"Greens For Nader" Formed To Win Green Party Endorsement

[Solidarity]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 28, 2004
9:15 AM
CONTACT: Greens for Nader
Steve Welzer, NJ, 609-443-6782
Carol Miller, NM, 505-660-5988
Mark Dunlea, NY, 518 286-3411


Greens for Nader Seeks Party Support for Presidential Campaign

WASHINGTON - May 28 - Greens from throughout the United States announced today they will seek the endorsement of Ralph Nader for President at the upcoming Green Party national convention June 24-27 in Milwaukee.

The group, Greens for Nader, also hopes that Nader will select a prominent Green member as his vice-presidential running mate in light of Nader's historical ties to the Greens and the Greens' status as the third largest party in the country.

"Nader is by far the strongest peace candidate that the Greens can support in the upcoming election." stated Peter Camejo, a spokesperson for Greens for Nader who was the Green candidate for California governor in 2003 election and the 2004 recall election.

"Throughout the Bush administration, we have seen the Democrats join the Republicans in launching wars, cutting taxes for the rich, and curtailing civil liberties. We need to defeat not only Bush, but the Bush policies the Democrats have also embraced." said Howie Hawkins, a Teamster and Green congressional candidate in Syracuse, New York.

"The support for Nader is very strong among the grassroots of the Green Party. Like me, many Greens are ready to accept Nader's challenge and forge a broad-based coalition with other third parties and independents to reclaim democracy in America. We hope to arrive in Milwaukee with enough delegates committed to the Nader candidacy and the results to date are leaning our way. We expect lively debate at the Milwaukee convention," stated Carol Miller, Co-Chair of the New Mexico Green Party and a favorite daughter candidate in the New Mexico Primary Election on June 1.

http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0528-03.htm

[NNadir]

1. I have a feeling you might outpoll the other white Republicans.

It would be great, really. Nader gets his usual 2%, Bush gets 1.5% and the rest of us get credibility by going for Kerry by over 95%.

Of course you won't get 2% if you have to split your vote with Kucinich. Unless of course the Nazi (whoops I mean Reform) endorsement gets you a few extra votes.

Good luck Repukes!

[Old and In the Way]

2. Greens will damage their credibility if they nominate Nader.

Up to them, it's a free country. I, for one, will never entertain voting for a local Green candidate if they persist in this delusionnal folly. If they are dumb enough to nominate Ralph, instead of getting behind John Kerry, well, I'll never trust their judgement on handling local issues.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

[saracat]

3. Screw them.

They are uniting with the progressives to try to throw the election to Bush and the majority of them don't even realize it. I hate their ideology. They will destroy the country unless they get everything they want. Sorry to rant, but this really pisses me off. They couldn't learn from the first time. They should form their own country already.

[saigon68]

4. Why not just a Greens for Bush Wing

After all they stand for alot of the same ideas ----IE--- moving forward with a plan that has no hope of success.

[LondonAmerican]

5. I think Kerry needs to stop waffling

on the Iraq war. He needs to simply come out and say the war is wrong and that if president he will withdraw all US forces. This nonsense about 'internationalising' the occupation (as if the Iraqis will be happier being ruled by Kofi Annan) is just plain silly and COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. He should just say he will take us out.

Until he does that he will have trouble with people who believe that this war is wrong, period, no matter how 'internationalised' he tries to make it. And those people -- myself included -- will be looking more seriously for a real antiwar candidate. I am not interested in getting rid of a republican militarist just to replace him with a democratic one. If that's the choice then it's not a choice.

[Solidarity]

6. Is A Vote For Kerry A Vote For Bushism

saigon68 wrote:

"Why not just a Greens for Bush Wing
After all they stand for alot of the same ideas ...."

And what Bush government ideas do Green Party members agree with?

It seems that John Kerry and the DLC have much more in common with the Bush government than the Green Party. I think most Greens and their party oppose the occupation of Iraq, NAFTA, The Patriot Act, etc., So is a vote for Kerry a vote for Bushism?

[Citizen Daryl]

7. Two things:

1. We don't have proportional representation.
2. If Bush gets a second term, we're fucked.

Simple enough?

[bacchant]

8. A vote for Kerry may be a vote for Bush-ism, but

a vote for Nader is a vote for BUSH.

[paulk]

9. If they endorse Nader it will mean the end of the Green Party

It was a nice idea, but already the circular firing squad has splintered the splinter group. I almost want to laugh, but six years ago I believed in the promise of the Green Party. What a waste.

A vanity candidate for a vanity party...

[Solidarity]

10. Not So Sure About That

From following discussions on the internet it seems that most Green Party members disagree with you on that. But, we'll find out how they feel when they have their convention next month.

Some believe that a failure to endorse or nominate Nader will lead to the collapse and destruction of the Green Party.

[paulk]

11. either way, it doesn't matter

this schism is in itself an indication that the Green Party will remain a fringe group; ineffectual also rans that can't even keep their two percent together. The Greens could have been something other than spoilers if they'd have been willing to do the hard grassroots work building a legitimate party requires - instead they went for the brass ring before they were even on the horse.

Backing Nader a second time will win them nothing but the lasting enmity of the very people they need to eventually become a legitimate political force, that is - a party that can actually get people elected. Liberals and moderates will turn away completely and the Green Party will be left with only the crackpot left to tilt at windmills with.

[Solidarity]

12. Fringe Group? Hardly

They can hardly be called a fringe group when they have elected people to office and their candidate for mayor of San Francisco got 47% of the vote.

All major parties have started out small and this is the first progressive political party that has won significant support since the Progessive Party of 1948.

It's impossible to say at this point what the future of the Green Party will be. If both major parties continue their drift to the right it will probably grow and could become a major political party and force in the United States.

I wouldn't be so quick to write them off.

[saracat]

13. Please.

They are delusional if they do this. However, The message is more important than the candidate ,right? So if they take just enough of the percentage of the vote to hurt Kerry ,it's okay because they had their say? And you count a mayoral election in one of the most liberal cities in the country as evidence? The Independents have higher registration numbers and have a US senator(albeit a switcher)and several congresspersons. They must rule the world!

[Solidarity]

15. No.

No. I think most Greens probably think building a new political party is more important than the candidate. Many feel Nader and a Green Party presidential candidate will provide them with a better opportunity to build their organization.

If Kerry is incapable of appealing to Greens and 7 million registered Democrats who vote for Bush in 2000 whose fault is that?
It doesn't appear that he is even trying to appeal to progessive voters on issues like the Patriot Act and Iraq. Kerry may now believe along with the DLC that the election is in the bag!

And if Kerry truly believes he has the liberal and progressive vote in the bag he probably doesn't care much if some vote for Nader. It's time to gallop toward the so-called center (called the right by some)on issues will enable him to pick up many conservative Republican votes. That will more than offset any liberal losses to Nader.

And it looks like Bush's presidential ship is sinking fast. Kerry may not even have to do much to pacify liberals. Most seem committed to campaign hard for Kerry no matter what he says or does. He should easily defeat Bush. Anybody But Bush may have the day. That's how it looks to me.

But if he should lose he can always blame Ralph Nader.

[Dr Fate]

14. Thanks for absolutley nothing, oh benevolent ones.

Please know that you are NOT doing me or the country any favors.