Wisconsin Green Party virtually nonexistent

After riding high with their anti-war referendums, I thought the Green Party had a lot of energy. I thought they were ready to show the state of Wisconsin that they're serious.

Apparently, they're not.

Here are their statewide and federal candidates.

Governor: BLANK
Lieutenant Governor: BLANK
Attorney General: BLANK
Secretary of State: BLANK
State Treasurer: Winston Sephus Jr.
U.S. Senator: Rae Vogeler
U.S. Congress District 1: BLANK
U.S. Congress District 2: BLANK
U.S. Congress District 3: BLANK
U.S. Congress District 4: BLANK
U.S. Congress District 5: Bob Levis
U.S. Congress District 6: BLANK
U.S. Congress District 7: Mike Miles
U.S. Congress District 8: BLANK

According to their website, the Wisconsin Green Party is "working to build a democratic society in which human needs and the health of our planet matter more than corporate profits."

They also say, "Our party runs and supports candidates at the city, county, state and national levels."

Really?

Despite having plenty to run on - especially regarding the war - they haven't put up a real statewide candidate. The only reason they put up a candidate for treasurer is so they can get 5% (they'll probably get more like 7%) and remain recognized as a party in the state.

They also have plenty to run on at the Congressional level.

District 1 has Paul Ryan, who is 100% polar opposite of the Greens. The Democrats have 4 people running against him. No Green candidate.

District 2 has Tammy Baldwin. I can't blame them for not opposing her. She might be left of them.

District 3 has Ron Kind, who has consistently lost support in all four re-election bids. He's gone from 72% support to 56% support. Democrats are mad about his stance on the war. Republicans are mad about his stance on social issues. Yet, despite his unpopularity - especially with the Greens and other "progressive" liberals - there's no candidate.

District 4 has Gwen Moore, who, like Baldwin, is so left she's basically a Greenocrat.

District 5 is Jim Sensenbrenner, a staunch conservative who has 2 Democratic opponents and who has probably never agreed with the Green Party. It's a good seat for them to run a candidate.

District 6 is Tom Petri's district. He's the state's second-most senior incumbent who would be tough to beat, but then, he's also a moderate who, like Kind, may have a tough time energizing his base. No Green candidate.

District 7 is Dave Obey's district. It's the largest in the state, and Obey has held office for 37 years. It's tough to campaign in, and he's considered untouchable by many, though two Republicans are running against him (another just dropped out of the race). He's not much different from Moore and Baldwin. Yet, despite this, the Greens have a candidate, Mike Miles, running against him. Go figure. Not exactly the district you'd expect them to target.

District 8 is an open seat, currently held by Mark Green. Three Republicans and four Democrats are vying for the seat. It's a 50/50 district that will likely be very tough. Mark Green was able to get 70% of the vote in the district, but no one in this race will be able to come close to Green's popularity. So why no Green Party candidate?

Bottom line is, the Green Party isn't a serious party at this point. Their decision to target the 5th Congressional District is smart.

However, they have no reason to target the 7th. They should really be targeting the 3rd and the 8th - with possibility in the 1st and 6th - in addition to running someone for Gov./Lieut. Gov. Of those races, I feel their best shot would be in the 3rd, where they have organization, especially in La Crosse, and where the incumbent is being hounded from liberals for his stance on the war.

But don't expect to see anyone step forward anytime soon. The Greens aren't for real.