{news} AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ON THE GREEN PARTY DEBATES IN SAN FRANCISCO CA.

[Mike DeRosa]

AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ON THE GREEN PARTY DEBATES IN SAN FRANCISCO CA.  THE
INDYBAY (Independent Media Center) writer, Robert Livingston gives us some
interesting facts on the behind the scenes happenings..  

Go to indybay URL to see good photos and read interesting comments:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/13/18472264.php

 

Green Party Presidential Debate in San Francisco: Show of Unity?

 

                       by Robert B. Livingston 

                   ( gruaudemais <mailto:gruaudemais at yahoo.com>  [at]
yahoo.com )

 
Sunday Jan 13th, 2008 11:23 PM 

It was not without trepidation that I attended the Green Party Presidential
Debate today at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco-- and despite moments of
inspiration, cheer and hope... I left mystified. Will the Green Party enter
the 2008 Presidential race strong and unified-- or will it continue to
become increasingly marginalized by a leadership more concerned with
creating pockets of influence than with igniting an authentic and diverse
national movement capable of substantially challenging the status quo of a
country increasingly controlled by corporations? 

 

San Francisco
January 13, 2008

"What is missing?" I kept asking myself from the moment I arrived at the
Herbst Theatre this afternoon.  It seemed all of the keys were in place for
a dramatic and catalytic presidential debate that would put the trivia of
the the two-party presidential debates in a spotlight.  Despite the full
house and exhuberent audience participation, somehow that never quite
happened.

Earlier I had encountered Cynthia McKinney and confessed to her that my
dream would be for Nader to throw his support behind her campaign-- and I
could see in her eyes that she truly hoped so also... but she also looked as
if she hadn't any idea what Nader had in store.  It remains to be seen if
Nader will declare his own independent candidacy-- to broaden debate about
the issues he cares most about?

After seeing McKinney, I saw Nader, looking weary and somewhat disappointed,
huddling with his advisers-- something did not seem to be happening
according to plan.  I was never able to talk with any of them, although I
had hoped to do so.

During an intermission, I encountered a few prominent local Greens
huddling-- what were they talking about?  They shooed me away-- whatever it
was they did not want me to know. 

Whatever was going on, the full audience were treated like children-- no one
ever explained why Nader was not to share the stage with the Green
candidates.  All that was announced was a terse message that the organizers
had been informed 48 hours before the event that he would not appear with
the Green Party candidates and that he was not an official candidate.  Was
Nader going to announce his own independent run for the presidency?  I was
told later that Nader had not yet declared. (Indeed, before the event Green
Party organizers said that Ralph Nader's office had asked them to state that
he is not a candidate.) 

I was also told after the event by Aimee Allison that Nader had not shared
the stage with the Greens for "legal" reasons:  was that a way of saying
that rules set up by those who set up the debate could not allow him to
share the stage-- or was it his own agenda that disallowed him from sharing
the stage?  I was never sure.  

At one point Cindy Sheehan, one of the moderators, asked Nader about his
potential candidacy.  Alone on the stage, Nader quipped about building
bridges to the Green Party and embarked upon an eloquent diatribe against
the control corporations increasingly have over our country-- a control that
can be described as being fascist.  He said that on the issues, the Green
Party as compared to the two corporate parties (Republican and Democratic
Parties) was as different as day and night. He suggested that internal
conflicts and excessive rule-making within the Green Party did not much
interest him and advised that the Party grow by keeping its focus on the
issues it professes to be concerned about-- and by organizing. Much of
Nader's soliloquy on a host of issues was devoted to advising the party to
become angry and energized by the increasingly negative turn our country has
taken in recent years. 

So what happens next?  I wonder-- and I'm sure many people wonder.  Will
Nader run?  If he does-- what will that mean for the Green Party? What will
that mean for Cynthia McKinney's campaign? (At one point in the debate,
Jared Ball declared that the debate was less a debate than a discussion of
unanimity of support behind Cynthia McKinney, clearly the most popular of
the candidates that shared the stage.)

Rather than leaving the event energized-- I left mystified-- except for one
thing:  clearly Nader and the Green Party candidates virtually share the
same interests.  All the debaters were eloquent and sincere.  The audience
all hoped for unity and purpose. All were solidly behind Cindy Sheehan's
independent congressional campaign in San Francisco against Nancy Pelosi.
Both Nader and McKinney appeared bent toward making the critical issues of
our day tantamount to any party bickering or conflict. 

So where was the magic?  Where was the transparency?  Where was the unity
and purpose?  

Stay tuned.... 


**********

Of note:  To my knowledge, Matt Gonzalez did not appear as a moderator as
advertised.  Elaine Brown <http://www.elainebrown.org/>  did not appear
because she left the Green Party.

On stage to debate were Jesse <http://www.newmenu.org/jesse_johnson>
Johnson, Kat Swift <http://www.bexargreens.org/katforprez/> , Cynthia
McKinney <http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.org/> , Kent Mesplay
<http://www.mesplay.org/> ,and Jared Ball <http://www.jaredball.com/> .

The crowd was told at the start that Ralph <http://www.draftnader.org/>
Nader would appear separately from the Green Party candidates, which he did
after they debated.  He never shared the stage with them. 

Disclosure:  I endorsed Ralph Nader at draftnader.org (which never published
my comment that I hoped Cynthia McKinney would declare her candidacy.  I
afterwards endorsed Cynthia McKinney.  My hope continues to be that Nader
and McKinney could find a way to run together.  I am a charter member of
GDI, Greens for Democracy and Independence-- I believe that an authentic and
strong Green Party requires transparency and valid representation-- it
should not endorse candidates in the corporate parties. 

It is my understanding that today's event will be broadcast and reported
widely-- as soon as possible I hope to provide links to such in the comments
section.  I hope others will make productive comments

 

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