[Laborgreens] Re: Nader, the Green Party and the Labor Greens

[Douglas Campbell]

Well, in Michigan, we're kickin' around the possibility of putting Nader onto
the Green Party ballot line if he runs as an Independent.  (which Michigan
election law does permit)  This is by no means a done deal and we will want to
hear what his personal strategy is first.

There's broad consensus that we wouldn't have wanted to nominate Nader in 2008
anyway, so the current suituation only accelerates our long-term strategy; it
doesn't radically change it.

Those of us who are Avocado Greens (Green on the outside, Green on the inside,
Green to the core) hate the idea of running a Safe States strategy; we view it
as no strategy at all, just letting the Democrats go unchallenged.  There was a
resolution presented at a statewide membership meeting to both nominate a
candidate for POTUS and then run an all-out campaign to win regardless of
whether Michigan is a Safe State, and it passed unanimously.  We have a
Democratic Guv and Lite Guv here, two Democratic US senators, six (of 15)
Democratic US House reps, a Democratic Mayor of Detroit and various others, and
not a one of them inspires any confidence that they're on our side.  (or in
several cases, that they're even awake)

There are some Summer Squash Greens (Green on the outside, yellow on the
inside) here who might like a Safe States strategy, but they're already out
campaigning for Kucinich or Dean anyway, and we operate on a fundamental rule
that says, "You have to show up before we care what you think."  We figure the
Kucinich supporters will be back after Super Tuesday, so we're trying to avoid
pissing them off too much.

Most of us figure that not one (or two, for that matter) of the current
Democratic candidates (Snow White and the Eight Dwarfs) can attract enough
enthusiasm to get out enough of the vote to beat Duhbbya in a free & fair
election anyway, so whatever we decide isn't going to be very important in The
Grand Scheme Of Things this year, so we're looking more at what is does for us
in the long term.  (and are even less convinced that we're going to actually
get a free & fair election; we have a Republican Secretary of State here who
seems utterly unconcerned about voting machine defficiencies)

So we're working on election issues - we've formed a coalition group called
M-FORE (Michigan Focus on Reform of Elections) and we're working on trying to
figure out a way to keep the eventual Republican nominee off the ballot if the
Republican Party holds their convention so late that they miss the filing
deadline.




--- Robert Gabrielsky <gabegabrielsky@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Since much of the controversy about Nader running in
> 2004 revolves around his potential constituency and
> how it is feeling as compared to 2000, I would be
> really curious as to how people on this list feel
> about any Green Party Presidential campaign in 2004, a
> possible Nader campaign, the so-called "safe states"
> strategy, NOTA, etc.  
> 
> Gabe Gabrielsky
> 



=====
Reminder:  Whenever the enemy's within range, so are you.
-
Douglas Campbell
Nader/LaDuke Campaign Coordinator, The Motor City, 2000
The Green Party's first candidate for Governor of Michigan, 2002  
335 e. Lewiston, Ferndale, Michigan, U.S.A.  48220-1356
NaderLaDuke2000Detroit (at) Yahoo.com   (248) 542-5216 (voice)   (419) 735-17-87 (fax)

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