If you are reading this, you are probably a crypto-Green, and may not realize it.

Seriously. I think most of my readers would call themselves liberal, or progressive, or at least a Democrat. That means you probably agree nearly 100% with the Green Party (GP) platform. In fact, you likely agree with the GP platform more than you do with that of the Democratic Party, especially as it is filtered through the actual policies and votes of Democratic office-holders. I challenge every reader to click through that link above and actually skim through the GP platform, and then read that mush adopted by the Democratic Party. I guarantee, you’ll prefer the Greens’.

But I certainly won’t ask you to become a Green, or start voting Green, and I certainly am not doing so myself. Why? Because Greens have virtually no electoral power in America (though admittedly it feels like Dems have very little, either). Let’s face it, voting Green is functionally the same (in most places and most races, with very rare exceptions) as throwing your vote away or not bothering to vote, and sometimes means consciously or unconsciously acting as a spoiler and assisting a Republican into office. That’s just electoral reality.

That harsh reality, contrasted with the very appealing, positive, idealistic (in a good way), and progressive agenda offered by the GP is why I seized the opportunity to attend the GP National Convention when I learned that it was to be held in my hometown of Tucson, AZ. I relished the opportunity to speak with the GP’s best and brightest about their political goals, and the often very grubby political reality of the GP in 21st century America.

I had many interesting conversations, but none so interesting as that I had with Brent McMillan, the national political director of the GP. I think I learned quite a bit, and I’d like to share it with you if you follow me over the fold…