A Green candidate with a new approach
The GPUS presidential nomination process is typically obscure and built around rah-rah for a single candidate. For some reason the general public accepts this, and accepts that candidate as the face of the Green Party. This year that candidate has been Jill Stein, after the departure of Cornel West. The public rarely asks itself why it only hears about one candidate.
This year we have five undisputedly serious candidates. One of the Green Party’s badly kept secrets is its paper thin commitment to the supposed pillar of “grassroots democracy.” In practice, a small cadre of bigwigs in GPUS committees decide what candidates may qualify for the nomination.
States are under no obligation to abide by that, and Oregon does not. As a state Green party with ballot access, we understand our sovereignty. We know National depends on us for access, not the other way around. GPUS by itself cannot put one candidate on any ballot anywhere. It is a federation of state parties, a co-nomination pact, and any talk beyond that is pure guff.
We don’t want that kind of politics in our state party
Unfortunately here in Oregon, our last officer election involved cheating by a faction which lost its controlling majority on our coordinating committee. The legitimate SCC according to the real election result held a convention May 5 with all the candidates. At our convention, candidate Daví seemed to impress many voters with a new approach to politics. He won 4 delegates compared to Stein’s 5. Not bad, considering how many people didn’t even know Stein wasn’t the only candidate.
While Stein may be a good candidate, we are still a real Green party. And we can’t ignore the fact that Stein declined to attend our convention May 5, instead showing up for the webinar orchestrated May 25 by Nathalie Paravicini. The people who cheated the February officer election were protecting Nathalie’s factional majority. That meeting followed the GPUS “rules,” barring Daví and veteran Florida Green Randy Toler from receiving votes. It was a sham.
What are these gatekeepers afraid of? If Stein is the best candidate, why does anyone need to cheat? We maintain that our convention result is legitimate, and Daví must get his 4 delegates to the GPUS presidential nominating convention.
Why did Daví get votes in Oregon?
Daví’s message was focused on a Declaration of American Human Governance. Check it out. And don’t miss the candidate speeches and Q & A. Our convention invited all the serious candidates and gave them a straight up proportional vote to apportion our 11 delegates.