🚀 go-pugleaf

From: Alex Chis <achis@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: Ralph Nader to run for U.S. President
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Date: 28 Nov 1995 21:58:48 GMT


Dear Friends,

This is just a quick message. It will be publicly confirmed today (11/27)
that Ralph Nader will be running for president under the Green
Party banner. The form this takes is that his name will be
officially placed on the California Green Party primary ballot.
California now has an early primary.

This is extremely exciting news. We now have the opportunity, not
only in California, but around the U.S., to get together on a
truly alternative presidential race. This should help us build
independent politics in our own states too.

I think that in areas where there are already independent parties
with ballot status, such as the New Progressive Party in
Wisconsin, we should immediately work to try to get Nader as the
official presidential candidate there too.

In other areas we could work and try to petition to get him on the
ballot, thereby also getting independent politics out. Greens in
Pennsylvania have already met and decided to petition to get the
60,000 signatures for this. This is an educational campaign in
itself.

I am forwarding three separate messages after this. (1) the
official messages on Nader and CA from Mike Feinstein, (2) the
letter that urged him to run, signed by some names many will find
familiar, and (3) a posting on the Pennsylvania Greens decision.

Alex Chis, P.O. Box 2944, Fremont, CA 94536;  510-489-8554
<achis@igc.apc.org>

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Greens,


On Monday November 27th, it will be publicly announced that Ralph Nader 
will appear on the Green Party of California presidential primary 
ballot.  

Greens will hold a noon press conference in San Francisco's Delores Park  
and will also attend the CA Secretary of State's formal announcment in 
Sacramento of the presidential candidates of all parties.  Keep your 
eyes peeled to see if we get picked up out of state by CNN.  (C-SPAN was 
interested in covering the press conference, but because it was occuring 
at the end of the month, they had spent their budget for hiring out-of-
state film crews for November and hence couldn't cover it).

As to Nader himself, he prefers to wait a short time to let this 
announcement sink in around the country before he does his own tv and 
radio appearances.


Mike Feinstein
Santa Monica, CA



Please feel free to use the accompanying documents in your own work 
around this issue.  As you strategize, you should consider the 
following:


o   Nader's appearance on the CA ballot is a testing of the waters - of 
the activist movement and the general public, CA and nationally.  

o   Being on the primary ballot does not commit Nader or the Green Party 
of California to participate in the general election in CA next 
November, nor to agree to go on the primary or general election ballot 
in any other state.  It does make November '96 a *possibility* however.

o   How far this campaign will go will in part depend upon how much 
people are willing to organize.  The model Nader would like to realize 
is a movement-generated campaign.  Outside of California, the best work 
Greens can do in their own states/regions is to build the alliances so 
that this campaign can be viable there.  Within California, in addition 
to building the alliances, getting people to register Green and vote for 
Nader in the primary will be a test of how viable the campaign will be.  

o   On a parallel track, there is the ability to potentially leverage 
Clinton on various pieces of legislation.  Simply by being on the ballot 
in CA, a Nader candidacy could threaten the entire Clinton presidency, 
because even 3-4% for Nader could cost Clinton California's 52 Electoral 
College votes and hence the presidency.  Therefore, with each key bill, 
Clinton's vote will have to take this into account.  With each further 
drift rightward, Clinton will would face the danger of alienating more 
and more people, driving them into the Nader camp, and possibly ensuring 
that Nader would actually run across the country all the way to 
November.




Finally, as to the course of the on-line discussion of this candidacy, 
it has both CA and national Green implications, so some of the postings 
will go in grns.cal.forum and some in grns.usa.forum, depending upon the 
context.  If you are on IGC and don't normally read grns.cal.forum, 
check it out from time to time.  If you aren't on IGC and would like to 
receive grns.usa.forum and/or grns.cal.forum (or other green conferences 
on-line), send email to <list-app@greens.org>.

Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 02:36:06 -0800
From: Mike Feinstein <mfeinstein>
Message-Id: <199511271036.CAA13956@igc2.igc.apc.org>
Subject: Nader on Green Pres Primary Ballot

/* Written  2:06 AM  Nov 27, 1995 by mfeinstein in igc:grns.cal.forum */
/* ---------- "Nader on Green Pres Primary Ballot" ---------- */
    
    
   RALPH NADER TO APPEAR ON GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY BALLOT
    
    
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader issued a statement today announcing his 
entrance into the Green Party of California's presidential primary. 
    
In the following three responses, you can find the following related 
documents to Nader's entry:


   1)  Press statement of Ralph Nader announcing his intention to appear 
on the Green Party primary ballot

   2)  Press statement (quoting many Greens) from Peoples' Campaign '96, 
an organization formed to build support around Nader's entry into the 
Green primary. 

   3)  The November 10th letter  sent to Ralph Nader by 47 California 
activists, urging him to consider appearing in the Green Party primary 
(letter includes names of co-signers).

Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 02:40:03 -0800
From: Mike Feinstein <mfeinstein>
Message-Id: <199511271040.CAA14425@igc2.igc.apc.org>
Subject: Nader on Green Pres Primary Ballot

/* Written  2:10 AM  Nov 27, 1995 by mfeinstein in igc:grns.cal.forum */
FOR RELEASE                                         FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                                CONTACT: ROBERT FELLMETH
                                                     AT   (619) 435 5983


                       STATEMENT OF RALPH NADER


     Earlier this month, a number of active citizens in California and 
members of the Green Party of California, asked me to enter the Green 
Party of California primary as a way of stimulating a debate on the 
distribution of power, its abuses, and reforms as well as other vital 
subjects very often neglected by "major" party candidates and the media.

     I am permitting the Green Party of California to put my name on the 
their March 1996 primary ballot to broaden the narrow agenda that the 
"major" party candidates parade before the electorate.

     I intend to stand with others around the country as a catalyst for 
the creation of a new model of electoral politics, not to run any 
campaign.  The campaign will be run by the people themselves and will be 
just as serious as citizens choose to make it.

     It will be a campaign for democracy waged by the private citizens 
who choose to become public citizens. (See Concord Principles, Attached)

     Californians deserve a campaign that will practice taking the 
corrosive impact of special interest money out of politics at the same 
time that it preaches campaign finance reform. This effort will focus on 
removing such money from elections, and ending the corporate welfare and 
other privileges that it buys.

     I will not seek nor accept any campaign contributions -- but I 
welcome civic energy to build democracy so as to strengthen and make 
more useable our democratic processes for a just, productive and 
sustainable society.

Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 02:43:56 -0800
From: Mike Feinstein <mfeinstein>
Message-Id: <199511271043.CAA14872@igc2.igc.apc.org>
Subject: Nader on Green Pres Primary Ballot

/* Written  2:10 AM  Nov 27, 1995 by mfeinstein in igc:grns.cal.forum */
    
    
                           PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN '96
                P. O. Box 3727, Oakland, California, 94609
                              510-44-GREEN
    
    
                             Press Release                

    
                RALPH NADER ENTERS PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY 
    
                GREEN PARTY LAUNCHES 'PEOPLES CAMPAIGN'
    
    
    
San Francisco (11/27/95)  
    
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader issued a statement today announcing his 
entrance into the Green Party of California's presidential primary. 
    
Nader's appearance on the Green Party primary ballot is part of a 
'People's Campaign' to challenge the dominance of money in politics and 
the corporate welfare it buys, and to offer an alternative to the narrow 
agenda put forth by both 'major' parties' candidates. Citing a growing 
public demand for an alternative electoral choice and for greater 
integrity in national politics, David Brower, Medea Benjamin , Michael 
Parenti, and other labor, environmental, and social activists joined 
with Green Party members in urging Nader to run.
    
"Nader's personal integrity and lifetime of public service and advocacy 
has made him one of the most trusted public figures in the U.S," 
according to Los Angeles Green organizer Mike Feinstein, "Nader is the 
ideal catalyst for such a campaign.  This is an opportunity to organize  
disaffected voters and non-voters alike to redirect the nation's 
politics in a more fair, honest and humane direction.  Breaking away 
from the candidate-centered, personality-driven, big-money style of 
traditional campaigning, the Nader/People's Campaign is developing a new 
model for grassroots electoral democracy, run by and for the people.
    
Reaction to the announcement was enthusiastic.   "We're delighted," said 
Santa Cruz Green Party County Council member David Minton, "Nader 
represents the antithesis of  the  money-corrupted politicians in 
Washington DC.; he is an example of exactly the kind of leadership that 
we need in public office. I'm going to urge all of my friends to 
register with the Green Party so they can vote for Ralph Nader in the 
March primary."
    
While traditional political thinking has held that third party 
candidates can not win, Ross Perot's strong showing in the 1992 election 
challenged the dominance of the Republican and Democratic parties. 
Recent polls show that over 60% of voters want more choice and would 
welcome a third party or third presidential option in 1996.  Former 
Green Senatorial candidate Barbara Blong psaid: "we anticipate that 
Nader's appearance on the California primary ballot will spur grassroots 
organizing efforts accross the country.  With half the electorate not 
voting and many voters reluctantly opting for the'lesser of two evils', 
Nader and the Greens have the right message at the right time.
    
Asked about their impact on the Clinton campaign, some Greens express 
hope that Nader's candidacy will serve as a "wake-up call" with which 
they may persuade Clinton to adopt stronger positions on key issues.  
However, according to Bay Area Green Party activist Daniel Solnit, "most 
of us see that the Democratic party is controlled by most of the same 
big money interests as the Republicans. Both parties have abandoned the 
working people of America.  We cannot keep waiting and hoping for 
Clinton, Dole, or any politician to save us. For all of us who are fed 
up with politics as usual, this campaign is a wakeup call for us to take 
back our government from the wealthy special interests."
    
The Green Party of California gained ballot status in 1992, and has 
elected more than a dozen local officials to public office in 
California.  Part of an international movement, Green Parties are also 
active throughout the US and in over 75 countries around the world. 
Rejecting political labels, Greens describe themselves as "neither left 
not right, but in front." They are united by their "10 Key Values": 
nonviolence, social justice, ecological wisdom, grass-roots democracy, 
feminism, respect for diversity, decentralization, community-based 
economics, personal and global responsibility, and 
sustainability/future-focus.
    
    
    
For more info, contact: PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN '96
    
510-44-GREEN,   P. O. Box 3727, Oakland, California, 94609
    
    
    
For more information about the Green Party of California, 
contact (310) 314-7336
===============================================================


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

               LETTER TO NADER FROM CALIFORNIA ACTIVISTS

This is the text of a letter sent to Ralph Nader by 47 California 
activists urging Nader to consider appearing on the Green Party of 
California's presidential primary ballot.




November 10, 1995


Ralph Nader
P.O. Box 19367
Washington, DC  20036


Dear Ralph Nader, 

We, the undersigned members of the Green Party of California and of 
kindred groups throughout California, are writing to ask you to consider 
appearing on, the Green Party of California primary ballot in 1996 for 
nomination to the office of the Presidency of the United States.

Your long history of activism, your connection to various social 
movements, your widespread public visibility, your reputation for 
integrity, and your ability to speak to issues of democracy, citizen 
empowerment, social justice and corporate welfare and abuse all make you 
the right candidate for the green/progressive/populist movement as it 
reaches toward an important coalition at this significant moment in our 
nation's history.

Your opposition to running for President of the United States or any 
other public office is also well known.  But conditions this year are 
exceptional, and warrant a reconsideration of your position.  

If you run, your candidacy would respond to a growing public demand for 
an alternative electoral choice and for greater integrity in national 
politics. It would help catalyze a coalition for social change and 
facilitate the coming together of various social movements to become a 
coherent electoral force.  It would provide the opportunity to present 
urgent policy choices to the nation that will otherwise not be heard.  
And it would significantly influence the country's political direction 
at a time when the nation is undergoing major political realignment.  

Your appearance in the California primary would be an essential first 
step towards reaching these goals.  Because winning California is so 
crucial for President Clinton, your appearance on the California primary 
ballot would in and of itself put enormous pressure on Clinton to veto 
various pieces of unacceptable legislation coming before him in the next 
several months, and perhaps make solid commitments regarding his next 
term on such issues as future judicial appointments.  Not only would 
this be desirable in itself, but the leverage it would demonstrate would 
increase the political capital of your overall candidacy, should it 
develop into a national one.   

Your candidacy could also become national. But we are not asking you to 
commit to running nationally at this time, nor to appear on California's 
1996 General Election Ballot.  Rather, the announcement of your 
appearance on the California primary election ballot will spur 
grassroots organizing around the country that will determine whether 
sufficient support exists to make your candidacy nationally viable .  

As Greens and kindred activists, we recognize that your campaign will be 
most successful if it is a major coalition effort.  We are eager for the 
Green Party to play an important role in building that coalition, 
beginning with providing its primary ballot line to test your candidacy, 
without further obligation on your part.  

What is the next step? The Green Party of California has an internal 
process to determine candidates for its 1996 presidential primary.  Its 
Coordinating Committee meets November 18th.  If the Green Party 
determines that it wishes to place someone's name on its primary ballot, 
it must communicate this to the Secretary of State no later than 
November 27th. Therefore, time is of the essence.  Ideally your decision 
would be announced later this week, when you visit California.  

We hope that you will take this letter as evidence of the broad support 
your candidacy would receive from the Green movement in California.  We 
also hope that as soon as possible, and in any event well before 
November 18th, you will communicate to the Green Party of California's  
Campaigns & Candidates Working Group, your willingness to allow your 
name to be placed on the Green Party of California's primary ballot, if 
the party's internal processes sufficiently demonstrate that the party's 
members desire that you do so.  

We look forward to your response with great enthusiasm and hope, 


Sincerely*,



*Organizations listed for identification purposes only

Cynthia Anderson-Barker, Los Angeles
President, Los Angeles Chapter, National Lawyers' Guild
Member, Green Party of California

Lois Arkin, Los Angeles
Executive Director, Los Angeles Eco-Village/Cooperative Resources and 
Services Project

Professor Robert Benson, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
National Executive Board, National Lawyers' Guild
Founder, Southern California Coalition for NO NAFTA
Member, Green Party of California

Claudette Begin, Union City
Reproductive Rights Co-Chair, Oakland/East Bay National Organization for 
Women
Member, Green Party of California

Medea Benjamin, San Francisco
Executive Director, Global Exchange

Carl Boggs, West Los Angeles
Political Columnist, Los Angeles Village View
Visiting Professor of Sociology, UCLA
author, "Social Movements & Political Power"

Robin Brooks, Santa Cruz
Professor Emeritus of History, San Jose State University
Member, Coordinating Committee, Green Party of California

David Brower, San Francisco
President, Earth Island Action Group
Member, Green Party of California

Rita Burgos, Community Organizer
Martin Hernandez, Transportation Coordinator
Eric Mann, Executive Director
Chris Mathis, Community Organizer
Labor/Community Strategy Center, Los Angeles

Patrick Caddell, Los Angeles
Political strategist

California Peace Action, San Francisco

Ernest Callenbach, Berkeley
Author, "Ecotopia" and "Ecotopia Emerging"
Member, Green Party of California

Tom Camarella, Los Angeles
Union of American Physicians & Dentists

Peter Camejo, Oakland
Chair/CEO, Progressive Assets Management
Member, Green Party of California

Mike Feinstein, Santa Monica
Co-host, "Green Perspectives", KPFK Pacifica radio, Los Angeles
Author, "Sixteen Weeks with European Greens"
Member, Green Party of California

Yvonne Flores, Los Angeles
President, Mexican American Bar Association

Claire Greensfelder, Berkeley
Executive Director, Plutonium Free Future Womens' Network - USA
Member, Green Party of California

Randy Hayes, San Francisco
Executive Director, Rainforest Action Network

Steven Hill, San Francisco
West Coast Director, Center for Voting & Democracy
Member, Green Party of California

Tamar Hurwitz, Santa Monica
Southern California Executive Director, Rainforest Action Network

Ted Hayes, Los Angeles
Homeless advocate
Founder & Executive Director, Justiceville

Greg Jan, Oakland
President, Ohana Asian Cultural Center
Member, National Executive Committee, Common Agenda Coalition
Member, Coordinating Committee, Green Party of California

Yuki Kidokoro, Venice
Director, UCLA Environmental Coalition

Jay Levin, Los Angeles
Founder, Planet Central TV
Founder, Los Angeles Weekly

Lauren Linder, Los Angeles
Co-coordinator, Los Angeles Earth First!
Member, Green Party of California

Gretchen Mackler, Oakland
Member, California Teachers Association State Council
President, Alameda Education Association

Ross Mirkarimi, San Francisco
Campaign Manager, Terence Hallinan for San Francisco District Attorney
Campaign Manager, San Francisco Nuclear Free Zone Campaign (1990)

Jerry Rubin, Santa Monica
Executive Director, Alliance for Survival/Los Angeles
Member, Green Party of California

Michael Parenti, Berkeley
Author, "Democracy for the Few", "Against Empire"

Jonathan Parfrey, Los Angeles
Southern California Executive Director, Physicians for Social 
Responsibility

Nancy Pearlman, Los Angeles
Director, Ecology Center of Southern California
Director, "Econews Television" & "Environmental Directions" Radio
Member, Green Party of California

Carlos Porras, Whittier
Southern California Executive Director, Citizens for a Better 
Environment

Nanette Pratini, Riverside
Co-Coordinator, Campaigns & Candidates Working Group, Green Party of 
California

Wilson Riles, Jr., Oakland
Executive Director, Pacific-Mountain Regional Office, American Friends 
Service Committee
Former member, Oakland City Council

Ramona Ripston, Los Angeles
Southern California President, American Civil Liberties Union

Denise Robb, Los Angeles
Executive Director, Southern California Americans for Democratic Actions

Martin Schlageter, Los Angeles
Executive Director, Friends of the Los Angeles River
Member, Green Party of California

Celia Scott, Santa Cruz
Member, Santa Cruz City council, 1994-present

Peter Scott, Santa Cruz
Vice-chair, Santa Cruz Regional Group, Sierra Club

David Minton Silva, Santa Cruz
Regional Coordinator, We the People, Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay/Salinas 
Valley
Treasurer, SEIU Local 610

Norman Solomon, Oakland
Nationally Syndicated Columnist
Author, "Through the Media Looking Glass", "False Hope:  The Politics of 
Illusion in the Clinton Era"

Dona Spring, Berkeley
Member, Berkeley City Council 1992-present
Member, Green Party of California

Don White, Los Angeles
Coordinating Committee, Committee in Solidarity with the People of El 
Salvador/Los Angeles
United Teachers of Los Angeles/National Education Association
Member, Green Party of California

Melanie Williams, Arcata
Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Humboldt State University
Member, Humboldt County Commission on the Status of Women
Member, Green Party of California

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

** Topic: PA Green Party Mtg **
** Written  5:21 PM  Nov 21, 1995 by ajgoeke in cdp:grns.usa.forum **
From: "John & Annie Goeke" <ajgoeke@igc.apc.org>

Thank you all that worked hard on the negotiations with Ralph Nader 
and his people.  Enclosing our PA Green Party Report

The PA Green Party had a meeting on Saturday, November 19th in 
Lancaster Pa at John and Annie Goeke's house.  There were 18 people that 
attended this meeting (list below). The PA Green Party called 
this emergency meeting to discuss and the possibility of Ralph Nader 
running for President on the Green ticket.  
Even though, Ralph Nader had not yet committed to running in CA, 
we discussed what we felt about the possibility.   
We concluded that we were all in strong support and especially enthused.  
For most of the locals that did not make it to the meeting, 
there had been discussion beforehand, and we already had their support. 
 We talked about strategy and what each of us could do immediately 
after Ralph Nader's decision to go ahead.   

We discussed putting together a list of at least 200 PA organizations 
that would be likely to affiliate with the Green Party.  
The list will be accumulated by Tom Linzey, so that we can begin a 
database.   We need at least 38,000 signatures on a petition to get Nader 
on the PA ballot, and our goal is to collect 60,000 so that there can 
be no questions about our efforts.  We talked about getting environmental 
groups, peace groups, university students and women's groups involved.  
Some of us will be working to see if the Labor movement would like to 
be part of this campaign.  We did a lot of brain storming and many of us 
have ideas to make the work interesting and likely successful.
We urged each other to go back to our locals and push for local Green 
candidates.   This is a perfect opportunity for the 'grassroots greens' 
candidates to get broader coverage for their campaigns.  

We will also contact the Delaware Greens immediately, so they can 
work on getting the Greens on the ballot, since they need a small 
number to proceed.   Monday, PA Green Party faxed Nader in support
of his Sunday decision .  

Our next meeting is scheduled for December 10, 1995 in Carlisle at 
The Embers Hotel on Harrisburg Pike (tel.# 1800 692-7315) and we 
extended an invitation to Ralph Nader.

We all left the meeting in high spirits with a lot of positive work 
cut out for each of us .  We recommend that people buy the latest 
Nov. issue of  'Rolling Stone" which has an interview about Ralph
 Nader.

For further information about the PA Green Party call either
Tom Linzey at (717) 530-0931
or John Goeke (717) 394-9110 or email INTERNET: ajgoeke@igc.apc.org

John and Annie Goeke - Lancaster Greens   
Jay McGinnis, Steve and Kathy Baker - York Greens
Rick Boyle, Vivek Ananthan, Dawn Cohen, Evan Hartman, Ruth Miner, 
Emanuel Mendelson, George Dolph, Eric Sidener, Charles Sherrouse - 
Philadelphia Greens
Arthur Clark, Tom Linzey - Shippensburg Greens
Elizabeth Fattah - Suburban Greens

** End of text from cdp:grns.usa.forum **