Electoral Collage: A special edition on elections and the environment
Only Connect
Links and info on candidates, voting, and other election intrigue
15 Oct 2003
Register to Vote
Get off your duff and register to vote! Think you've got this one in the bag? Better check twice. Have you moved since the last time you sallied poll-ward? Changed your name? Switched your party of choice? Are you darn near positive that all of your friends, family members, colleagues, and bowling partners are registered -- er, well, at least the Earth-lovin' ones? Take care of it all at YourVoteMatters.org, where you can register to vote in any of the 50 states or D.C., update your voter info, and send reminder emails to your pals.
Meet the Candidates
Herewith, we present campaign info and a drippy environmental quote (hey, we're not writin' this stuff) from each of the declared major party candidates, plus links to some third- (and fourth- and fifth- ...) party sites. Happy browsing!
Democrats
Gen. Wesley Clark
"[W]e must do more to protect our natural resources, enabling us to extend their economic value indefinitely through wise natural resource extraction policies that protect the beauty and diversity of our American ecosystems -- our seacoasts, mountains, wetlands, rainforests, alpine meadows, original timberlands, and open prairies. We must balance carefully the short-term needs for commercial exploitation with longer-term respect for the natural gifts our country has received."
-- from the Clark website
Gov. Howard Dean
"I believe that there are few things we in public office can leave to our children and their children that are more important than the spectacular wilderness, clean waters, and beautiful forests that we now enjoy. One hundred years from now, long after my governorship has ended, Vermonters will continue to hike, camp, hunt, fish, and farm lands that will be forever pristine, because we protected hundreds of thousands of acres of land from development."
-- from the Dean website
Sen. John Edwards
"Unlike the Bush administration, Edwards believes that conservation is more than just a personal virtue. He supports environmental protection and energy conservation as a national commitment."
-- from the Edwards website
Rep. Dick Gephardt
"I will form a partnership with government, auto companies, workers and environmentalists to put us on the path to energy independence."
-- from the Gephardt website
Sen. John Kerry
"Nowhere is there a greater need for a new vision -- a better vision -- than in the decisions we make that affect the health of the environment. We know intuitively that America is only as healthy as the water our children drink, the air they breathe, the yards and parks in which they play and laugh, and the communities in which they live."
-- from the Kerry website
Rep. Dennis Kucinich
"Clean air and water, as well as an intact ozone layer, are not luxuries, but necessities for our children's future. A Kucinich administration will toughen environmental enforcement, support the Kyoto treaty on global climate change, reduce oil dependence, and spur investment in alternative energy sources, including hydrogen, solar, wind, and ocean."
-- from the Kucinich website
Sen. Joe Lieberman
"I will not pollute our environment or compromise our people's health. I will not drill right off our precious coastlines. I will not compromise our air quality for short-term and short-sighted energy policies. I will not ignore or compound the growing problem of global warming. And I will not drill in the Arctic Refuge -- not now, not ever."
-- Joe Lieberman, May 7, 2003, as quoted on the Lieberman website
Carol Moseley Braun
"If we put real effort into environmental technologies, we can not only create new jobs, but whole new industries. These kinds of solutions represent the kind of creativity that throughout my life I have brought to bear."
-- Carol Moseley Braun, Aug. 3, 2003, as quoted in an AP article
Rev. Al Sharpton
"[The Bush administration] can't seem to find the people who are polluting the water and polluting the air. They can hear lawyers talking to clients in the middle of the night, but they can't find people polluting in broad daylight. I will have an attorney general that will enforce the law."
-- Al Sharpton, June 26, 2003, as quoted on the LCV website
Republicans
President George W. Bush
"When government and landowners and conservationists and others work together, we can make dramatic progress in preserving the beauty and the quality of our environment."
-- from the Bush website
Other Parties
Top candidates from other political parties have yet to emerge, but you can tool around party websites for hints of what's to come:
Communist Party
Green Party
Labor Party
Libertarian Party
Natural Law Party
Pansexual Peace Party
Reform Party
Socialist Party
Don't see anything that's quite your cup of tea? Check out an exhaustive list of U.S. political parties.
What the Polls Say
Does Bush deserve another four years? Which Dem is pulling ahead of the pack this week? PollingReport.com rounds up the latest political polls -- more numbers than you can shake a stick at.
The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press pumps out surveys galore.
The Gallup Organization, the granddaddy of American polling groups, offers up some stats and trends.
Cast your own real-time vote on matters political and otherwise, or even create your own poll, at WhatTheNationThinks.com.
Can't decide which Dem is right for you? This handy quiz might just help you figure it out.
Other Resources
The League of Conservation Voters has news, campaign and candidate info, and a forum to take action on environmental issues relating to the election.
Sign up to receive newsletters from your favorite candidate, read the latest news and non-partisan views, and take action to help with election resources for concerned citizens: e-democracy.org is a site for those who just can't get enough of presidential e-campaigns.
Can a three-party system work in American politics? Stay informed on tri-partisan politics with the team at WatchBlog.
Money can't buy happiness, but can it buy a presidential election? Find out who is ahead in the fundraising race from the Center for Public Integrity.
The AllPolitics section of CNN.com is chockfull of up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and polling data.
Stay abreast of the latest in the run for the 2004 presidency with a little help from C-Span.
Everything you ever wanted to know about getting involved in elections, campaign finance, and how elections work is brought to you by the Federal Election Commission. More exciting than watching paint dry.
Special Edition Contents
Introduction
Your guide to the special edition
Your guide to the special edition
Whatever Floats Your Vote
Fun facts on voters' environmental values and more
Fun facts on voters' environmental values and more
Green Thumbs-Down
Don't gamble with your vote in 2004
Don't gamble with your vote in 2004
The Executive Ranch
The scoop on Bush's Texas getaway
The scoop on Bush's Texas getaway
Love It, Don't Leave It
Advice on channeling your eco-political anger
Advice on channeling your eco-political anger
Green Thumbs-Up
Don't let the Democrats frighten you away from voting your conscience
Don't let the Democrats frighten you away from voting your conscience
See How They Run
Interviews with the 2004 Democratic presidential contenders
Interviews with the 2004 Democratic presidential contenders
Dennis the Menace
A Grist interview with Democratic presidential contender Dennis Kucinich
A Grist interview with Democratic presidential contender Dennis Kucinich
Meet Joe Green?
A Grist interview with Democratic presidential contender Joe Lieberman
A Grist interview with Democratic presidential contender Joe Lieberman
Unified Field Theory
Can a beat-Bush effort yield a progressive coalition with staying power?
Can a beat-Bush effort yield a progressive coalition with staying power?
What's Good for the Michigander Is Good for the Goose
Lessons from the Great Lakes on how enviros can win votes and influence people
Lessons from the Great Lakes on how enviros can win votes and influence people
Local Flavor
A look at state and local races and rumblings around the U.S.
A look at state and local races and rumblings around the U.S.
Only Connect
Links and info on candidates, voting, and other election intrigue
Links and info on candidates, voting, and other election intrigue
Action Star
On reversing the tide
On reversing the tide
Also in Grist
The Week's Most Popular
From the Archives
Local Flavor. A look at state and local races and rumblings around the U.S. .
What's Good for the Michigander Is Good for the Goose, by Keith Schneider. Lessons from the Great Lakes on how enviros can win votes and influence people.
Unified Field Theory, by Mark Hertsgaard. Can a beat-Bush effort yield a progressive coalition with staying power? .
You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.