Green Party Watch

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 »

Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney was barred from participating in a League of Women Voters debate in Chicago Wednesday night, despite the fact that Whitney earned over 10% of the statewide vote in 2006, establishing the Green Party as a major party in Illinois. Whitney and a crowd of supporters protested the exclusion outside the debate venue. The previous night, Green Party US Senate candidate LeAlan Jones had also been excluded from the League of Women Voters’ debate. Watch Rich Whitney’s speech in this video from the protest:

Medill Reports published a video report from the protest.

In related news, Whitney will air ads on MSNBC and Comedy Central asking that he be included in debates:

On Friday October 22nd, supporters of the Howie Hawkins for New York Governor campaign will hold an online money bloom to raise money for the Green Party candidate, who has seen a surge of support since Monday’s 7-way gubernatorial debate. The event is on facebook with the name “Howie Hawkins Money Bloom: Support the Green New Deal!”

Can you donate $10 on Friday October 22nd to help Howie Hawkins, NY Green Party candidate for Governor, reach voters with his message of a Green New Deal?

http://howiehawkins.com/2010/donate.html

Howie Hawkins is calling for a Green New Deal for New York State. His message: by taxing Wall Street and the super-rich and creating a state bank, we can fix the budget gap and invest in creating well-paying green jobs for all New Yorkers who need them.

Like all Green candidates, Howie Hawkins supports single-payer health care, fully funded education, a living wage, marriage equality, legalizing marijuana, and a ban on hydrofracking. He is the only candidate with a comprehensive plan to fix NY State government, including proportional representation, instant runoff voting, and public campaign financing.

http://howiehawkins.com/2010/donate.html

Howie Hawkins needs 50,000 votes for Governor for the Green Party to win a ballot line in New York for the next 4 years. That will make it much easier for the Green Party to run candidates for local office and state legislature where Greens can win and turn our values into public policy.

Every single vote for Howie Hawkins builds momentum for the Green movement, a people-powered grassroots movement for peace, social justice, grassroots democracy, ecology, and politics that puts people before profits.

Watch this video for just a sample of the message we want to share with thousands of New Yorkers:
http://howiehawkins.com/2010/video/308-where-are-the-f-ing-jobs.html

Please donate $10 (or more if you can) and spread the word by inviting your friends to the Howie Hawkins Money Bloom!

http://howiehawkins.com/2010/donate.html

RSVP and invite your friends to the Howie Hawkins Money Bloom on facebook.

Non-partisan electoral and ballot access reform organization Free and Equal will hold debates for the Illinois gubernatorial and US Senate races tonight with all ballot-qualified candidates invited. Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney and US Senate candidate LeAlan Jones will participate.

Both Whitney and Jones were excluded from a League of Women Voters debate Wednesday night in Chicago.

From Free and Equal:

U.S. Senate and Illinois gubernatorial candidates will debate on issues ranging from the economy to environmental concerns to the War on Drugs, in back-to-back debates today, Thursday, October 21, 2010, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The debates will take place in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium in Holmes Student Center, with U.S. Senate candidates debating first from 6 – 7:30 p.m., followed by the gubernatorial debate from 8 – 9:30 p.m. read more »

Texas Green Party gubernatorial candidate Deb Shafto took part in a debate with Democrat Bill White and Libertarian Kathy Glass on tuesday night. Republican incumbent Rick Perry refused to participate. ABC station KTRK has video from the debate, which is separated into 12 segments:

From Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein:

The perfect storm couldn’t get more perfect. Growing impatience with the insider candidates and poisonous politics as usual makes a breakthrough for our campaign more possible – and more necessary – than ever.  Please make a contribution now to support the radio campaign to blast past the media blackout in every corner of the state. Let’s let people know that the alternative to politics as usual is ready and waiting! read more »

Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney is asking supporters to join him in protesting a Chicago gubernatorial debate on Wednesday 20 October. The Illinois League of Women Voters has refused to allow Whitney to participate, despite the fact that he drew over 10% of the statewide vote in 2006, establishing the Green Party as a major party in Illinois. Details for the demonstration can be found on the facebook event “Protest ABC 7-League of Women Voters Governor’s Debate”.

In other news from the Whitney campaign, the candidate will appear on MSNBC earlier that day:

Rich Whitney to Appear on MSNBC

Carbondale, IL— Rich Whitney, Green party candidate for governor, will appear on MSNBC this Wednesday, October 20^th. Mr. Whitney will be interviewed by host Tamron Hall on the show NewsNation live at 1:15 PM central. The candidate will discuss his campaign and the “Whiteygate” ballot scandal.

Wednesday, October 20

Who: Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney

What: Appearance on MSNBC’s NewsNation

When:  1:15 PM central

Where: MSNBC read more »

Ralph Nader, the legendary activist who ran for president on the Green Party ticket in 1996 and 2000, will make several appearances with New York Green Party gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins in New York’s Capital District on Wednesday 10/20. To RSVP and invite friends, see the facebook event “Ralph Nader and Howie Hawkins in the Capital Region Weds 10/20″. Here are details for the events with Nader and Hawkins:

Nader/Hawkins schedule for Wednesday October 20th:

11-12: Howie Hawkins and Ralph Nader on Capitol Pressroom with Susan Arbetter, broadcast on PBS/NPR stations across the state at various times. Check local listings. read more »

The City Wire reports on a new poll including Arkansas Green Party candidates Jim Lendall for governor and John Gray for US Senate:

In the U.S. Senate race, Boozman’s margin over incumbent U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln has shrunk to 13 points as he now holds a 49-36% lead. Independent Trevor Drown and Green Party candidate John Gray each received 4% support, while 7% of voters remain undecided.

Beebe has seen a steady increase in his advantage — now 16 points — over Republican gubernatorial challenger Jim Keet, 50-34%. Green Party nominee Jim Lendall pulled 3.5%, and 12.5% remain undecided.

If Lendall gets at least 3% of the vote, the Arkansas Green Party will remain ballot-qualified for the next 2 years.

Here are some interesting recent articles about Gray and Lendall:

Arkansas Times: A conversation with John Gray, Green Party candidate for Congress

Arkansas News: Here’s your independent voice

Blue Arkansas: Is John Gray picking up steam?

Baxter Bulletin: Jim Lendall fights for legitimacy of Green Party

Even after Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney got over 10% of the vote in 2006 and established the Green Party as a major party under Illinois law, the Illinois League of Women Voters is refusing to let Whitney debate the Republican and Democratic candidates in Chicago on Wednesday, October 20th. In the editorial viewpoint of Green Party Watch, actions like this make a mockery of democracy in America.

The Illinois Green Party is asking supporters to turn out in force to protest the debate exclusion. Whitney’s campaign has created a facebook event “Protest ABC 7-League of Women Voters Governor’s Debate” where you can view the details and share with your friends.

Gwen Blossom of Wilmette wrote a letter to the Chicago Tribune that nicely captures the injustice of this situation: read more »

Last night New York Green Party gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins took part in a 7-way gubernatorial debate. The debate included Hawkins as well as Anti-Prohibition Party candidate Kristen Davis, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, Freedom Party candidate Charles Barron, Libertarian Warren Redlich, Rent is 2 Damn High Party candidate Jimmy McMillan, and Republican Carl Paladino. Hawkins made a strong case for progressive taxation, a Green New Deal, proportional representation, instant runoff voting, public campaign financing, a hydrofracking ban, and gay marriage. If Hawkins gets at least 50,000 votes, the Green Party will win a ballot line in New York for the next 4 years.

Watch the debate online at NY1 News.

From Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney:

Just days after Rich Whitney’s name was found to be misspelled on voting machine throughout Chicago, the Green Party candidate for governor is now finding himself locked out of three Chicago debates, including one going on tonight at Elmhurst College, 8 p.m..

Tonight’s debate, along with the League of Women Voters on Oct 20 and WTTW Channel 11 on Oct 28 debates, are set to include only Brady and Quinn, leaving out the only other established party candidate, Rich Whitney, despite heavy lobbying from Green Party representatives and supporters.

The debate exclusions come after a very successful debate among the three established party candidates in Southern Illinois — including Whitney — in Carbondale, far outside the Chicago political monopoly.

“Whitney won hands down,” wrote David Ormsby in a piece for examiner.com.

“Whitney… seemed to be [the] only one of the three to seize the gravity of the state budget mess,” wrote Chuck Sudo for chicagoist.com.

Similar comments were expressed by Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn after a five-way gubernatorial forum discussion held before the paper’s editorial board .

“Rich Whitney was the best spoken, had the best command of the facts and, in my opinion, had the most sensible ideas for moving Illinois forward,” wrote Zorn on October 1.

“Clearly Rich Whitney belongs in these debates, but debate organizers continue to stonewall us. This is clearly the result of pressure by the Democrats,” said Phil Huckelberry, Chair of the Illinois Green Party. read more »

Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for New York Governor, will participate in a debate on Oct. 18 at Hofstra University that will be broadcast statewide. Hawkins said he was looking forward to debating the issues that face NY. All seven candidates on the ballot for governor will be attending.

The debate will be held at Hofstra University on Monday Oct. 18th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The debate is sponsored by News12 Networks, Newsday, and Hofstra University.

The debate will be broadcast live on News 12 LI, News 12 Brooklyn, News 12 The Bronx, News 12 Westchester, News 12 Hudson Valley, NY1 News, NY1 Noticias, YNN, and some National Public Radio stations. Check your local listings.

The debate will also be available on the web at newsday.com, news12.com, ny1.com, andny1noticias.com.

Real time feedback can be given online at newsday.com and facebook.com/raceforgovernor.

In related news, the Syracuse Post-Standard has a profile of Howie Hawkins in anticipation of tonight’s debate.

California Green Party gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells made the news last week when she was arrested for trying to attend a debate between Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman. Two new videos show what happened that day and illuminate Wells’ perspective on the debates. Polidoc Productions has released a youtube video showing the open debates demonstration and Laura Wells’ arrest. Wells’ campaign has released a video in which she responds to the questions that only Brown and Whitman were allowed to answer that day. Watch here:

Ca Gov Debate from jason sussberg on Vimeo.

Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein has written an editorial for the Boston Globe entitled “Ending politics as usual”:

YOU DON’T need me to tell you that things are not going well in Massachusetts. We’re struggling with record unemployment, crushing underemployment, struggling schools, an unraveling environment, unfair taxes, and unaffordable health care. And we have a state government that can’t seem to fix anything.

With politicians failing to get the job done, you’d think voters would rise up and vote them out. But with lobbyists and big money controlling elections, people are rarely given a choice to vote for real change. Voters have been pummeled with the idea that they can’t break with the two-party system no matter how badly it treats them.

The result? Despite all the noisy rhetoric in the governor’s race, Beacon Hill lobbyists and insiders aren’t worried about the outcome. The fix is in. They know that both frontrunners will defend big money interests. I got into this race so voters could have real change with a clean money candidate who has never been a Beacon Hill insider. The defenders of the status quo have responded with the shopworn “spoiler’’ argument. They’re telling voters who want to vote for me that Charlie Baker is so bad that they have to vote for Deval Patrick instead to keep Baker from winning. They drive this home with negative campaigning that demonizes Baker as the enemy of all things good. If you buy their spoiler argument, political free speech has been taken from you. You’ll have to just shut up and vote your approval for four more years of business-as-usual.

Read the full article at the Boston Globe.