[statecom-discuss] Re: [candidate-development] Re: [IPPN]
CounterPunch 7/24/07:
Mike Heichman
mikeheichman at verizon.net
Thu Jul 26 11:09:26 EDT 2007
Hi Bill and others:
From time to time I think of what Bill has been saying that we should
focus our attention on campaigns that we can "win" (get elected) and
that focusing on the higher offices was a waste of time, energy and
precious resources and won't work because we really, at this stage of
our development, have a chance to be elected and therefore to run in
these kinds of campaigns is an illusion (for the public and to
ourselves). Bill, is this a fair summary? Please correct any misconceptions.
Not counting the time that I carried a sign for my state rep back in the
1960's (My father had asked him and he had gotten me a 6 week job during
the summer time when I was in high school.), I have been involved in
electoral campaigns since 1970. Most of the time I felt very good about
the campaigns that we lost (David Nelson, an African-American, running
for Congress in Boston in 1970, McGovern in '72, etc.) and usually felt
badly when we "won" (I was very active in CPPAX in the 1970's-Dukakis
first election for Governor, the election of Tsongas for US Senate in
'78, etc.)
Sometimes victories are really very sweet-the election of Marta Rosa to
the Cheslea School Committee-my union for once got very involved that
year, Marta was a former student of mine, and she was the first Latina/o
elected in Chelsea. Yes local victories can be sweet and meaningful.
The most meaningful victory for me was the election of Chuck Turner to
the City Council 8 years ago. Mel asked him to run as a Rainbow
Coalition Party candidate. Chuck for me is the best example of the
wonderful things that can happen in an election, I am grateful that I
played an active role in that campaign and along with a few other GRP
members have worked with Chuck since that date.
I am now actively involved in his re-election campaign. And something is
very interesting about this campaign which has never happened to me
before. While part of the message of his campaign is his
accomplishments, he is attempting to engaging the district in a "unique"
(?) discussion. He is saying that during his 8 years in office, life in
many important ways is worse for the people of his district has become
worse. He has done some research and is sharing it with the
community-the homicide rate is up, and the # of restraining orders are
up and the drop-out rate is up. And if you think that just re-electing
Chuck and sending him downtown is going to make things better, you are
wrong!
WOW! Have any of you ever participated in a campaign when the candidate
said that?
So, Bill-I believe that "winning" local elections can also be an
illusion? Has Luc's election led to better and more equitable education
in Cambridge? How has the election of any Green candidate in the US led
to a better life for the people of their district-no matter how local or
how big?
So, why should we be a political party that is involved in electoral
campaigns?
I believe that in order to bring about the "revolution" we have to do 3
inter-related things:
a. We have to change ourselves.
b. We have to change ideas.
c. We have to change public policies.
Yes, I do not believe that the Green Party will elect our candidate in
2008. However, it can be a major location to raise our banner around the
nation--to come together and wage a campaign of ideas. And if we receive
5% of the national vote, there will be some material benefits for the
party. And if we don't, our party and the progressive "movement" can
grow "stronger" and wiser, etc.
Similarly a campaign for US Senate, Congress or state legislature.
All are arenas where there is a potential to move forward or to become
wasteful and harmful.
I also agree with you that we have to develop a more reflective practice
so we can learn both positive and negative lessons, so the next time we
can potentially be better prepared to move forward.
Mike Heichman
BillCunningham wrote:
>Do we have a candidate who can win a seat in the State legislature? We do have candidates who can win City council and school committee seats. Let's think about supporting them.
>
>If someone comes along who wants to run as GRP for higher office, she better bring along a campaign organization with her as far as I'm concerned.
>
>STOP STOP STOP tilting at windmills and chasing the will o the wisp. FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS on strategic thinking and the world outside our door.
>Otherwise GRP can go to hell—and it will.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>
>
>>From: Ron Francis <ronwf777 at yahoo.com>
>>Sent: Jul 25, 2007 11:32 PM
>>To: statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
>>Subject: [statecom-discuss] Re: [candidate-development] Re: [IPPN] CounterPunch 7/24/07: "Why I'm challenging Pelosi" by Cindy Sheehan
>>
>>I agree with Jamie, but would say do it at an even lower level.
>>
>>Try school committee or city council or zoning board if there is one.
>>
>>Best to establish some kind of base in your own local community before taking on people that usually already have some base.
>>
>>Even better is to establish yourself on some issue, for a couple of years, and also get yourself known in the community as "a player" and then use that status to make a move. Some of the "progressive" democrats have done that and have been effective.
>>
>>We need to put our laps in before jumping into the pool against serious contenders or else risk having a negative experience rather than a building experience.,...we also build trust among residents when you are a known quantity rather than just running out of the blue.
>>
>>Cyndi Sheehan is a good example of someone who has a passionate issue, and thus a passionate following behind her. She is in a good position to run at the lowest possible level on federal issues (Congressperson); She is a great model; her people will be with her as she runs. She has an easily identifiable reason why people should vote for her and not Pelosi.
>>
>>And also, there is no upsurge for running for the State legislature because there is no surge in issue activism among party members at the staterep level. I am working on encouraging that by organizing people (Local Organizing Initiative) in their own Staterep districts / cities with a bias toward ballot questions. We'll see what happens; it would be great if we had 5 or 6 ballot questions and some common ones too ....
>>
>>If anyone is interested in starting up a local using the LOI technique, then let me know.
>>
>>Ron
>>
>>Mike Heichman <mikeheichman at verizon.net> wrote: Hi Jamie,
>>
>>Maybe 13 candidates for the state legislature would be better than one
>>candidate for Congress.
>>
>>The problem that I see is that right now it might be a lot easier to
>>"find" one person to run for Congress than 3/5/7 people to run for the
>>state legislature. Who knows what's really going on out there with the
>>members of our party? As of now, I don't detect an upsurge of candidates
>>for the state legislature. There is some talk for the national
>>presidential election, the US Senate race, and John W talking about
>>Congress. However, I haven't heard anything relating the state
>>legislature. Hopefully there is an upsurge that my radar hasn't picked up.
>>
>>As for me, I want to encourage everyone to run.
>>
>>So, I say this to John Walsh: "RUN! JOHN! RUN! And now, you have an
>>additional incentive to be nice to everyone-you just announced your
>>potential candidacy.
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>
>>Jamie O'Keefe wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>On 7/25/07, John Walsh wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Draft Chuck Turner to run against "Cappie" in the 8th CD.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>Chuck has a lot to do on the Boston City Council. Better to run more
>>>candidates in Boston.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>In fact I may take another stab against Jimmy McGovern in '08.
>>>>With Grace's support in an all out assault on Jimmy from her City
>>>>Council perch, I bet I could beat the Prince of Pork in '08.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>I said this in 2003 and I will say it again in 2007, running for US
>>>Congress gains us nothing, but takes a huge effort. For the effort it
>>>takes to get one US Congress person on the ballot, we could get 13
>>>State Rep. candidates on. Plus if half fail to get on, we still have
>>>6-7 who did get on. With US Congress it is all or nothing.
>>>
>>>Jamie
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>
>
>Bill Cunningham
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