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Tue Dec 29 08:20:31 EST 2009

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Greens, We  each have our own unique perspectives on the presidential =
race in 2004.  As individuals whose positions of responsibility bring u=
s a great deal of information that not every Green has access to we wish to =
share some of what we see going on.  It's quite possible that we are in=
correct in some of the observations and statements that we make here.  =
We're willing to take that risk because we think it would be irresponsible n=
ot to at least share with you what we see at this time. 
 
You may be wondering why this message is coming to you from Jo Chamberlain,=
Greg Gerritt, and Ben Manski, as opposed to the Steering Committee as a who=
le, or from one of us individually.  The simple and direct answer is th=
at we have been regularly communicating with each other and working together=
for more than six months on the matter of the presidential race, and that a=
letter from three of us is likely to present a more balanced view than a le=
tter from any one of us.  We have focused, all in different ways, &nbsp=
;on encouraging a variety of candidates to seek the Green Party nomination. =
 We may come from different places in the party, and we have had disagr=
eements in the past, yet we have found a great deal of common ground here.<B=
R>
 
Here is what we see: 
 
* * * GREEN CANDIDATES * * * 
PETER CAMEJO - Peter Camejo has recently stated that he intend to participa=
te in all upcoming Green presidential primaries.  There is some reason =
to believe that Camejo still hopes that Nader can be drafted to accept the G=
reen presidential nomination, and that his candidacy will create a space for=
Nader by Camejo=B9s bring in in a block of delegates that he could release. &=
nbsp;There is also a growing Draft Camejo movement with its members organizi=
ng for Camejo to be the Green nominee 
 
DAVID COBB - David Cobb is currently running an increasingly energetic camp=
aign for the Green nomination.  He has a website and committed campaign=
team in place, is now raising money into the five digits, and is about to e=
mbark on 14-state campaign tour, his third such swing since he declared his =
candidacy this past Autumn.  At this time, Cobb appears to have the mos=
t support of any candidate seeking to be the Green nominee. 
 
PAUL GLOVER - Glover has not campaigned actively to our knowledge. 
 
KENT MESPLAY - Mesplay participated in a Green presidential forum two month=
s ago, campaigned in Rhode Island in December, and since then has committed =
to campaigning nationally. He has committed  to join several other Gree=
n candidates in upcoming Green presidential debates. He has a website. 
 
 
CAROL MILLER - Miller is running as a "favorite daughter" place h=
older candidate for Ralph Nader in her home state of New Mexico.  &nbsp=
;Her intent is to ask her delegates to vote for Nader as the Green nominee.<=
BR>
 
 
LORNA SALZMAN - Salzman is running a two-pronged campaign on behalf of both=
Ralph Nader and herself, and is making environmental and women's issues the=
main stays of her campaign.  Like Mesplay and Cobb, Salzman participat=
ed in a Green presidential forum two months ago, and since that time has com=
mitted to campaigning nationally. 
 
NOTA - We see no sign at this time of any organized Green effort on behalf =
of None Of The Above, or for that matter, of not running a Green candidate i=
n 2004.   Our guess is most of the Greens who would prefer that we=
not run a candidate have already left the building. 
 
 
* * * NADER & THE GREENS * * * 
 
1 - It is entirely possible that Ralph Nader could announce an independent =
candidacy for the presidency either later this month, or in early February. =
 We think it wise for Greens to act on the assumption that he intends t=
o run, and has for some time.  All of us have our own analysis of what =
an independent Nader campaign might be like and how it might effect the Gree=
n Party.  We have concerns about what it may do to the Green Party, but=
are also quite sure that the Green Party will maintain much unity no matter=
what Nader does. At least some of us think Nader and his team have misjudge=
d the situation in the Green Party and that many fewer Greens will leave the=
party to join an independent Nader effort than Nader's team anticipates, an=
d that ballot access without Green petitioners or ballot lines will be rathe=
r difficult in many places. 
 
 
2 - The national party formed in 1996 as the ASGP, and then reformed in 200=
1 as the GPUS, for the chief purpose of fielding a Green Presidential ticket=
in all states, colonies, and territories.  To that end, state parties =
when they joined the national party, committed to placing the names of the c=
andidates selected at the Green nominating convention on their respective st=
ate ballots.  This commitment is to be found in the rules of Accreditat=
ion at http://www.gp.org/documents/rules.html</=
FONT> Section 2-1-2.  These rules were adopted by the Coordinating Comm=
ittee of the Green Party of the United States and have been agreed to by eve=
ry state party currently accredited with the national party.   
 
3 - We see that members of several accredited state parties are discussing =
the possibility of their party working to place Nader on their state ballot,=
regardless of whether he, or one of the candidates currently seeking our no=
mination, is selected at the convention as the Green nominee.  We also =
see many Greens discussing a "Draft Nader" effort to convince Nade=
r to accept the Green nomination should a majority of delegates vote for him=
.  What we have also seen is that the Nader team appears to have little=
understanding of the process by which the convention delegates could be emp=
owered to vote for him, and how this work needs to be done prior to the conv=
entions and primaries in each state as many state parties will send delegati=
ons instructed to vote according to the wishes of their state convention par=
ticipants. 
 
We have provided the Nader team and Nader himself with all of the informati=
on at our disposal regarding our primaries in the hopes that this will help =
them make their decisions.   
 
4 - 2004 is likely to be a difficult year for the Green Party, but also lik=
ely to be one in which we grow and mature.  Local campaigns and candida=
tes will provide the base for our growth, but there is an important role to =
be played by a national campaign.  We are not certain that Nader is foc=
used on what it will take to create a long term sustainable political force,=
the force necessary to contest politics in the most corporate dominated sys=
tem on the planet.  The Green Party is that force and we are committed =
to the sustainable growth of a political party. 
 
WHAT 'S NEXT 
 
To bring everyone up to speed, in the CC and around the country, let us rem=
ind you that there is a 6 month process leading from today to the Milwaukee =
convention at the end of June.  January 13 was the first Presidential P=
rimary with 2 Green candidates on the ballot in the District of Columbia. &n=
bsp;There will be several more primaries and more than 40 state conventions =
and caucuses in the next few months.  Debates have been scheduled in a =
variety of places around the country, several in states with primaries prior=
to the votes, and others in states that will express their preferences via =
convention.   
 
At the same time the GPUS is working on a platform, developing floor rules =
for the nominating process, supporting ballot access drives around the count=
ry, and engaging in the organizing necessary to create a successful conventi=
on.  Outside of the convention process we have been engaged in the disc=
ussion of what type of campaigns will serve us best in our efforts to influe=
nce the political future of the United States 
 
Greens, an even number year, a presidential campaign season, is upon us. &n=
bsp;Those of us writing this letter are committed to helping you create a Pr=
esidential Nominating convention that serves you, and selects a Green Party =
Candidate for President that will do us all proud.  We shall do this in=
our roles on the Steering Committee of the GPUS and in all the rest of the =
work we do for the Green Party as members of our state parties and as indivi=
duals.   
 
 
Jo Chamberlain, Greg Gerritt, Ben Manski 
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