[GNC] After November? What's wrong with now?
David Rolde
davidrolde at comcast.net
Fri Aug 6 03:23:18 EDT 2004
At 4:08 PM -0400 8/5/04, Gil Obler wrote:
>Please DO NOT take my previous reply as a slam on David Rolde and
>Owen Broadhurst.
>
>Both of them are people who have consistently shown up and sacrificed
>for the party and the movement. They are not part of the problem. They
>are part of the solution.
>
>However, I am frustrated by a lack of recognition of where we really
>are as an organization and what it will take to get somewhere else.
>
>It is my personal opinion that when we have more people chipping in
>to help Steve Milder and I clean Grace's house for the Zitola/Johnson
>fundraiser than formulating foreign policy in the Sudan we will be a
>lot closer to those goals (EVEN in the Sudan).
>
> Gil Obler
> GRP Alternate (MA), USGP Coordinating Committee
> Middlesex Delegate, Green-Rainbow Party State Committee
I didn't attend the fundraiser at Grace's house. But it is my
understanding that Pat LaMarche and Medea Benjamin were there. Medea
Benjamin had recently cowritten a widely distributed article advising
people to vote for John Kerry in swing states. I believe that it was
damaging to the Cobb campaign for Pat LaMarche to be making public
appearances with Medea Benjamin since the Cobb campaign asked us to
not believe that Pat LaMarche is advocating voting for Kerry.
I think working on getting the GPUS Steering Committee to reformulate
their foreign policy on Sudan is more important. The Green Party
might live through unexciting electoral campaigns. But the Green
Party will not survive as any kind of positive force if it becomes
just another war party calling for imperialist invasions. I would
rather be spending all my energy on local GRP campaigns. But
unfortunately the GPUS Steering Committee is not doing their job of
properly formulating national issues including foreign policy issues,
and the Cobb/LaMarche campaign is also not performing this task as
they are too busy stumping for local candidates in various states and
on "party building" and are not paying enough attention to real
issues. So I am forced to divert my energy to these national issues.
- David
>
>======================================================================
>email greengil at comcast.net
>home phone (978)455-3984
>cell phone (617)388-5445
>======================================================================
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: gnc-bounces at green-rainbow.org
>> [mailto:gnc-bounces at green-rainbow.org] On Behalf Of Gil Obler
>> Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 3:33 PM
>> To: 'Green National Convention'
>> Subject: RE: [GNC] After November? What's wrong with now?
>>
>>
>>
>> > Also my opinion is that a vote for Kerry is a wasted vote even in a
>> > so-called swing state as Kerry is not a good alternative to Bush.
>>
>> Do we live in a swing state?
>>
>> This is what I mean about armchair radicals living in
>> cyberspace.
>>
>> We live in Massachusetts.
>>
>> How about we work on our party here in Massachusetts instead of
>> worrying so much about what happens in other states? Do Greens
> > in Illinois and Miochigan waste time telling us what to do here
> > in Massachusetts?
> >
> > Do I wish we were committed and organized enough to present
>> a viable threat to Kerry and Bush in Massachusetss in this
>> election? YES. Do I think we are? NO.
>>
>> We cannot even get more than a handful of state committee
>> members to commit to $10/month for the party (I will be
>> presenting a plan for a 10&10 program [$10 and 10 hours per
>> month] to the fundraising committee shortly).
>>
>> We cannot even get more that 20-30 people to show up at the
>> GRP-sponsored rallies at the DNC. We cannot get more than
>> a handful of people to volunteer consistently for Rich, Nat,
> > Jill, Carolina, Ebony, and others.
>>
>> When we have 50,000 members, 10,000 10&10 activists, 1,000
>> volunteers showing up at rallies, picket lines, and campaign
>> activities, then we will be a viable alternative. When we
>> have a state committee that can meet without struggling for
>> a quorum at every meeting, when 20% are not active on a
>> working committee rather than 20% that are active.
>>
>> I eagerly await such a day.
>>
>> Gil Obler
>> GRP Alternate (MA), USGP Coordinating Committee
>> Middlesex Delegate, Green-Rainbow Party State Committee
>>
>>
>> ======================================================================
>> email greengil at comcast.net
>> home phone (978)455-3984
>> cell phone (617)388-5445
>> ======================================================================
>>
>>
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: gnc-bounces at green-rainbow.org
>> > [mailto:gnc-bounces at green-rainbow.org] On Behalf Of David Rolde
>> > Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 10:15 AM
>> > To: Green National Convention
>> > Subject: RE: [GNC] After November? What's wrong with now?
>> >
>> >
>> > I know Kucinich supporters who already changed their registration
>> > from Dem to GRP this spring when it became clear that Kerry
>> was going
>> > to win the nomination.
>> >
>> > Also my opinion is that a vote for Kerry is a wasted vote even in a
>> > so-called swing state as Kerry is not a good alternative to Bush.>
>> > - David
>> >
>> > At 9:16 AM -0400 8/5/04, Gil Obler wrote:
>> > > > I have personally been urging Sharpton and Kucinich
>> > >> supporters I know to consider Cobb.
>> > >
>> > >I was NOT suggesting that we avoid doing this as
>> individuals between
>> > >now and November.
>> > >
>> > >I also was NOT suggesting that we, as a party, avoid asking them to
>> > >vote for Cobb.
>> > >
>> > >Voting for Kerry in Massachusetts, aside from the problems
>> one might
>> > >have with him as a candidate, is simply a wasted vote
>> (i.e., it will
>> > >not add to his electoral college count).
>> > >
>> > >I WAS suggesting we wait until next year for a concerted
>> > programmatic
>> > >attempt to woo Kucinich/Sharpton Dems into our party.
>> > >
>> > >There is a difference between voting for Cobb and joining
>> the party.
>> > >
>> > >I WAS suggesting that, while some Kucinich/Sharpton
>> > supporters may be
>> > >ready to consider voting Cobb, getting them to register with the
>> > >Green-Rainbow may be premature.
>> > >
>> > > Gil Obler
>> > > GRP Alternate (MA), USGP Coordinating Committee
>> > > Middlesex Delegate, Green-Rainbow Party
>> > State Committee
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >=============================================================
>> > =========
>> > >email
>> > greengil at comcast.net
>> > >home phone
>> > (978)455-3984
>> > >cell phone
>> > (617)388-5445
>> > >=============================================================
>> > =========
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >> -----Original Message-----
>> > >> From: gnc-bounces at green-rainbow.org
>> > >> [mailto:gnc-bounces at green-rainbow.org] On Behalf Of Owen
>> Broadhurst
>> > >> Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 9:02 AM
>> > >> To: Green National Convention
>> > >> Subject: RE: [GNC] After November? What's wrong with now?
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >> No, he's CAMPAIGNING for office and betraying the progressive
>> > >> agenda.
>> > >>
>> > >> By no means have I qualms in urging all Massachusetts voters to
>> > >> reject him. His DNC speeches and, indeed, his whole entire
>> > >> legislative record, show him an exceptionally dangerous
>> > > > threat to the whole entire globe and most Americans.
>> > > >
>> > > > I have personally been urging Sharpton and Kucinich
>> > > > supporters I know to consider Cobb.
>> > >>
>> > >> OB
>> > >>
> > > >> ----- Original Message -----
>> > >> From: "Gil Obler" <greengil at comcast.net>
>> > >> Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 08:30:51 -0400
>> > >> To: "'Green National Convention'" <gnc at green-rainbow.org>
>> > >> Subject: RE: [GNC] After November? What's wrong with now?
>> > >>
>> > >> Re:
>> > >> Re: My two cents:
>> > >> Re:
>> > >> Re: What is wrong with now is that Kerry is not yet
>> > in office and
>> > >> Re: betraying the progressive agenda.
>> > >> Re:
>> > >> Re: I suggest: not now, not in November, but in
>> > Spring/Summer 2005
>> > >> Re: after Kerry turns corporate with his agenda.
>> > >> Re:
>> > >> Re: Right now, Kerry is playing the politicians
>> > game and saying
>> > >> Re: enough of the "right things" not to convince us
>> > Greens (and
>> > >> Re: Green-Rainbows) but to convince the Kucinich
>> > Dems that he is
>> > >> Re: "secretly a progressive".
>> > >> Re:
>> > >> Re: We need to be smart, show a little patience,
>> > and not overplay
>> > >> Re: our hand too early.
>> > >> Re:
>> > >> Re: Gil Obler
>> > >> Re: GRP Alternate (MA), USGP
>> Coordinating Committee
>> > >> Re: Middlesex Delegate, Green-Rainbow Party
>> > >> State Committee _______________________________________________
>> > >> GNC mailing list
>> > >> GNC at green-rainbow.org
>> > >> http://www.green-> rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/gnc
>> > >>
>> > >
>> > >
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>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
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>> >
>>
>>
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