SOCIALIST PARTY OF AMERICA MEMBERSHIP UNANIMOUSLY VOTE TO ENDORSE CLAUDIA DE LA CRUZ FOR PRESIDENT AND KARINA GARCIA FOR VICE PRESIDENT.
In 1920, Lenin wrote in “Leftism: An Infantile Disorder” that participation in elections is obligatory for revolutionaries, specifically for the purpose of educating the working class; a necessary step in awakening the masses. This is a point that the Party for Socialism and Liberation takes seriously and has made a key component of their program for many years.
One argument made against supporting “third party candidates” is that they could lead to a “spoiler effect” and in turn elect “the worse of two evils.” However, report after report has shown that most people who vote for these candidates wouldn’t vote any other way. In effect, running for office as a socialist, while it may not be a winning strategy electorally, is a great strategy in terms of agitation and propaganda.
While there are many other candidates running who may receive a bigger platform, we believe that the campaign of Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia is one that aligns exceptionally well with our party’s platform and principles. With the increasingly regular occurrence of heatwaves, floods, and hurricanes, the lasting effects of a pandemic left unaddressed, more and more jobs being outsourced or replaced with technology, and the threat of another world war on the horizon, it is more important now than ever to promote a campaign that is explicitly socialist.
The two capitalist parties have not offered anything but a culture war and bread crumbs to workers for nearly two decades. Even if their decade-old proposal for a $15 minimum wage were enacted today, it would be worth half of what it was when the idea first gained popularity. Because of inflation and the rising costs of everything from rent to groceries, working people are feeling the squeeze more than ever before.
The ticket of Claudia De La Cruz for President and Karina Garcia for Vice President address these issues head-on from a working class point of view. Their candidacy will play a major part in helping build a party for the regular working people of America, and the Socialist Party of America is endorsing their campaign in 2024.
You can learn more about their campaign and get involved at VoteSocialist2024.com.