[Texgreen] An Important Note about the Virginia Senate race

[David Pollard]

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Please feel free to forward this message to any appropriate online forum. D=
o not re-forward this message after 22 November 2006. Thank you.=0A=0AFrien=
ds,=0A=0AMost of us have been following the election results from yesterday=
. I wish to thank all of the voters out there who bravely and unashamedly m=
ade their choice for true, positive change in our country by voting for Gre=
en candidates.=0A=0AOne race of note from yesterday is the election for U.S=
. Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. In that race, with over 99% of=
 the precincts reporting, Democrat Jim Webb currently holds a lead of about=
 7,000 votes over Republican incumbent George Allen. A candidate from the "=
Independent Greens of Virginia", Gail Parker, gained a bit over 26,000 vote=
s out of over 2.3 million cast - about 1.1% of the total. Since that time, =
the Green Party of the United States has gotten emails and phone calls aski=
ng about, or expressing an opinion about, Ms. Parker. The media has added t=
o this association; for example, James Carville last night on CNN, said, "I=
f the Green hadn't been running, the Democrat would have won easily."=0A=0A=
However, the "Independent Greens of Virginia" are a separate entity from th=
e Green Party as it is known to the majority of voters. They are a conserva=
tive group which does not share the values of the Green Party of the United=
 States, and their platform seems to be focused almost entirely on railroad=
 expansion in northern Virginia, at the expense of other issues of equal or=
 greater importance to Greens and other Virginians. Our affiliate in Virgin=
ia is the Green Party of Virginia <http://www.vagreenparty.org>, not the "I=
ndependent Greens" or "IGVA" <http://www.votejoinrun.us>.=0A=0AUnlike the m=
ajor parties, particularly the Democratic Party, we respect the right of an=
y party or citizen to run for any office for which they are qualified, and =
to have votes for that campaign tallied fairly. And as Greens, we prefer to=
 run on the merits of our ideas, and leave it to our affiliated state and l=
ocal parties to determine the best specific ways in which to do so. Sadly, =
however, major media outlets and the major parties themselves perpetuate a =
content-free, "horse race" mentality between candidates who often have few =
distinguishing differences save the color used for them in television news =
graphics. (This Senate contest, between a conservative Republican and a for=
mer Republican, is an illustrative example.)=0A=0ARather than blaming peopl=
e or parties for exercising their democratic rights in challenging this duo=
poly, Democrats and others should give serious consideration to a long over=
due reform of the electoral system. Alternatives such as ranked choice voti=
ng (where voters rank their choices in order, 1-2-3 style) and proportional=
 representation (where legislatures are populated based on the proportion o=
f the vote received) empower voters, ensure broadly supported candidates, m=
ake governments look more like the people they represent, and do away with =
the so-called "spoiler factor". Fairvote, the Center for Voting and Democra=
cy, illustrates many of these choices at <http://fairvote.org>.=0A=0AThe Gr=
een Party will continue to stand for peace, justice, democracy, and our pre=
cious environment in future elections. We invite all voters to visit us at =
www.gp.org, and read about, support, contribute to, and vote for our candid=
ates. A Greener world is possible - and we can do it with your help!=0A=0AS=
incerely,=0A=0ASteve Kramer=0ACo-Chair=0AGreen Party of the United States=
=0A=0A=0A=0A =0A___________________________________________________________=
_________________________=0ASponsored Link=0A=0AMortgage rates near histori=
c lows: =0A$150,000 loan as low as $579/mo. Intro-*Terms =0Ahttps://www2.ne=
xtag.com/
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<html><head><style type=3D"text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></he=
ad><body><div style=3D"font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;=
font-size:12pt"><DIV><EM>Please feel free to forward this message to any ap=
propriate online forum. Do not re-forward this message after 22 November 20=
06. Thank you.<BR><BR></EM>Friends,<BR><BR>Most of us have been following t=
he election results from yesterday. I wish to thank all of the voters out t=
here who bravely and unashamedly made their choice for true, positive chang=
e in our country by voting for Green candidates.<BR><BR>One race of note fr=
om yesterday is the election for U.S. Senator from the Commonwealth of Virg=
inia. In that race, with over 99% of the precincts reporting, Democrat Jim =
Webb currently holds a lead of about 7,000 votes over Republican incumbent =
George Allen. A candidate from the "Independent Greens of Virginia", Gail P=
arker, gained a bit over 26,000 votes out of over 2.3 million cast - about =
1.1% of the
 total. Since that time, the Green Party of the United States has gotten em=
ails and phone calls asking about, or expressing an opinion about, Ms. Park=
er. The media has added to this association; for example, James Carville la=
st night on CNN, said, "If the Green hadn't been running, the Democrat woul=
d have won easily."<BR><BR>However, the "Independent Greens of Virginia" ar=
e a separate entity from the Green Party as it is known to the majority of =
voters. They are a conservative group which does not share the values of th=
e Green Party of the United States, and their platform seems to be focused =
almost entirely on railroad expansion in northern Virginia, at the expense =
of other issues of equal or greater importance to Greens and other Virginia=
ns. Our affiliate in Virginia is the Green Party of Virginia &lt;http://www=
.vagreenparty.org&gt;, <I>not</I> the "Independent Greens" or "IGVA" &lt;ht=
tp://www.votejoinrun.us&gt;.<BR><BR>Unlike the major parties, particularly =
the
 Democratic Party, we respect the right of any party or citizen to run for =
any office for which they are qualified, and to have votes for that campaig=
n tallied fairly. And as Greens, we prefer to run on the merits of our idea=
s, and leave it to our affiliated state and local parties to determine the =
best specific ways in which to do so. Sadly, however, major media outlets a=
nd the major parties themselves perpetuate a content-free, "horse race" men=
tality between candidates who often have few distinguishing differences sav=
e the color used for them in television news graphics. (This Senate contest=
, between a conservative Republican and a former Republican, is an illustra=
tive example.)<BR><BR>Rather than blaming people or parties for exercising =
their democratic rights in challenging this duopoly, Democrats and others s=
hould give serious consideration to a long overdue reform of the electoral =
system. Alternatives such as ranked choice voting (where voters rank their =
choices in
 order, 1-2-3 style) and proportional representation (where legislatures ar=
e populated based on the proportion of the vote received) empower voters, e=
nsure broadly supported candidates, make governments look more like the peo=
ple they represent, and do away with the so-called "spoiler factor". Fairvo=
te, the Center for Voting and Democracy, illustrates many of these choices =
at &lt;http://fairvote.org&gt;.<BR><BR>The Green Party will continue to sta=
nd for peace, justice, democracy, and our precious environment in future el=
ections. We invite all voters to visit us at www.gp.org, and read about, su=
pport, contribute to, and vote for our candidates. A Greener world is possi=
ble - and we can do it with your help!<BR><BR>Sincerely,<BR><BR>Steve Krame=
r<BR>Co-Chair<BR>Green Party of the United States</DIV></div><br>=0A=0A=0A<=
hr size=3D1>Sponsored Link<br>=0A<br>Mortgage rates near 39yr lows. $420,00=
0 Mortgage for $1,399/mo - <a href=3D"http://www.lowermybills.com/lre/index=
.jsp?sourceid=3Dlmb-9069-16273&moid=3D4116">Calculate new house payment</a>=
</body></html>
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