[statecom-discuss] Fwd: Surprising 19 percent vote for Rand Wilson earns ballot status for Massachusetts Working Families Party

[Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com]

Mike - yes, we do!

and besides Rand's snide comment about symbollic candidates (which was 
totally unncessary), I understand the strategy of needing a party that unions might 
identify with more.   Until, as a party we have closer relationships wiht 
unions like I do and we run candidates that talk more directly and concretely, 
working class constituents may have a harder time identifying with the GRP 
platform - even though it is pretty much in line with the more progressive unions.

I plan some chats as soon as I get some sleep!   and we raise some more 
money!

Love, grace
In a message dated 11/8/06 7:39:23 PM, mikeheichman at verizon.net writes:


> Thanks John for sending this out.
> 
> One of the things that we need to discuss is our relationship with this
> new (for MA) political party.
> 
> Mike
> 
> John Walsh wrote:
> 
> > Isn't that dandy!  Now the  Dems have a second way to counter the GRP.
> > jw
> >
> > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> >> From: "Rand Wilson" <rand at mindspring.com>
> >> Date: November 8, 2006 5:02:53 PM EST
> >> Subject: Surprising 19 percent vote for Rand Wilson earns ballot 
> >> status for Massachusetts Working Families Party
> >> Reply-To: rand at mindspring.com
> >>
> >>
> >> Wilson for Working Families
> >> 44 Foskett Street  —  Somerville, MA 02144  —  617 697-0380
> >> www.randwilson.org
> >>
> >> Press Release
> >> For immediate release: November 8, 2006
> >> Contact: Rand Wilson, (617) 697-0380 or rand at mindspring.org
> >>
> >> New party on the block…
> >> Wilson campaign for State Auditor earns ballot status for new 
> >> Massachusetts Working Families Party
> >>
> >> Surprising 19 percent vote sends message to Beacon Hill about need 
> >> for elected officials to refocus their priorities on economic 
> >> justice issues
> >>
> >> With all precincts in Massachusetts counted, the Wilson campaign  for
> >> State Auditor achieved ballot status for the Working Families  Party
> >> on Nov. 7 with surprising support from 19 percent of voters.   Only 3
> >> percent was needed to get ballot status for the new party.
> >>
> >> Over 60 grassroots labor and community organizations backed the 
> >> formation of a new Working Families Party and ten unions and ACORN 
> >> took the bolder step of endorsing Rand Wilson for State Auditor as 
> >> the party's first Massachusetts candidate.
> >>
> >> "Over 369,500 citizens cast a vote for a brand new Working Families 
> >> Party to send a message urging our elected officials to refocus on 
> >> the bread and butter issues that matter most to working people," 
> >> said Wilson, a veteran union organizer who was virtually unknown 
> >> prior to the election campaign.  "It also shows the widespread 
> >> interest in a party that is committed to an electoral strategy that 
> >> won't risk spoiling an election or asking supporters of our  platform
> >> to waste their votes on purely symbolic candidates."
> >>
> >> Wilson campaigned vigorously for the passage of Question 2, a 
> >> statewide referendum allowing independent parties to build 
> >> coalitions with candidates from other parties, but count their  votes
> >> on a separate ballot line.  Unfortunately the ballot  initiative failed.
> >>
> >> "Half a million people voted for Question 2," said Wilson.  "That's 
> >> a good start for an innovative idea to improve our democracy so  that
> >> people in Massachusetts would have more choices and a better  chance
> >> to have their voices heard."
> >>
> >> "Many unions and community groups united behind Rand Wilson's 
> >> candidacy to build support for the Working Families Party.  Now we 
> >> have earned a new place on the ballot for the voice of working  class
> >> people," said Teamsters Local 122 Secretary-Treasurer John  Murphy. 
> >> "In the absence of the election reform we sought with  Question 2,
> >> the future of our party depends on whether we can use  that ballot
> >> line to support our platform in a meaningful way."
> >>
> >> For more information, please visit www.randwilson.org or call (617) 
> >> 697-0380.
> >
> >
> > John V. Walsh, MD
> > Professor of Physiology
> > University of Massachusetts Medical School
> > 508-856-3360 (Office)
> > 508-868-1653 (Cell)
> > john.walsh at umassmed.edu
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > statecom-discuss mailing list
> > statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> > http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
> >
> 
> _______________________________________________
> statecom-discuss mailing list
> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
> 
>