Green Party Watch

From Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney:

November 4, 2010 – 12:34 am

Don’t Lose Heart! Cause for Hope Amidst the Disappointment
A “Final” Campaign Message (But Read On!)
by Rich Whitney, 2010 Green Party Candidate for Governor

To the hundreds of people who supported me in my campaign for Governor, and to the roughly 100,000 or so who saw fit to vote for me, despite the politics of fear that swept Illinois this election season, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We acknowledge our disappointment but are not consumed by it. We will assess the causes of our disappointing results but will not be obsessed by them. We live to fight another day, and fight on we shall. read more »

13 Green Party candidates are on the ballot in 2010 for State Governor, from New England to California and everywhere in between. Rich Whitney had a record setting campaign four years ago when he took 11% of the vote (the highest percent of any Green Party campaign for Governor) on 325,000 votes (second highest vote total ever for a Green Party candidate, Peter Camejo won 393,000 in California in 2002). Jill Stein ran for Governor in 2002 and won 76,000 votes for 3.5%. Howie Hawkins is no stranger to statewide campaigning, he won 55,000 votes in New York running for US Senate in 2006.

2010 Candidates for Governor are an experienced group of campaigners and public speakers who are bringing a Green alternative before the voters in 13 states. Laura Wells, Farheen Hakeem, & Jim Lendall are no strangers to either Greens or the campaign trail. If you can support their campaigns in any way please contact their campaigns or donate on their websites.

See the candidates below
read more »

The Sacramento Bee reports on California Green Party gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells:

For most candidates, Election Day consists of attending last-minute rallies, posing for photo ops as they cast their ballot and waiting for the returns to come in. Not Laura Wells. The Green Party nominee for governor will spend the big day in court.

Wells was arrested Oct. 12 on a misdemeanor trespassing charge outside the debate between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman at San Rafael’s Dominican University. Wells, who was not invited to participate in the debate, says she had a ticket to watch the event live at the time of her arrest, but it was rejected. read more »

Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney has a new video on youtube that speaks for itself:

From the Illinois Green Party:

Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney has been invited to speak at the Chicago satellite location of the “Rally to Restore Sanity”, this Saturday in Grant Park.  He’ll be speaking for 10 minutes in the 1:00 hour.  Other candidates were
invited (it’s technically a non-partisan rally), but Rich is the only one who will be there, because he’s the only one with sane ideas for Illinois!

Facebook event for Rich’s appearance there:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=169514536396782
read more »

From New York Green Party gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins:

Few people know that gubernatorial Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins once worked on Wyoming Senator Clifford Hansen’s ranch. “Back then I was baling hay. Now we’re talking about bailing out the people. But the people of New York need to round up these state revenue rustlers on Wall Street!” thundered Hawkins, announcing a “Wall Street Rodeo” for Wednesday, October 27th at Bowling Green Park’s Charging Bull sculpture. Watch Howie and the NY Greens rope in the stock transfer tax:

Hawkins has used the 2010 election to raise awareness of the $16 billion dollars in Stock Transfer Tax revenue rebated back to Wall Street firms every year. “Cuomo and Paladino claim our budget is hog-tied, but if New York would just hold onto the money it’s already collecting, we’d have $7 billion dollars extra for a badly needed, Green New Deal jobs program.” Unemployment reaches 30% in communities across New York State, while underemployment tops out at 50%. read more »

Sent in by William, Maria Allwine is an activist with the “Maryland Coalition to Re-Regulate BGE.” It called a press conference on Oct. 27, 2010, in front of the office of the Public Service Commission, in Baltimore, MD. Over the years, Ms. Allwine has battled hard against any more rate hikes and for “a moratorium on any rate increases in BGE bills.” Ms. Allwine is also the Green Party’s candidate for governor in Maryland. At today’s event, she ripped into BGE; incumbent Governor Martin O’Malley, a Democrat; and also, the Republican candidate for governor, Robert Ehrlich.

Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney is at 4% in a new Fox News poll, according to Capital Fax Blog:

The poll of 1,000 likely voters taken October 23rd has Bill Brady leading Gov. Pat Quinn 44-39. Independent Scott Lee Cohen has 6 percent and Green Party nominee Rich Whitney has 4 percent.

If Whitney receives at least 5% of the vote, the Illinois Green Party will retain a place on the ballot as an established major party.

In other news, Greens are planning to protest a Chicago debate hosted by public TV station WTTW that excludes Whitney, who earned over 10% of the statewide vote in 2006.

Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein took part in a debate with Democratic incumbent Deval Patrick, Republican Charlie Baker, and Democrat-turned-independent Tim Cahill on Monday, October 25th. Here is footage of the debate from Boston TV station WGBH:

Ohio Green Party gubernatorial candidate Dennis Spisak was interviewed recently by Michael Kwiatkowski on the Blog Talk Radio show Progressive Independence Radio.

Listen to the interview online at Progressive Independence Radio.

California Green Party gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells will participate in a 10/28 debate hosted by Free and Equal. All 6 ballot-qualified candidates have been invited. From Free and Equal:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. While the Democratic and Republican party candidates continue to debate only amongst themselves, the other four gubernatorial candidates in California are gearing up to participate in what is sure to be a vigorous, all-inclusive debate hosted at California State University, Sacramento, in the Forest Suite located on the second floor of the University Union, Thursday, October 28, 2010, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. read more »

From Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney:

WTTW – a taxpayer supported PBS station – is sponsoring a gubernatorial debate on Thursday, October 28, on its program Chicago Tonight program. Like other sponsors, it has only invited the Democratic and Republican candidates. Unlike the others, though, WTTW is using our tax dollars to promote the two candidates who have already spent millions of dollars attacking each other on television!

WTTW may change its mind if it hears from enough people, especially viewers and supporters. If you haven’t called WTTW yet, NOW is the time! Call 773-583-5000. You can also email them at chicagotonight@wttw.com. Tell WTTW that it needs to DO THE RIGHT THING and invite Rich Whitney to its Chicago Tonight debate. read more »

New York Green Party gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins has released 2 new campaign ads that will begin running on TV this week:

#1: New York Wants to Know…

#2: Howie Hawkins Green New Deal – Green Party

Hawkins’ campaign needs donations as soon as possible to get these ads on the air and maximize the Green vote. If Hawkins gets at least 50,000 votes, the New York Green Party will win a ballot line for the next 4 years, making his campaign one of the most important in the nation for Green Party ballot access. The New York Green Party, and Hawkins’ campaign in particular, have seen a surge in interest after Hawkins’ performance in last week’s gubernatorial debate.

Donate to Howie Hawkins for NY Governor to help put these ads on TV and maximize the Green vote.

From Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein:

If we can raise $15,000 by Friday, October 29th, we will be able to air our ads from Boston to Pittsfield. Not only are we rising in the polls, but the latest poll has a staggering 28% of likely voters saying they still might change their mind. We’re hitting our stride just as the other candidates are failing to inspire their bases. Now it’s time to hit the streets and the airways with our message.

Donate $75 right now and you’ll be putting our message on the air for a full minute. If you donate $500 you’ll put us on the air in Boston on the radio news stations with the widest reach. Dirty money has had its say on the airways.  But now it’s clean money time!

read more »

Laura Wells, Green Party candidate for Governor of California, has this campaign video out: