[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Future Hope column

[Morton K.Brussel]

FYI. Article on the Green's convention.

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Ted Glick" <indpol at igc.org>
> Date: July 1, 2004 7:45:52 AM CDT
> To: "Ted Glick" <indpol at igc.org>
> Subject: Future Hope column
>
> Dear Friends,
>  
> Below is my latest Future Hope column. Twice a month I do up and send 
> these out.
>  
> If you would like to get these when I do them you can do so by 
> subscribing to the ippn-announce email list. Every week I send out an 
> average of 4-5 emails a week to this list related to the IPPN mission 
> of building a strong independent progressive movement, and I always 
> send out this column.
>  
> To join the list just send a blank email to 
> ippn-announce-subscribe at topica.com.
>  
> If you decide to get off it's easy to do so by sending a blank email 
> to ippn-announce-unsubscribe at topica.com.
>  
> I hope you enjoy the column!
>  
> Ted
>  
>  
>  
> Future Hope column, June 28, 2004
>
> Green and Growing
>
> By Ted Glick
>
> The Green Party of the United States took a huge step
> forward on Saturday, June 26th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And
> it wasn't because the assembled delegates nominated someone,
> David Cobb, for President.
>
> It was because of HOW it was done.
>
> Going into the convention there was deep concern on the part
> of many Greens around the country about what was going to
> happen. For a year or longer there has been a
> sometimes-bitter internal debate about what should be done
> as far as "the presidential question." The perceived threat
> of an emboldened, second Bush administration has led some to
> work for Dennis Kucinich. A small group is now working for
> Kerry, although it is a very small group. Some have said
> that they will be voting for Kerry and are urging others to
> do the same.
>
> The three main positions going into Milwaukee were to
> neither nominate nor endorse anyone, to nominate former GPUS
> general counsel David Cobb, or to nominate no one and then
> endorse Ralph Nader. A variant of the pro-Nader position,
> one pushed by California GP leader Peter Camejo, called for
> no nomination and then an endorsement of both Cobb and
> Nader.
>
> A nominated candidate would get the Green Party ballot line
> in 22 states and Washington, D.C. An endorsed candidate
> would get some measure of political support but not
> necessarily a state Green ballot line; it would be up to
> each individual state party to determine what it wanted to
> do. In some states a lack of a nomination would probably
> mean no candidate would be on the ballot because of state
> election law.
>
> The political struggle over these positions was intense, and
> it went down to the wire.
>
> Convention week was begun on Monday with a huge announcement
> by Nader that he was choosing Camejo to be his Vice
> Presidential candidate. Score one for the pro-Nader forces.
>
> Two days later Medea Benjamin, like Camejo a California
> Green Party leader, issued a statement headlined, "Want to
> Get Rid of Bush and Grow the Greens? Support David Cobb."
> Touche.
>
> As people gathered in Milwaukee for the official first day
> of the convention on Wednesday, the battle was joined. A
> primary "stage" for the on-going debate was the lobby of the
> Hyatt Regency hotel, a union hotel where many delegates were
> staying and where many meetings and caucuses were held.
> Proponents of Nader/Camejo and Cobb, as well as those
> supporting other positions, set up their leafleting and
> lobbying teams and for three days mingled with each other
> and with other delegates trying to gather the necessary 50%
> plus one needed to win.
>
> Significantly, there were no physical altercations or, as
> far as I am aware, even any nasty emotional outbursts
> between those on the respective sides, while there was a
> great deal of reasoned discussion, as well as robust,
> vigorous and competitive debate.
>
> This same process of debate and discussion went on at state
> caucuses, in the room full of literature tables, in the
> hallways and throughout the convention.
>
> A Close Race
>
> Everyone knew that it was close. David Cobb went into the
> convention with about 33% of the delegates pledged to him.
> Those supporting Nader, as well as candidates Camejo, Lorna
> Salzman, Carol Miller and Paul Glover, all of whom
> personally supported Nader, had about 28% of the delegates.
> 23% of the delegates were officially uncommitted, 12% were
> for no nominee, and the remainder were for Kent Mesplay and
> other candidates.
>
> Thursday evening was set up by the Green Party convention
> planners as the one time prior to Saturday's decision-making
> when all the candidates would meet in an open forum. For
> close to two hours Camejo, Cobb, Mesplay and Salzman (Miller
> and Glover were not there) answered a series of questions
> put to them by the moderator in front of a room completely
> jammed with many hundreds of delegates, observers and press.
>
> Camejo and Cobb, as the two main protagonists, were both "on
> their game." Both came across as articulate and passionate
> in support of their positions. Toward the end of the
> forum/debate, things got heated as Camejo accused Cobb of
> being a supporter of John Kerry and Cobb countered by
> articulating what he has been calling a "smart growth"
> strategy which prioritizes building the Green Party while
> also running a campaign which helps to get Bush out of
> office.
>
> One piece of hard news emerged at the debate when Cobb
> announced that his campaign had chosen Pat LaMarche, a 43
> year old single mother of two and radio personality from
> Maine, to be his Vice Presidential running mate. In 1998,
> running as the Maine Green Party's candidate for Governor,
> she received 7% of the statewide vote, winning ballot status
> for the party.
>
> Friday morning began with the Cobb campaign distributing a
> statement they called, "The True Position of the
> Cobb/LaMarche Campaign on the Iraq War: End the Occupation,
> Bring the U.S. Troops Home Now." The statement quoted from
> press releases issued in April and May and posted on the
> votecobb.org website, while also criticizing Camejo for
> "misrepresent(ing) the position of the Cobb/LaMarche
> Campaign on the Iraq war" at the Thursday evening debate.
>
> Throughout the day the pro-Nader people distributed a
> leaflet urging those who supported Nader/Camejo to vote a
> certain way on Saturday. In the first round, they said, vote
> as mandated by your state. In the second round, when almost
> all states released delegates to vote their conscience, vote
> for no nominee, the Nader forces urged. If a majority on the
> second round voted no nominee, this would then allow for a
> vote to endorse Nader/Camejo, or endorse both Cobb/LaMarche
> and Nader/Camejo, on the third round.
>
> In late afternoon both campaigns put out another piece of
> literature. The Nader campaign distributed a letter from
> Ralph Nader in which he explained that he would not be
> coming to the convention but articulated the rationale for
> why the convention should endorse him. Nader spoke later
> that evening via telephone hook-up to a pro-Nader rally of,
> according to reports, about 200 delegates and observers.
>
> The Cobb campaign leaflet highlighted what it called an
> inconsistency between Ralph Nader's position of trying to
> influence Kerry/the Democrats and "retire Bush," and Camejo'
> s position, articulated Thursday evening, that "Greens
> should never, ever vote for a Democrat." The leaflet asked,
> "What is the Nader/Camejo strategy?"
>
> Day of Decision
>
> As people began arriving at the Midwest Airlines Convention
> Center Saturday morning the politicking continued. Cobb
> forces were buoyed by an unexpected endorsement in that
> morning's major Milwaukee daily newspaper, the Journal
> Sentinel. The headline read, "David Cobb for the Greens."
>
> The day's historic events began with the adoption of a
> comprehensive and impressive, updated national Green Party
> platform that had been worked on for many months with much
> input prior to Milwaukee from Greens all over the country.
> Then we got down to the main event.
>
> Matt Gonzalez had been decided upon as the Election
> Administrator by the GPUS' national coordinating committee.
> Gonzalez is the Chair of the San Francisco Board of
> Supervisors and nearly won last year in a nationally
> publicized election for Mayor of San Francisco.
>
> In the first round there were no major surprises. David Cobb
> led with 308 votes, followed by Peter Camejo with 119, Ralph
> Nader with 117, no nominee with 109, Lorna Salzman with 40,
> Kent Mesplay with 24 and various other candidates with
> smaller numbers, including Joann Beeman, a "favorite
> daughter" and elected drain commissioner from Michigan.
>
> Both sides were nervous as Gonzalez adjourned the session
> for lunch. Over lunch caucusing continued with appeals to
> hold firm by Camejo to both the California and New York
> delegations, two Nader/Camejo strongholds. Cobb campaign
> leaders felt hopeful but not certain that they could win on
> the second round. The outcome depended primarily on how the
> 109 first round no nominee votes were cast on the second
> round.
>
> Prior to Saturday both the Cobb and Nader campaigns had
> "worked" the no nominee delegates. The Cobb campaign argued
> that those who held that position-people who, in general,
> wanted the Green Party to focus its limited resources on
> local campaigns this year-should see a Cobb nomination as
> their second preference, that a Nader endorsement would be a
> worse alternative for those who wanted to build up Green
> Party strength via local campaigns given David Cobb's first
> priority of using his campaign to build the Green Party.
>
> The convention readjourned about 2:30 to start the second
> round of voting. It was reported that there were four
> options for delegates. One option was David Cobb. Another
> was no nominee. The third was Kent Mesplay, and the fourth
> was Joann Beeman. There were no other options because,
> unlike the first round, the convention rules mandated that
> only no nominee and candidates who signed a statement
> affirming that they would accept a GP Presidential
> nomination would be eligible to receive votes after the
> first round. Cobb, Mesplay and Beeman were the only
> candidates who signed that statement.
>
> It was obvious to everyone that the big question was whether
> or not David Cobb and Pat LaMarche would be able to gain the
> additional 77 delegates needed to have 50% plus one. If they
> failed to do so, that would give a major boost to the
> Nader/Camejo side and continue the voting into future
> rounds.
>
> The first three states, Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas,
> reported no movement toward Cobb. But the fourth state,
> California, was a different story. Cobb gained 22 votes as
> compared to the first round, going from 13 to 35. The
> pro-Cobb delegates cheered.
>
> As the reports continued, a clear trend began to emerge.
> Cobb was holding his own in every state, gaining one, two or
> three up until Maine, home state of Pat LaMarche, which
> thrilled the pro-Cobb delegates by going from 7 in the first
> round to 18 in the second.
>
> A few rounds later, Minnesota gave Cobb an additional 10
> delegates as compared to the first round, and as the reports
> continued the Cobb vote kept gaining ground. By the time it
> got to Virginia, he was right there with, unofficially, 77
> additional votes. When Virginia gave him six more votes that
> pretty much sealed it. All that was needed was for the same
> trend to continue, for Cobb to lose no ground in the
> remaining four states.
>
> When Wisconsin went 33-1 for Cobb, a gain of eight votes,
> everyone knew it was over. All that remained was for Texas,
> which had passed when they were called earlier, to announce
> that 34 of their 35 votes were for Cobb. Texas is where
> David Cobb was born, lived and did Green Party organizing
> until a year or so ago.
>
> For many the celebration began, genuine joy over a
> hard-fought victory. Hugs and kisses and dancing in the
> aisles erupted until David burst onto the stage and
> introduced Pat LaMarche for her first speech to the
> assembled delegates. Following it, David came to the podium
> and spoke graciously about Ralph Nader and Peter Camejo as
> he called for a strong campaign by the Green Party,
> indicating his intention to go to Ohio, Pennsylvania "and
> New York, if you want me," to help efforts in those states
> to get Cobb/LaMarche on the ballot.
>
> For others, the feelings certainly ranged from mixed to deep
> disappointment. But as the session was adjourned by Matt
> Gonzalez, many of us left the convention center feeling
> extremely proud not just about the results but about the
> political maturity displayed by the convention as a whole in
> the way we had just dealt with a hugely difficult,
> months-long, often-painful issue.
>
> Green and Growing
>
> This was an amazing week, an emotional roller-coaster for
> those of us immersed in it. For large numbers of the
> delegates, it was a strengthening experience and not just
> because we successfully navigated the dangerous shoals of
> decision-making regarding the big Presidential question.
> There were the many dedicated activists we met from all over
> the country who we know will keep building this important
> organization at the key, local, grassroots level for months
> and years to come. There were the local Green elected
> officials like Matt Gonzalez, Jason West, Joyce Chen and
> Brenda Konkel and many others that we met and interacted
> with, as well as the candidates running for office all over
> the country. There were the valuable workshops and caucuses
> on a whole range of issues, the great street party Friday
> evening, the general spirit of unity and common purpose that
> pervaded the deliberations. The women's caucus, youth caucus
> and black caucus all took steps forward. International
> visitors and speakers reminded us that we are part of an
> international movement worldwide and that we have major
> responsibilities to the world's struggling peoples and
> threatened ecosystem.
>
> The numbers show it: there is clear, persistent,
> quantitative growth on the part of the Green Party of the
> United States, now with affiliates in 44 states, with 205
> Greens in office and ballot-qualified in 22 states and D.C.
> But just as important, Milwaukee '04 demonstrated that there
> is also qualitative growth.
>
> As David Cobb said in his inspiring speech Saturday night,
> the Green Party is chock full of "ordinary people doing
> extraordinary things." In this time of great danger but also
> great possibilities, this is no small thing.
>
> For more information go to www.gp.org and www.votecobb.org.
>
> Ted Glick is the National Coordinator of the Independent
> Progressive Politics Network (www.ippn.org), although these
> ideas are solely his own. He was a Cobb delegate from New
> Jersey and worked actively as part of the core Cobb campaign
> team.
>
>
>
>
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