{news} Voting on GP-US Proposal: ID 311 - Implementation of Standards for Recognizing Presidential Candidates

[Charlie Pillsbury]

I'm inclined to vote YES on this proposal currently under consideration.
What do you think?  Charlie

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: voting at gpus.org <voting at gpus.org>
Date: 12 Sep 2007 04:05:01 -0000
Subject: [usgp-nc] Voting Has Begun on GP-US Proposal: ID 311 -
Implementation of Standards for Recognizing Presidential Candidates
To: natlcomvotes at green.gpus.org

Voting has begun for the following proposal:

Proposal ID: 311
Proposal: Implementation of Standards for Recognizing Presidential
Candidates
Floor Manager: Jason Nabewaniec, j_nabs at hotmail.com
Voting Dates: 09/12/2007 - 09/18/2007

Voting ends at Midnight Pacific Time

Background: The Presidential Campaign Support Committee has attempted to
create a
wide-open nomination process for 2008.  One of the hallmarks of this
has been trying to establish a transparent, balanced system where no
candidates are the benefit of any institutional bias.

Several individuals have already gone through the steps required to
become recognized candidates.  The process, however, has proven to be
fraught with unexpected problems.  Candidates who are clearly not
intending to run serious campaigns and candidates with seemingly no
Green credentials have announced.

Unlike the corporatist parties, for the Green Party, the imprimatur of
identifying which candidates are seeking the nomination falls squarely
upon the party itself.  When the Green Party releases a list of
official candidates and some of those candidates include people who are
clearly not credible candidates, the effect is to marginalize both the
party and the remainder of the candidates.  Similarly, when the party
extends resources to candidates, it should not be extending resources
to any random person who has submitted a questionnaire.  Listing a
candidate's name and website on the GPUS website constitutes providing
a significant resource, and PCSC has also been developing information
resources for candidates.  It is not good practice to squander the time
and efforts of Greens on candidates who are not serious, or worse, who
may misrepresent themselves and the position of the Green Party and use
the imprimatur of GPUS recognition to do so.

The purpose of this proposal is to establish clear standards for the
formal recognition of presidential candidates, where such recognition
may qualify a candidate for GPUS identification and other resources.
Such recognition is not intended to imply any status with regard to the
conduct of voting at the Presidential Nominating Convention, and is not
intended to exclude the participation or consideration of any
individuals at the convention.  It should be noted, though, that the
list of recognized candidates may be employed by state parties in
determining the roster of candidates to submit to their membership for
the presidential preference voting process in their respective states.
This may require future action from PCSC.

It is also understood that there are numerous individuals who might
best be considered "prospective candidates".  Such persons are
understood to be undeclared and undecided, and perhaps not engaged in a
formal "exploratory" process in the eyes of the FEC.  Nevertheless,
these individuals could reasonably be asserted to be informally
considering their options and they might therefore have some need for
certain resources generated by PCSC or other elements of GPUS.  The
potential popularity of such candidates compels facilitating the
potential for such candidates to seek the party nomination while
respecting certain issues that may arise from being considered a formal
or "exploring" candidate in the eyes of the FEC.  A category of "draft
candidate" is therefore included in this proposal, where "draft
candidates" are understood to be undeclared and undecided but desirous
of certain party resources.


Proposal: The Green National Committee formally adopts the following
policies for
recognizing declared and draft candidates for the Green Party
nomination for President:

Policy for Recognition of Declared Candidates for the Green Party
Nomination for President

1.  An individual may become an officially recognized candidate for the
Green Party nomination for President provided that he/she:

a.  submits an official Candidate Questionnaire to the Presidential
Campaign Support Committee;

b.  is not a registrant of any state or national level political party
in the individual's primary state of residence except for a state party
which has affiliated with GPUS, or a party forming for the intent of
GPUS affiliation in a state where there is no GPUS affiliated state
party;

c.  has pledged to use all offered Green Party ballot lines;

d.  has a website for his/her candidacy.

2.  Provided that the above standards have been met, any such
individual should also:

a.  receive verifiable support from 100 Green Party members, including
members from at least 5 state parties, no later than December 1, 2007;

b.  establish a campaign committee and file with the Federal Elections
Commission, no later than December 31, 2007;

c.  raise at least $5,000, not including self-financing, for the
purpose of his/her campaign, no later than February 1, 2008.

3.  If any such individual meets all standards identified above, then
the Presidential Campaign Support Committee shall consider the matter
of whether such individual shall be extended official recognition as a
candidate for the Green nomination.  The PCSC co-chairs shall report
when an individual has met such standards.  If no action is taken
within seven days of such notification, then the candidate shall be
extended official recognition.  Within those seven days, any member of
PCSC may introduce a proposal, specifying cause, to refuse to extend
official recognition to an individual who meets the delineated
standards.  Such a proposal will be acted upon per the standard
policies and procedures of the PCSC, and candidate recognition shall
only be refused upon a standard 2/3 vote of the committee.  Should such
a proposal fail, the candidate will be extended official recognition.

4.  Once a candidate has been extended official recognition by the
PCSC, such recognition may be rescinded by a proposal, specifying
cause, acted upon per the standard policies and procedures of the PCSC,
with a standard 2/3 vote of the committee.  Such cause may include
failure to comply with the time-specific standards delineated in
Section 2 of this policy.

5.  Individuals who are officially recognized candidates may be
eligible for GPUS provided resources, including information on GPUS
sponsored websites, contact lists, and other resources that GPUS might
provide.

Policy for Recognition of Draft Candidates for the Green Party
Nomination for President

1.  An individual may become an officially recognized draft candidate
for the Green nomination for President provided that he/she:

a.  has demonstrable, verifiable support from 100 Green Party members,
including members from at least 5 state parties;

b.  is not a registrant of any state or national level political party
in the individual's primary state of residence except for a state party
which has affiliated with GPUS, or a party forming for the intent of
GPUS affiliation in a state where there is no GPUS affiliated state
party;

c.  is aware of the draft candidacy and has not formally notified the
PCSC that he/she does not wish to be considered a draft candidate as
per this policy; lack of notification will not be considered as an
indication on the part of the individual that he/she is a declared or
otherwise formal candidate.

2.  If any such individual meets all standards identified above, then
the Presidential Campaign Support Committee shall consider the matter
of whether such individual shall be extended official recognition as a
draft candidate for the Green nomination.  The PCSC co-chairs shall
report when an individual has met such standards.  If no action is
taken within seven days of such notification, then the candidate shall
be extended official recognition as a draft candidate.  Within those
seven days, any member of PCSC may introduce a proposal, specifying
cause, to refuse to extend official recognition to an individual who
meets the delineated standards.  Such a proposal will be acted upon per
the standard policies and procedures of the PCSC, and draft candidate
recognition shall only be refused upon a standard 2/3 vote of the
committee.  Should such a proposal fail, the individual will be
extended official draft candidate recognition.

3.  Upon recognition of a draft candidate, the individual shall be
notified, and shall be requested to meet the conditions of being an
official declared candidate, per the relevant policy, no later than
December 31, 2007 if the individual wishes to maintain status as a
recognized candidate for the nomination.

4.  Once a draft candidate has been extended official recognition by
the PCSC, such recognition may be rescinded by a proposal, specifying
cause, acted upon per the standard policies and procedures of the PCSC,
with a standard 2/3 vote of the committee.  Such cause may include
failure to comply with the time-specific standards delineated in
Section 2 of this policy.

5.  Individuals who are officially recognized draft candidates may be
eligible for GPUS provided resources, including information on GPUS
sponsored websites, contact lists, and other resources that GPUS might
provide.
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