[Northampton-GP] Name Change Thoughts

[Simon Doolittle]

Dear Northampton GP Members,
Below is a letter I am submitting to the state party in response to their 
straw poll about the pending name change of the MGP to the 'Green-Rainbow 
Party'.  Simply put, although I think the merger is an important step, I 
think the proposed new name is a bad one.  If you feel the same, please 
consider echoing any of these sentiments in response to the straw poll.

warm regards,
Simon Doolittle
----

To Whom it May Concern,

My name is Simon Doolittle, a Massachusetts Green Party member in 
Northampton.  I write to share some concerns abut the merger with the 
Rainbow Coalition Party and the possible party name change.

First, I think the merger is a terrific thing for the party, because I see 
it as a step in the direction of building bridges between the Greens Party 
and urban communities and communities of color, something which I think is 
essential for the party.

However, I do have serious worries about the possible name change to the 
“Green-Rainbow Party”.  In sharing the plans for the name change with a few 
green party sympathetic voters – people who are supportive, but not terribly 
active – in each case those who heard of the possibility of the name change 
had a distinctly negative response .  One of the people actually laughed, 
and the other made an ugly face and said simply that that seemed like a bad 
name for a party that wanted to be taken seriously.

Their concern was not with the merger itself, but simply with the 
awkwardness of the new name.  From the perspective of presenting ourselves 
as an attractive alternative to alienated voters who might not be too 
familiar with us yet, I think the proposed new name would be a hindrance for 
two main reasons.  First, it seems counterintuitive – whoever heard of a 
green rainbow.  We don’t want people’s first reaction to our party name to 
be a confused and furrowed brow.

Second, and more importantly, it seems sort of flaky.  My own desire for the 
party is for it to be taken more and more seriously as a real alternative to 
the increasingly conservative Democratic Party by ordinary working people – 
and I think that many of our candidates were successful in doing so in this 
past campaign cycle.  But there are many – including many who are potential 
allies – who dismiss us as simply a form of symbolic protest, a disorganized 
group of hopelessly out of touch lefties / hippies.  With patient organizing 
and incremental progress, particularly in local elections, I see no reason 
why as a party we cannot establish ourselves as a viable and competent 
alternative to the Democratic Party.  But, a name like the Green-Rainbow 
party will only reinforce the negative preconception that many ordinary 
people – again, many of whom are natural allies – may have about our party.  
As we try to be taken seriously as an alternative to the two major parties, 
having a name that is an immediate turnoff to so many, even natural allies, 
simply hurts our cause.

That said, I understand that the Rainbow Coalition Party members might be 
hesitant to a merger if their name were to completely disappear.  So, 
certainly some sort of compromise seems necessary.  But I would prefer an 
entirely new name (maybe ‘The New Coalition Party’) over the Green-Rainbow 
Party.

Thanks for your consideration on this matter, and for all your good work.

Sincerely,


Simon Doolittle





*****
Simon Doolittle
Political Economy Research Institute
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amherst, MA 01002
www.umass.edu/peri




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