[Iowa-dx] FW: Green candidate says: "Vote your values"(Kennebec Journal -Maine) Jesse Johnson tours Maine

[Hart, Holly J]

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/blogs/politics/022253.html

February 13, 2008
Green candidate says: "Vote your values"
Green Party presidential candidate Jesse Johnson of West Virginia stopped b=
y today for a chat about his efforts to win his party's nomination for pres=
ident.

Johnson, 48, a self-described actor, filmmaker and artist, toured the state=
 with Pat LaMarche, who ran on the Green Party ticket as vice president fou=
r years ago and has twice run for governor of Maine.

Johnson (jesse08.org) is one of four Greens seeking their party's nominatio=
n. For information on all of them, go to gp.org.

Maine Greens are in the middle of their caucusing process, with some cities=
 and towns already having met and others yet to come. Locally, West Gardine=
r Greens are scheduled to meet Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. at the town office.

Other dates and times are available on the state party Web site, mainegreen=
s.org.

Maine is important to Green candidates because the state sends the second m=
ost delegates to the national convention (behind California), LaMarche said=
.

After a slippery start in southern Maine during the snowstorm, the pair mad=
e their way to the Statehouse. Here's part of our conversation, Q&A style:

On Maine Politics: What brings you to Maine in weather like this?

Johnson: The caucusing is taking place for the Green Party and I just wante=
d to come up and touch base with folks.

OMP: So tell me a little about yourself.

Johnson: I've been an actor, filmmaker, artist. Until last Saturday, I was =
the state chair of the Mountain Party of West Virginia. In 2004, I ran argu=
ably the most successful campaign for governor in the country of a third pa=
rty.
In 2006, I ran more of a principled campaign against Sen. Robert C. Byrd of=
 West Virginia, the longest-serving senator in the history of the United St=
ates.
I held the first tripartisan event at the state Capitol in West Virginia in=
 support of public workers. The guy who beat me out for governor had promis=
ed them a raise and hadn't kept that promise so we held that event.
By the end of that day, he gave them their raise.

OMP: Why run for president?

Johnson: I believe this country is at a very dangerous crux in the road and=
 we're embroiled in an illegal war, we're breaking treaties, which is uncon=
stitutional.
We are facing the greatest crisis as far as climate, but it's also our grea=
test economic opportunity.
The county is in an economic downturn, which I would term a free fall. We s=
imply have got to change direction. There are too many things we're not fac=
ing.

OMP: One of the issues Pat (LaMarche) campaigned on was poverty, and John E=
dwards emphasized that in his campaign, as well. Where does that fall on yo=
ur list of things to do?

Johnson: I mentioned the economic downfall, free fall, that we're in and on=
e big factor to that, including a health care issue, is going to be the ret=
urning vets.
These veterans are coming back more physically damaged than ever before in =
any war. Also, they are coming back with greater and greater cases of post =
traumatic stress disorder.
Already we treat our veterans atrociously.
What I perceive the great danger is a new Hooverville popping up. The gover=
nment themselves will tell you there are 300,000 homeless veterans presentl=
y. They need help. They need attention.

OMP: Some people still say Ralph Nader helped Bush get elected in 2000, and=
 paint third party candidates as those who might tilt the election in a way=
 that was unintended.
Do you buy that argument? How do you see yourself? Can you win?

Johnson: Well, one citizen equals one vote and in that sense of course I co=
uld win. But the problem is the system has gone so far astray, being domina=
ted by a so-called two-party system.
I would argue that we have a one-party system and that it's dominated by mu=
ltinational corporations, and that bird is kept afloat by a right wing and =
a left wing that's used to divide people.
A third party has the ability to allow people to actually vote their values=
, their conscience. Those values are what define us. If you vote your value=
s, then whomever takes the mantle of office will have to recognize the powe=
r of the idea and the value.
With regard to the spoiler concept, in a broken system I would see us as a =
definer, not a spoiler.

Posted by Susan M. Cover at 02:50 PM