump, becomes the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party, which received about 3 percent of the national vote in 2016 and could attract conservatives who are unhappy with Trump but allergic to the Democratic Party in 2020.

Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. He is the co-author (with Stuart Blumin) ofRude Republic: Americans and Their Politics in the Nineteenth Century.

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The 'Green' new deal that Tom Perez needs to make | TheHill - The Hill

Anthem: The Graphic Novel, by Jennifer Grossman and Dan Parson, Atlas Society, 79 pages, $12.95

The Atlas Society has quickly become one of the fastest growing pro-liberty organizations in the country through collaborations with libertarian student grousps such as Students for Liberty and, at times, the occasionally un-libertarian Turning Point USA.

Without fail, students approach the brightly decorated table featuring stickers, pens, and pamphlets from The Atlas Society with their stories of how Ayn Rand inspired someone they know. For some, reading Ayn Rand was the gateway drug to libertarianism. Some rejected certain aspects of Rands philosophy but embraced the general themes of individualism and achievement.

My grandparents, who read Rand in the late 1950s and 60s, were two of those people. They encountered Rand as graduate students at Columbia University in New York after facing routine discrimination in higher education in the South. Rands libertarianism didnt quite stick with them, but her words on individualism, which inspired her thoughts on racism as the lowest, most crudely primitive form of collectivism certainly influenced them to break racial barriers in careers in science, law, and academia.

The world has changed immensely since 1957, the year Atlas Shrugged was published, but Rands work remains just as important. YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and the creative capital from Hollywood remain fruits of capitalisms bountiful harvest, but expressing Rands ideas beyond lengthy novels, white papers, and lectures is still a creative challenge.

Anthem: The Graphic Novel (2018) by Jennifer Grossman, Atlas Society CEO, and illustrator Dan Parsons is a spectacular start.

Blending provocative, stunning illustrations with words from Rands original 1938 novella, Parsons and Grossman share the story of a dystopian society that celebrates the equality of groups rather than the success and achievements of the individual. This society, which is devoid of love and free enterprise, fails miserably.

In this powerful graphic novel Dan Parsons illustrations paint a clear and tragic image of what a collectivist society looks like for a generation reared with high-definition television and gaming systems.

Anthem: The Graphic Novel was also released at the best possible time.

In our politics today, terms like capitalist and individualist are making a comeback in discussions of political identity a hopeful turn away from partisan strife towards truly engaging underlying philosophical principles.

People in Generation Z, like myself, who were born after 1995, should have a special connection to these ideas. After all, we are contributing fresh skills and talents to the workforce, were contributing fresh tax dollars into the Treasury, and were on the line in the unfortunate event of a new military conflict. Heres the best news. Generation Z, according to research, will be individualistic, fiscally responsible, and among the most entrepreneurial of any previous generation.

Will Ayn Rand be the gateway drug for yet another generation to embrace libertarian ideals? Id argue so.

Leonard Robinson is the editor-in-chief of the UB Post.

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Anthem: The Graphic Novel Will Be Generation Z's Gateway Drug to Liberty - The UB Post

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Rep. Dean Phillips said hes gathered a group of around 33 Democrats to sign on to the idea that Rep. Justin Amash help make the case for impeachment.

Should Rep. Justin Amash, the Republican-turned-Independent from Michigan, help make the case for impeaching the President? Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnetonka said that when the idea struck him on Friday evening, he reached out to his close confidants first, and then asked more of his colleagues.

As first reported by the Washington Post on Sunday, Phillips said hes gathered a group of around 33 Democrats to sign on to the idea that Amash help make the case for impeachment. He would be a terrific member of the management team if indeed articles are forwarded to the Senate for a trial, Phillips told MinnPost.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will select members to represent Houses case for impeachment during the Senate trial, called impeachment managers, that will serve as a sort of team of prosecutors. Reps. Adam Schiff of California and Jared Nadler of New York, the two committee chairs running impeachment so far, are almost certain to be chosen. But the other three slots committee could be competitive, as several members are asking for a slot, including Rep. Stacey Plaskett, a delegate to Congress representing the U.S. Virgin Islands.

But Phillips believes someone like Amash, a Tea Party libertarian, is needed to demonstrate the case that impeachment isnt about partisanship.

Phillips, a moderate Democrat and a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, said he has already spoken with Amash and that the Michigan congressman was humbled and I think surprised.

I didnt want to float the idea to our whole Democratic freshman class without at least that he would be interested and thats exactly what I did, he said. And weve been corresponding since.

When asked which members have signed onto the idea, Phillips said he has 33 strong affirmative yes statements on the idea from members, but hed rather not say who. Im not going to divulge names, Phillips said. I think thats up to individuals to do so.

At least one Democrat, Rep. Max Rose of New York, told MinnPost that he is supportive of the effort.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Phillips believes someone like Rep. Justin Amash, a Tea Party libertarian, is needed to demonstrate the case that impeachment isnt about partisanship.

As others have suggested, Rep. Amash should be one of the impeachment managers for the Senate trial, Kevin Kruse, a historian of American History, said on Twitter. Michelle Goldberg, a New York Times columnists that leans significantly to the left of most of her colleagues, said on Twitter: Democrats should choose Amash as one of their impeachment managers. And Charlie Sykes, editor of the conservative (but Never-Trump website) The Bulwark, called the suggestion a Good idea.

Amash told HuffPosts Matt Fuller that he has so far not been approached by Pelosi about the idea, but would have the conversation.

House Democrats plan to vote on impeachment on Wednesday. If they are approved, articles of impeachment will be forwarded to the Senate for a trial, which will be presided over by the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Phillips said he fully intends to vote for articles of impeachment, come tomorrow.

In fact, you know, [Ive been] using language similar to Rep. Amash, which is that our responsibility is not to try or convict or acquit, Phillips said.

Our responsibility is analogous to a grand jury to assess the evidence and determine if it warrants a trial.

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What's behind Rep. Dean Phillips' push to get Rep. Justin Amash on the impeachment team - MinnPost

I dont know about you, dear reader, but I personally have a very long and storied relationship with the Banned Book List. Perhaps it was growing up in Austin, Texas, around well-educated hippies and cause heads who taught me to stand up to someone dictating what is deemed appropriate without asking. Maybe its just that I dont like people telling me what I can and cannot read, and I very strongly feel no one should have dominion over what another person reads. Weve seen it time and again throughout history, this unfathomable attempt to censor works because people deem the message dangerous, or it doesnt fit a comfortable narrative. Its especially damaging when ignorance is dressed up as concern for children.

I dont think I remember a time when someone wasnt talking about the banned book list. One might not think that public schools in Texas would take issue with such a list. One might even presume it would be the librarians bible given the geography, but I found the exact opposite to be true. From the time we were learning to read, the banned book list was a topic of discussion. In every school, with every passing grade it was something to be examined, discussed, and in later years protested. The high school I attended participated in Banned Book Week every year. I vividly remember the librarian, and her assistant picking through the shelves to fill the cart with with materials. Teachers and students alike waited anxiously for the sign-up sheet to be posted, wherein we would select a slot to read aloud. For an entire week from the time the building opened until it closed students, teachers, and staff would pluck a tome from the heaping cart, and read aloud for any passer by. Year after year I was left with one glaring question: Why would anyone want to ban a book?

First, whats the difference between banned and challenged? Challenged is when an individual or group petitions to have a work removed from libraries, school curriculum, or otherwise restrict access based on specific reasons, e.g. contains LGBTQ themes, strong language, etc. A ban is the outright removal of those works. Who are these people? It could be anyone really. Parents, religious groups, staff and faculty, or even the students themselves.

In many cases people or groups challenge a book with the best of intentions. They feel the book depicts negative stereotypes, strong language or sexual content not suitable for age groups, depict social, religious, or political views. Regardless of the reason, perhaps banned is the wrong word for this list. The ALA and various groups on both sides of the issue agree that none of these books are outright banned in the United States, as the legal silence and censorship of any work is a direct violation of the First Amendment. Instead, what these challenges and bans do is seek to limit access to what people deem harmful works. They seek to remove them from public and school library bookshelves, and curricula for grades K12. Lets take a closer look at what these lists show us about the books and their authors.

In researching reasons books are challenged I was most surprised to find that year after year the top books were consistently reported for two things; profanity and sexual references. Some years we see an uptick in reports related to homosexual content, promoting the homosexual agenda, and religious views. Primarily, however, those expressing concerns most often site foul language, and anything involving sexuality and the human body. I found myself further confused when those language reports involved young adult books whose target audience is primarily the 12-18 age group. One could imagine theyve heard more colorful language in popular television, or in school.

I will admit that when I myself was in that age bracket I was particularly foul mouthed. When I hear of a book being reported for sexual content my first instinct is that they would be reporting The Pearl, printed for the Society of Vice in the late 1800s, or perhaps The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, by A.N. Roquelaure. In both cases I can see why someone may not be particularly keen on young children thumbing through illicit pages of sexual exploration and erotica at an age where Pokemon and Yo Gabba Gabba are still topics of regular conversation. What I did not expect to find is books like The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, wherein anything related to sex is minimal and by no means the central point of these books.

Even Its Perfectly Normal by Robi Harris is a shock as its a book about what happens to the human body aimed at kids. In one report it was actually sited as being child pornography. My Moms Having A Baby! A Kids Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancyby Dori Hillestad Butler was similarly hit as being sexually explicit when its intended purpose is to explain the process of pregnancy and birth to children and speak on their level. Nudity, sexually explicit context, or sexual education remains a popular reason to keep books out of the hands of youths, and out of popular media.

You may notice I did not cite inappropriate for age group in my statistics. There is a very specific reason for leaving it out. This applies either via direct citation as a reason, or in the spirit of the report topic to each and every report on the Banned Book list. On the topic of age appropriate content, reported books run the spectrum of available literature. From classic to sci-fi, books are reported right and left because they are perceived inappropriate for an age group on some level.

The most surprising to me on this front are books that are specifically written for an age group. The Captain Underpants Series, by Dav Pilkey is regularly criticized by reports to the list for being anti-family, and unsuited for the age group (711 year olds) for which it was written. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, while once was required reading in schools, is now deemed inappropriate for children according to The Banned Book List. I would then pose the question: What is appropriate for an age group if not works specifically written towards a target demographic?

So what do we take away from lists of the most challenged works, and the Banned Books list itself? In this day and age has it outlived its usefulness?

Constitutionally speaking, no book or piece of art can be banned. Based on the numbers, the reports, and that it seems as if just about anything is going to be challenged, including the Christian Bible, should the list be done away with all together? Should it serve as more of a rating capacity like the MPAA film rating system, or the ESRB for video games? Or should it serve as a platform for broader discussions? When we look at challenged books across the board, not just the top ten lists it reflects an unwillingness to have a conversation. Would it be possible to use the banned book list to see oppositional sides, and examine values we may not share in order to better understand another persons perspective? While we all take a look at those questions individuals, schools, and even stores will continue to celebrate Banned Book Week by finding ways to oppose those lists and challenges.

Please note the challenge reasons can vary from year to year. This is only a snapshot of over all challenge reasons.

8 times on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: This childrens book tells the story of Ray and Silo, two male penguins at the zoo. The zookeeper, Mr. Gramsay, gives the pair an egg to hatch and care for. The female chick hatches and is subsequently named Tango by the zookeepers. Thus their family is complete with the addition of the couples baby girl. This is based on the true story of the authors falling in love at the Central Park Zoo in New York City.

Challenge reasons: anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, additionally promotes the homosexual agenda

7 times on on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: This story is presented in diary format. Were presented with the story of Junior; a 14-year-old young man growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation through the course of a year. Junior is a hydrocephalic, small for his age, has a lisp, poor eyesight, and is prone to seizures, which makes him a target for regular bullying on the reservation. In a moment of anger regarding the poverty experienced both by his family and the reservation at large, he throws a book at his teacher. To address his frustrations the teacher suggests he attend a more affluent high school near by. Junior accepts and we follow him for a year as he adjusts to life in a predominantly white school, struggles to maintain his native heritage, faces tragedies on the reservation, and ultimately reconciles with friends on the reservation who felt left behind by his decision to transfer schools.

Challenge reasons: sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint

Note: Sherman Alexie has admitted to allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against female authors.

7 times on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: This coming-of-age novel follows Charlie in a series of letters to an unknown party. Through the letters we witness Charlie experience changing friendships, a shift in family dynamics, and the pitfalls of being socially awkward in high school. Charlie examines very serious relationship dynamics in his sisters abusive relationship and her unwillingness to leave her abuser, and in the decline of his friends relationship with a closeted homosexual football player. Through the course of the book Charlie must come to terms with his own trauma and relationships.

Challenge reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

6 times on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: Captain Underpants is the accidental, but really kind of on purpose, alter ego of the ill-tempered principal Mr. Krupp. The series primarily revolves around the misadventures of two 4th graders, George Beard and Harold Hutchins. The boys cause Captain Underpants to go from comic book character they have created to real life by hypnotizing Mr. Krupp.

Challenge reasons: anti-family content, unsuited to age group, violence

5 times on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: Jerry is a new student at an elite Catholic school, where he must face the hazing practices of the student body. When the teacher Brother Leon commits the school to selling twice as much chocolate, Jerry is coerced by the head of the schools secret society to abstain from selling for ten days. When Jerry decides not to sell past the ten days, he finds himself further pitted against.

Challenge reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

4 times on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: In this coming of age story, Callie is a middle school student and theater lover. She works as part of the production crew rather than on stage. Callie struggles with confusing crushes, tween frustrations, and budding friendships.

Challenge reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint

4 times on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: This father and son story revolves around Amir, the son of a wealthy merchant, and his friend Hazara, the son of his fathers servant. The boys spend their days kite fighting to escape their situation in Kabul. The boys bond is strained as the city falls around them, and ultimately broken. Amir must journey back home to right past wrongs when he learns of tragedies that have befallen his oldest friend.

Challenge reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence

4 times on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: Miles Halter transfers in his junior year from his regular high school in Florida to Culver Creek Preparatory High School in Alabama. There, he meets a colorful cast of characters including Chip The Colonel Martin, hip-hop emcee Takumi Hikohito, and the titular Alaska Young. Alaska is a beautiful and emotionally unstable young woman. She is distant and insists she and Miles maintain a platonic relationship. Tragic and beautiful, the book navigates a complex coming-of-age story for our main character Miles.

Challenge reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

4 times on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: Based on true events, Craig and Harry, two 17-year-olds, are taking part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing for the Guinness Book of World Records. While the story revolves around these two young men, it is told by a Greek Chorus of gay men who have died of AIDS.

Challenge reasons: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content

4 times on the ALA Top Ten Challenged List

Synopsis: Written as a series of IMs complete with send and cancel buttons at the bottom of each page, Angela (SnowAngel), Maddie (mad maddie), and Zoe (zoegirl) take us on an adolescent roller coaster ride beginning in their Sophomore year of high school. Boys, driving lessons, school woes, and other more complicated things life has to offer the girls weather the storm via text based conversation.

Challenge reasons: offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

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The Statistics of Censorship - Book Riot

In late June, the San Francisco Board of Education gathered to resolve a problem that had recently been brought its attention. An 83-year-old, Depression-era mural on the walls of one San Francisco high school had started to bother some people. Painted by left-leaning artist Victor Arnautoff, the 13-panel artwork in George Washington High School had been created through a New Deal art program. Arnautoff had the task of painting Life of Washington, which spanned a whopping 1,600 square feet.

So as not to lionize the first president excessively, Arnautoff painted Washington standing near the body of a dead Native American man, and he also depicts enslaved African Americans. Today, after almost a century, the mural is not as liberal as it once was in the eyes of the public.

Its always an issue when anyone wants to remove or cover or displace art, Board Vice President Mark Sanchez said. But there are countervailing issues we had to look at as well. We believe students shouldnt be exposed to violent imagery that its degrading.

The school board voted unanimously to destroy the mural, though not everyone agreed with its post-woke interpretation. When one teacher asked her freshman English class to write either in favor of or against the mural, 45 out of 49 students supported it. The fresco shows us exactly how brutal colonization and genocide really were and are," one student wrote. "The fresco is a warning and reminder of the fallibility of our hallowed leaders.

Two months later, the opposing sides reached a compromise: The mural would be covered up but not painted over. Still, it will no longer be seen.

But why stop there? Art censors of the world, why not also hide Francisco Goya's The Third of May 1808 or Picasso's Guernica, both startling images of conflict? In fact, a reproduction of Guernica was briefly covered up at the United Nations more than 15 years ago during a speech about the war in Iraq. It used to be that if you censored art, you had something to hide. Now, it means you're not ready to face reality.

After decades of railing against censorship in the arts, some liberals have now fully embraced it. Statues of Southern generals and Christopher Columbus are already pass. Theres a disturbing new development in art criticism among the elites, and it has nothing to do with whether Renoir was sexist in his personal life. Now, its not enough to critique unethical artists or their "problematic" subjects. You must also stand against depictions of bad things because we are supposedly unprepared to see them.

Comedian and actress Sarah Silverman learned this earlier this year. She appeared in blackface during a comedy sketch in 2007 to make fun of overly woke liberals. This year, Silverman said it came back to bite her.

I recently was going to do a movie, two days on a movie, a really sweet part, she said on a podcast this summer. Then, at 11 p.m. the night before, they fired me because they saw a picture of me in blackface from that episode.

It didn't matter that her whole act was meant to make fun of people who might use blackface. Her means were simply too transgressive.

This fashionable frontier in art censorship is also plaguing academia, and not just high schools. At Marylands Washington College, an antiracist play was recently canceled because it depicted some characters dressed in KKK robes. Because the bad guys were Ku Klux Klan members, The Foreigner, a pro-immigrant comedy, was canceled an hour before its last dress rehearsal. Heaven forbid a work of art depict anything actually evil.

Author Joyce Carol Oates recently regretted that Flannery O'Connor's antiracist short story The Artificial N----- was excluded from an anthology because publishers refused it on the grounds of an offensive title. Oates explained that it was futile to explain that O'Connor was excoriating racism, not promoting it.

Art censors may argue, as Sanchez did about the Washington mural, that viewing violent or disturbing imagery is "degrading." But there's another problem that art viewers face, one that is possibly the most degrading of all: ignorance. When you're so afraid of offending people, you lose your ability to make art, and when you refuse to address evil, you lose your ability to stop it.

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The year art censorship came back in style - Washington Examiner