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

Fri Nov 10 10:14:14 EST 2006

I know that about the Greens.  I have become very friendly with their
Lt. Gubernatorial candidate, Rich Aucoin.  He is thoroughly disgusted
with the Libertarians, because they turned their backs on their
antiwar stance.  Rich showed up every Friday through the winter as I
and others (under the name "Not One More") picketed John Kerry's
office to get him to change his position on the war.
And he, myself some Arab-Americans and some self-loathing Jews were
among the few to show up at the Khatami appearance to say, in the face
of a big Zionist rally against him to say with our banner: "U.S. and
Israel.  Hands off Iran.  No more wars for oil, empire and Israel."
Were it not for the cops we would have been in physical danger from
those jerks.
In each of these cases, the usual peace and justice complex in Boston
failed to show up. And they also failed to show in supporting
Dunkelbarger against Lynch.

So I see Libertarians as a very potent ally right now.
jw

On 11/10/06, BillCunningham <etwee at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Anything is possible, but I have spoken with WFP folks a couple of times and they said their strategy was entirely dependant upon fusion voting. Now that they are an official party, one measure of their intent will be whether people start to enroll as WFP voters. My guess is that they will encourage people to Democrats, since without fusion that is the only way they can influence the Dems electorally, which is their priary interest.
>
> The State's Libertarians suffered a serious split in 2002 from which they have not recovered. Although the basis of the split was Carla Howells' exclusive focus on the income tax ballot question, they are also badly divided over war and empire questions. Their StateCom had only 17 members as of May 2006.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: John Walsh <jvwalshmd at gmail.com>
> >Sent: Nov 9, 2006 8:11 AM
> >To: Discussion List for StateCom members <statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org>, "Colby E. Peterson" <saphron at verizon.net>
> >Subject: Re: Re: [statecom-discuss] Fwd: Surprising 19 percent vote for Rand   Wilson earns ballot status for Massachusetts Working Families Party
> >
> >But there is a difference.  On the core issues of war, empire and
> >threat to our liberties, we have basic agreement with the Libertarians
> >whereas with the Dems and therefore the WFP (I love that name; it
> >rings of "Kinder, Kirche, Kuche," a kind of national socialism) we
> >have virtually nothing in common - despite the pretensions of the
> >Dems.
> >Also George Phillies is hardly a formidable foe and his machinations
> >were a major reason for the collapse of the Libertarians here in MA.
> >jw
> >
> >On 11/9/06, Colby E. Peterson <saphron at verizon.net> wrote:
> >> We should operate under the assumption that the WFP intends to be
> >> politically active and perhaps run candidates.
> >>
> >> If they pack up and ship out because fusion failed, good for them,
> >> good for us.
> >>
> >> If they decide to actually run an independent political party using
> >> the current electoral system, then we have a potential competitor and
> >> a potential collaborator.
> >>
> >> - Colby
> >>
> >> PS: I might add that the Libertarians are also beginning to stir
> >> again, with Massachusetts native George Philles already declaring a
> >> run for President.
> >>
> >> On Nov 8, 2006, at 11:26 PM, BillCunningham wrote:
> >>
> >> > Not really. Since fusion (Question 2) was defeated 2 to 1, it's
> >> > hard to see what the WFP can do. Its strategy, like that of theno-
> >> > longer-extant New Party, was completely dependant upon fusion
> >> > endorsement of democrats.
> >> >
> >> > -----Original Message-----
> >> >> From: John Walsh <john.walsh at umassmed.edu>
> >> >> Sent: Nov 8, 2006 5:08 PM
> >> >> To: Jill Stein <jstein at massmed.org>, graccross at aol.com, Discussion
> >> >> List for StateCom members <statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org>,
> >> >> NeedToKnow at green-rainbow.org, Ron Francis <ronwf777 at yahoo.com>
> >> >> Subject: [statecom-discuss] Fwd: Surprising 19 percent vote for
> >> >> Rand Wilson earns ballot status for Massachusetts Working Families
> >> >> Party
> >> >>
> >> >> 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
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Bill Cunningham
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > statecom-discuss mailing list
> >> > statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> >> > http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
> >_______________________________________________
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>
> Bill Cunningham
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