With the nomination last week of David Cobb for the Green Party presidential ticket, many are openly questioning the Green Party's future. David Cobb who endorses a strategy of "safe states voting" where he will encourage people to vote for him in states that are heavily Democratic or Republican but not in states that are "contested," has pledged a strong commitment to building the Green Party and a larger progressive movement in the United States. Yet, even as Cobb touted his commitment to building the Green Party, his vice presidential candidate Pat LaMarche has not committed to voting Green, suggesting that if her home state of Maine is split she may vote for Democrat John Kerry.

The Green Party's strategy this year is being criticized on a number of fronts--specifically in terms of its endorsement of the "safe states" strategy and for its unwillingness to commit to running a serious campaign, prompting one columnist to claim that "the Green Party has shifted into reverse." While many have criticized the Green Party, some have argued that Greens nomination of Cobb has given Nader a potential strategic victory, allowing him to ignore the lengthy Green Party platform and instead focus on his core issues of war, jobs, corruption, and the environment. Others have also pointed out that with Nader at 6% in current polls, he could potentially focus exclusively on "battleground" states thereby forcing John Kerry to either confront his issues or lose the election.