Finally, there's my initial concern — that Stein lacks the gusto to channel so much Occupy and activist intensity. It's one shared by others including Grace Ross, a former Green-Rainbow candidate for governor who is now a registered Democrat. "A charismatic, strong-willed populist might begin to light a flame with all of that timber underneath the electorate," says Ross, "but my sense about Jill is that she's not a really outgoing person. For a party that doesn't have an activist in every precinct, you need someone to be out touching hands at every opportunity possible."
Listening to the candidate, though, as she crisscrosses the country on a shoestring budget, it seems that Stein has the chops to strike a match under at least one or two asses. "We need to replace the politics of fear with the politics of courage," she says. "We are the one option for doing that. This is a historical moment, and we can turn that breaking point into a tipping point, but only if we stand up for it, so hold on for your hat." ^
Chris Faraone's book on Occupy, 99 Nights with the 99 Percent, is in stores now. He can be reached at cfaraone[a]phx.com, or follow him on Twitter @fara1.
Related:
Getting the Ron-around, Mitt & the GOP Boys’ Club, Mitt Romney's Southern Pander-ama, More 
- Getting the Ron-around
While fellow Republican hopefuls Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum fight it out in Florida, Ron Paul, dark-horse candidate and Constitutional fundamentalist, sallied forth along his unorthodox campaign trail, hitting states with upcoming caucuses rather than primaries.
- Mitt & the GOP Boys’ Club
Last week, Barack Obama's re-election campaign launched a Web slide show, "The Life of Julia," depicting a woman helped throughout her years by Obama policies, and warning that — if elected — Mitt Romney would undo all of them.
- Mitt Romney's Southern Pander-ama
He's rich, y'all!
- Bad news for Mitt?
If former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney runs for president again in 2012, he will start with some distinct advantages over his likely opponents for the GOP nomination.
- Over before it started
It's finished. The gubernatorial candidates can cancel all remaining campaign appearances.
- Conducting tests on Maine Republicans
Here at the Institute for Advanced Studies of the Effects of Sarcasm and Derision on Political Philosophies, we've been conducting a comprehensive battery of tests to determine whether newly elected Maine Republicans really mean that stuff they've been saying about reducing the size and cost of state government.
- Little things
In the midst of the new Republican majority's mania to reduce the size and cost of state government, I offer some advice and a warning.
- The plan to turn Rhode Island red
The Rhode Island Republican Party's reputation for ineptitude is, by any reasonable measure, richly deserved.
- Undeclared GOP Candidates
Future GOP heroes emerge.
- Liquored up + lacquered down
It's possible that every member of the 125th Maine Legislature is dead drunk.
- End of the innocence
As the legislative session ends, the amount and nature of Governor Paul LePage's political influence has become clearer.
- Courting the youth vote
Politicians are recruiting younger and younger supporters.
- Less
Topics:
News Features
, Politics, elections, GOP, More
, Politics, elections, GOP, Jill Stein, 2012, liberals, third party, Less
