Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts

Return to Top Level

If You Are Not a Candidate, You Don’t Get Any GRP Delegates
Sunday January 13, @04:47PM, by Mike Heichman, Suffolk County
Subject : Presidential Primary-Selection of Delegates
from the CDLC dept.
Summary :
1. At the GRP’s State Convention in August, 2007, the following decision was made on which candidates would be allowed on the GRP Presidential Primary ballot (February 5, 2007):

a. S/he must be a candidate for the Green Party’s nomination.
b. S/he must be either a member of the Green Party or an “Independent” (not a member of any other political party).
c. S/he must state that s/he agree with the Green Party’s “10 Key Values”.
d. All of the above must be communicated in writing from the candidates to the GRP before the GRP would place their names on the GRP Presidential Primary ballot.

2. It is my understanding that as of this date (January 13, 2008), the State Party has not fully implemented the decision made by the annual convention, the highest decision-making body of the GRP. The State Committee, the Adcom and all GRP Committees have the responsibility to implement to the best of their abilities decisions made by the annual convention. I am confident that there excellent reasons why the annual convention’s decisions has not been fully implemented. To be accountable, the State Committee must receive a report explaining what happened.

3. Despite this violation, it is clear that most of the candidates who are pursuing the Green Party’s nomination do meet the above requirements except those who are not candidates for the Green Party’s nomination.

4. Those two exceptions are:

A. Elaine Brown: She was a member of the Green Party and had announced her candidacy for the Green Party’s nomination for the presidency. However, she has recently announced her resignation from the party and her withdrawal from the campaign. This was done after we had submitted her name. According to MA state law, it then was too late to withdraw her name from our ballot.
B. Ralph Nader: Since our convention, he has still NOT announced his candidacy for the Green Party’s nomination for the presidency. The decision to place his name on our ballot was a mistake. However, according to MA state law, it is too late to withdraw his name from our ballot.

5. As of this date (January 13, 2008), the mainstream media in MA has not informed (in fact has misinformed) the citizens of this state that our party has candidates that are running for president. It is very doubtful that the mainstream media will spend much time covering our candidates before the February 5 Primary. At best, our state party will only be able to conduct a very modest campaign to educate our members and the public (especially unenrolled voters). Hopefully our members will receive and read the GRP Newspaper which will clearly inform them about all of the candidates who will be on our ballot and inform them that Elaine Brown is no longer a candidate and that Nader has not announced his intentions (at the time the Newspaper had been prepared).

6. Despite our efforts, it can be predicted that on February 5, 2008, some/many members of our state party and other potential voters (unenrolled), will not be adequately informed about our campaign. Specifically, some of them will not know that Nader is not a candidate (if that is still the case) and that Elaine Brown has withdrawn her candidacy.

7. On February 5, it can be predicted that Elaine Brown and Ralph Nader will receive some votes. If they were candidates, they would be entitled to select delegates to our convention.

Text :
1. On January 27, the State Committee will receive an explanation of why the decision made by the annual convention to require certain requirements for a candidate to appear on our ballot was not fully followed.

2. On February 5, 2008 those voters who cast their ballot on the GRP ballot line will be electing delegates to the Green Party’s Nominating Convention (who will be selected by the candidates after the primary). Those candidates who on February 5 are running for the Green Party’s nomination on that date will be entitled to, as planned, select delegates who will be committed to supporting them at the Green Party’s nominating convention in July, 2008. Those candidates, who in February 5 are NOT running for the Green Party’s nomination, will not be permitted to select their delegates. Instead, the State Party will count these votes as “Uncommitted”, and these figures will be used to select “Uncommitted Delegates”.

3. The MA Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office will be notified of any changes to our current plan.

Reply

Re: If You Are Not a Candidate, You Don’t Get Any GRP Delegates
Thursday January 17, @03:10PM, by Mike Heichman
Mike,

February 5 results will be decided by Mass. J & U voters. All ballot candidates will receive votes. Write-in candidates will also receive votes.

The purpose of a primary is to carry the wishes of a state's voters to a nominating convention so the overall percentages for candidates can be brought together to reflect nationwide votership wishes.

Between now and July, a lot can happen (look at what's happening with other parties because of moved-up primary dates). Weeks or months from now, folks like Jesse Johnson may officially be able to ask for the GP nomination (which he cannot do at present, as Ralph Nader cannot currently do). Jared Ball may reiterate what he said in Sunday's debate: that he wishes to put his energies behind Cynthia McKinney. Does that make him less of a candidate for the voters of Mass. on February 5?

It seems that our legal duty to represent the votership means we stick with proportional representation of all ballot candidates in the delegation team we send to Chicago. After voting according to their duty in the famous first round, delegates will obviously shift their votes - that's what a nominating convention is all about.

Wanda

Reply

cheap viagra
Saturday February 02, @11:12AM, by cheap viagra

Hi! I'm John Strass and i like your site! cheap viagra Thank you!

Reply
buy viagra
Friday February 08, @10:04AM, by buy viagra
Hi! I'm Dr. Phillips! I love your site - it's really good!
<a href= http://www.answerbag.com/profile/?id=284536&u=buy-viagra > buy viagra </a> buy viagra
[url=http://www.answerbag.com/profile/?id=284536&u=buy-viagra] buy viagra [/url]
Thank you!
Reply
buy viagra online
Saturday February 09, @05:54AM, by buy viagra online
Hi! I'm Dr. Phillips! I love your site - it's really good!
<a href= http://digg.com/world_news/Buy_Viagra_Online_THE_LOWEST_PRICE_GUARANTEE > buy viagra online </a> buy viagra online
[url=http://digg.com/world_news/Buy_Viagra_Online_THE_LOWEST_PRICE_GUARANTEE] buy viagra online [/url]
Thank you!
Reply
buy viagra online
Sunday February 10, @11:18AM, by buy viagra online

Hi! I'm Dr. Phillips! I love your site - it's really good! buy viagra online buy viagra online [url=http://www.blinklist.com/Buy_Viagra_Online/]buy viagra[/url] Thank you!

Reply
order viagra
Monday February 11, @07:25PM, by order viagra

Hi! I'm Dr. Santana! I love your site! Looking for Viagra? order viagra order viagra http://www.blinklist.com/-ORDER-VIAGRA-ONLINE-CHEAP!-/]order viagra[/url] Thank you!

Reply

Re: If You Are Not a Candidate, You Don’t Get Any GRP Delegates
Sunday January 20, @04:33PM, by Nat Fortune
Being an officially declared candidate for President (as opposed to being a draft candidate or exploratory phase candidate) was NOT a requirement for being placed on our ballot.

The requirements to be placed on our presidential primary ballot were that the person be either a Green or an independent (not enrolled in any party), and that they be willing to have their name placed on our ballot, with the understanding in that so doing, they were placing their name in nomination for president on the Green Party ticket and were expected to support the party's 10 Key Values.

The co-chairs and CDLC verified that all 6 of those whom we placed on our ballot were willing to have their names place on the ballot and understood the conditions for doing so.

Draft candidates Elaine Brown and Ralph Nader indicated their willingness to have their name placed on the ballot and understood the conditions for doing so. Not being declared candidates at that time did not disqualify them.

In the case of draft candidate Ralph Nader, the Elections Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth independently verified that he knew his name was being placed on the ballot and that he had the option to withdraw his name if he so chose.

Exploratory candidate Cynthia McKinney -- who publicly declared her candidacy after our filing date with the Commonwealth --- was also included on our ballot because she verified that she wanted to have her name placed on the ballot and understood the conditions for doing so.

The one candidate listed by the GPUS as running for the Green Party presidential nomination whom we did not place on the ballot --- Jesse Johnson --- was also contacted by us, but this candidate did not indicate his willingness to be placed on our ballot.

The written documents mentioned in (d) were NOT requirements for ballot access. In fact, if they had been, the only names on our ballot would have been those of Kat Swift and Kent Mesplay. Provision (d) actually refers to materials to be requested of the candidates by CDLC. They were not requirements for ballot access.

What is more, not awarding delegates to anyone ---including write-ins who might not have declared their candidacy --- who earns them in our primary (by getting at least 1/32 of the vote, since we have 32 delegates to the convention) would be illegal (unless they are a member of another pary).

I understand the frustration our party members may feel regarding the Hamlet-like behavior of some of those on our ballot, as well as the frustration with those who drop out before the primary even occurs. That said, the electoral mechanism for expressing such sentiments is to vote for someone else, not to deny the votes of others.
Reply
Re: If You Are Not a Candidate, You Don’t Get Any GRP Delegates
Thursday January 24, @10:58PM, by Rob Crowner
It is important to clarify whether this proposal exacerbates a mistake already made - or, on the contrary, helps mitigate that mistake. I believe the CDLC, of which I am a member, has heard persuasive testimony that it is the latter, and I expect that a revised and refined proposal will emerge from the committee's vetting process.

I would also like to propose that language be added to item 3 of the text indicating that communication of any change in the party's delegate selection process (should it occur) will be made to all persons listed on the party's ballot in addition to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Rob Crowner
Hampshire County
Reply

Re: If You Are Not a Candidate, You Don’t Get Any GRP Delegates
Friday January 25, @11:44AM, by John Andrews
Two thoughts occur to me in reading this proposal:

1) The problem it is intending to solve is in the gray area. It isn’t black-and-white. At the state convention, I thought I was voting for more open ballot access by allowing independents to be on the GRP ballot. I did not think that the detailed procedures for selecting names would be applied in a way that frustrated this basic purpose. So I do not view this proposal as defending the will of the state convention as I understood it.
But regardless of the interpretation of the rules, I am reluctant to start second-guessing our volunteers when they are asked to make judgment calls. I would support discussion of this in a post-campaign debriefing, but trying to reverse their decisions is not the way to treat volunteers who were acting for the Party in a way they thought best.

2) I think the proposed solution could be worse than the problem it is trying to correct. Most of the GRP primary voters are going to go into the voting booth thinking that their vote for Ralph Nader will be counted. When they later find out that we threw their vote away, it will seem like an anti-democratic action by Party insiders. It will seem like the kind of thing that we are always accusing the Democrats and Republicans of doing. And what if we announce that we are throwing away Nader’s votes because he didn’t completed our paperwork, and then he later clearly announces his candidacy (perhaps even before the primary)? This could be a mess. I think the wisest course is to let GRP voters who select Nader on February 5 have their votes counted. If Nader later drops out, other candidates can compete for the support of any delegates won by Nader.

Reply

Re: If You Are Not a Candidate, You Don’t Get Any GRP Delegates
Saturday January 26, @02:40PM, by Mike Heichman, Suffolk County
> Two thoughts occur to me in reading this proposal:
>
> 1) The problem it is intending to solve is in the gray area. It isn’t black-and-white. At the state convention, I thought I was voting for more open ballot access by allowing independents to be on the GRP ballot. I did not think that the detailed procedures for selecting names would be applied in a way that frustrated this basic purpose. So I do not view this proposal as defending the will of the state convention as I understood it.
> But regardless of the interpretation of the rules, I am reluctant to start second-guessing our volunteers when they are asked to make judgment calls. I would support discussion of this in a post-campaign debriefing, but trying to reverse their decisions is not the way to treat volunteers who were acting for the Party in a way they thought best.
>
> 2) I think the proposed solution could be worse than the problem it is trying to correct. Most of the GRP primary voters are going to go into the voting booth thinking that their vote for Ralph Nader will be counted. When they later find out that we threw their vote away, it will seem like an anti-democratic action by Party insiders. It will seem like the kind of thing that we are always accusing the Democrats and Republicans of doing. And what if we announce that we are throwing away Nader’s votes because he didn’t completed our paperwork, and then he later clearly announces his candidacy (perhaps even before the primary)? This could be a mess. I think the wisest course is to let GRP voters who select Nader on February 5 have their votes counted. If Nader later drops out, other candidates can compete for the support of any delegates won by Nader.

-----------------
What Should We Do with the Selection of Delegates for those who will be on the ballot and are not presently committed to running for the Green Party's nomination for President?

Proposal for the January 27 State Comm. Meeting

This was first submitted by Mike Heichman on January 13. There has been discussion and feedback by members of the State Committee. It has been vetted by CDLC on January 24. This is the final proposal (January 26).

This proposal has been co-sponsored by Rick Purcell.

Context:

1. In January, 2007 the State Committee adopted a proposal by Elie Yarden, which put our state party on record calling on the national party to run a strong campaign for the presidency and encouraging members of the Green Party around the country to run for our nomination.

2. I strongly supported this proposal. However, I had one major concern. This proposal would have only allowed members of the Green Party on our MA primary ballot, and I did not want to prevent “Independents” like Mr. Nader and Congresswoman McKinney from pursuing the Green Party’s nomination without compelling them to join our party. The State Committee accepted my amendment to Elie’s proposal, which mandated that this proposal be reviewed by the annual convention.

3. At the GRP's State Convention in August, 2007, the following decision was made to determine who would be allowed on the GRP Presidential Primary ballot

a. S/he must be seeking the Green Party's nomination.
b. S/he must be either a member of the Green Party or an “Independent” (not a member of any other political party).
c. S/he must state that s/he agrees with the Green Party's “10 Key Values”.
d. All of the above must be communicated in writing from the candidates to the GRP before the GRP would place their names on the GRP Presidential Primary ballot.

4. The State Party has not fully implemented the decision made by the annual convention, the highest decision-making body of our state party. Every single candidate who is on our ballot has complied with the above requirements except one, Mr. Nader. He has not sent us a letter saying that he is seeking the seeking the Green Party’s nomination or that he agrees with our “10 key values”.

5. As of today there are three names on our ballot of people who do not meet the state convention’s requirements of seeking the Green nomination for President: Either we do not have this information in writing or they are no longer seeking the nomination for president.
A. Elaine Brown: She was a member of the Green Party, had announced her candidacy for the Green Party's nomination for the presidency, and we had placed her name on our ballot. However, she has recently announced her resignation from the party and her withdrawal from seeking the nomination.

B. Jared Ball is a member of the Green Party, had complied with our requirements, and is a member of the Green Party, had complied with our requirements and we had placed his name on our ballot. He has also now withdrawn his candidacy for the nomination of the Green Party and thrown his support behind Cynthia McKinney.

C. Ralph Nader: Given the deadline of submitting names for our ballot line and the word that Mr. Nader would announce his candidacy in late December, our co-chairs placed his name on our ballot. This, despite the fact that Mr. Nader had not complied with the above requirements. However, Mr. Nader did not announce his candidacy in December or in January and has not, to this date, complied with the above requirements.

7. As of this date (January 25, 2008), the mainstream media in MA has not informed (in fact has misinformed) the citizens of this state that our party has candidates that are running for president. CDLC was not able to organize a Presidential forum, but several community gatherings are happening. The ComCom has succeeded in sending out a newsletter with information about the Green's presidential campaign and our primary.

8. Despite our efforts, it can be predicted that on February 5, 2008 (MA Presidential Primary Day), many members of our state party and other potential voters (unenrolled), will not be adequately informed about our campaign. Specifically, some of them will not know that Nader has neither privately informed us in writing that he is seeking the Green Party nomination nor publicly announced that he is (if that is still the case) and that Elaine Brown and Jared Ball have withdrawn their candidacies and Elaine Brown, her membership.

9. On February 5, it can be predicted that Elaine Brown, Jared Ball and Ralph Nader will receive some votes. Under agreed upon circumstances they would be entitled to select delegates to our convention.

10 The State Committee has the responsibility to oversee the implementation of decisions made by the annual convention to the best of our abilities.

11. The State Committee has the responsibility to treat fairly the candidates who have complied with our requirements.

Proposal:

1. On February 5, 2008 those voters who vote for a candidate on the GRP ballot line will be electing delegates (who will be selected by those named on our ballot line after the primary). Those who on February 5 have met the Green-Rainbow Party's ballot requirements will be entitled to, as planned, select delegates who will be committed to supporting them at the Green Party's nominating convention in July, 2008. Those candidates who on February 5 have not met those requirements (including putting in writing and not rescinding that they are running for the Green Party's nomination) will not be permitted to select their delegates. Instead, the State Party will count these votes as “Uncommitted” and select “Uncommitted Delegates”.

2. The co-chairs will notify the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth and all candidates that will appear on our February 5 that we have made the above changes to the delegate selection process. The State Party will also make a very visible announcement of this change on our website and communicate with our members by e-mail. ComCom will send out a press release.

Reply

Re: If You Are Not a Candidate, You Don’t Get Any GRP Delegates
Saturday January 26, @04:14PM, by merelice
This proposal defines "candidate" in the narrowest of terms, not accounting for various stages such as draft and exploratory.

Between the state convention and the deadline for placing names on the Mass. ballot, Cynthia McKinney withdrew from the race and then re-entered. Between now and the nominating convention in July, similar actions could take place with candidates who have withdrawn. It is premature to decide what to do with votes cast on February 5.

As of the accelerated deadline date for placing names on the primary ballot (because of the change of primary date), the co-chairs and Elie Yarden -- filling in for what was then a defunct CDLC -- conscientiously exercised their best judgment to fulfill the wishes of the state convention and get validation of the candidates. No one was put on the ballot who was unaware of that action and that they could choose to withdraw their candidacy. We abided by the spirit of the law if not the exact letter. Had we fulfilled the letter, only two candidates would be on the ballot.

Given the disillusionment with politics on the basis of election fraud among certain constituents, it would be truly astounding and extremely damaging for the GRP to tell voters they can't vote for the candidate they want and, if they do, their vote won't count.

Merelice

Reply