[GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 155: Endorsement Policy Amendment: GPCA Endorsements for General Election Candidates

Thu Feb 22 00:09:10 PST 2018

Shouldn't we expect more from a *candidate* seeking our endorsement? Make
it the 10 Key Values for the candidate, then we can communicate the
implications to the public as we wish, since the Four Pillars are
incorporated. Personally, as I said, the Ten Key Values, the ideal of a
core set of principles animating all actions of the party, were what
attracted me way back when. No other party has anything equivalent.

Even at that, we're holding candidates of other parties to a lower standard
than we would accept of our own candidates, since they're not obligated to
abide by our platform, and can freely espouse policies we are explicitly
opposed to in it.

I still think this is a bad idea, that if used, should be done so with
extreme selectivity (perhaps only with NPP candidates, even), but I'll
metaphorically stand aside and not block consensus here, so to speak (not
that I was going to do anything other than abstain in practice).

The Green Party is unique in American politics, we stand in the lower left
hand quadrant of the political compass (http://www.politicalcompass.org):
we are anti-authoritarian AND anti-statist. We are anarcho-syndicalists /
libertarian socialists, we seek voluntary communitarian solutions. We
advocate for worker owned, democratically governed cooperatives and
communes voluntarily exchanging with each other to meet internally unmet
needs, not state ownership of the means of production and centrally planned
economies. We advocate for radical decentralization of the structures of
power, and a minimalist state (if any) that is accountable to people at the
most immediate level. We seek restorative justice, not vengeance, jails and
executions. We advocate for maximal freedom of the individual, while
stating that with great power comes great responsibility to each other.
Classically leftist / socialist parties are strategic allies, but not us in
another skin, we are not merely "more liberal" than the Democrats, not
classical socialism in environmentalist packaging, we are something other
entirely. We should not lose track of that vital distinction.

Regards,
Thomas Leavitt

On Wed, Feb 21, 2018 at 7:35 PM, Genevieve Marcus <
genevieve.marcus at gmail.com> wrote:

> Eric,
>
> The 10 Key Values are a bit extreme for attracting new Green voters.  The
> 4 Pillars are a more acceptable start.
>
> Genevieve Marcus
>
> On Wed, Feb 21, 2018 at 6:36 PM, Eric Brooks <brookse32 at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I put forward the friendly amendment **to** the proposed amendment to
>> make it the 10 Key Values rather than 4 Pillars.
>>
>> Eric Brooks
>>
>> SF, CA
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* gpca-votes [mailto:gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org] *On Behalf
>> Of *Sadie Fulton
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 21, 2018 2:04 PM
>> *To:* GPCA Discussion List for SGA Votes <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>
>> *Subject:* Re: [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 155: Endorsement Policy
>> Amendment: GPCA Endorsements for General Election Candidates
>>
>>
>>
>> I agree - Genevieve's proposal sounds fantastic. Win/win. :)
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 21, 2018, 13:17 Ann Menasche <aemenasche at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> That is an excellent suggestion.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>
>> On Feb 21, 2018, at 11:30 AM, Genevieve Marcus <
>> genevieve.marcus at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> To reconcile these two excellent opinions, what if, in addition to not
>> accepting corporate funding we added a requirement that
>>
>> the prospective endorsee supports our Four Pillars?  That shouldn't be
>> hard.
>>
>> Then, when we announce our endorsement, we would mention that among the
>> reasons for the endorsement is the fact that  s/he also supports the GP
>> values expressed in our Four Pillars:  Grassroots Democracy, Social Justice
>> and Equality, Ecological Wisdom, and Non-Violence.
>>
>> That way we promote the GP as well as the candidate.
>>
>> Genevieve Marcus
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 21, 2018 at 9:10 AM, Erik <erikrydberg34 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Everyone read the language. We will not endorse candidates that take
>> Corporate Money or who belong to parties that take Corporate Money. This
>> proposal clearly prohibits endorsing Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians,
>> American Independent, etc. But it opens the doors for Peace and
>> Freedom(badly wants to work with us), Socialist Alternative, African
>> People’s Socialist Party, Corporate-Free Independents, etc.
>>
>>
>>
>> The oldest Green Party in the United States is the Maine Green
>> Independent Party. They were the first one to form in 1984. They opened
>> their ballot to Independents and even hyphenated their name and they
>> currently are running more candidates than any state party. 38 compared to
>> our 18. I’m not suggesting we hyphenate our name but we should become the
>> vehicle for corporate free parties and candidates.
>>
>>
>>
>> This proposal sends a signal that we are inclusive to Socialists and
>> corporate free parties and candidates.
>>
>>
>>
>> Please vote yes.
>>
>> <IMG_4783.jpg>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 21, 2018 at 4:43 AM Thomas Leavitt <thomleavitt at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I oppose this. What drew me to the Green Party in 1990 was the idea that
>> to be a member of the Green Party, you MUST adhere to the Ten Key Values
>> (and if you did not do so, you could not be an active member), that the
>> Green Party was a party of principle, that refused to compromise its core
>> values for the purposes of political advantage. Unlike the Democrats, who
>> bluntly stated "we would rather be a party of the majority, than a party of
>> principle" (the individual who said this was later convicted of corruption
>> and removed from office). Candidates running for office in other parties
>> are not obligated to abide by Green principles, or to adhere to the Green
>> Party Platform, and are not accountable to the membership of our party.
>>
>> We should not be endorsing any candidate not registered as a Green, and
>> running on the Green Party ticket (unless the office is non-partisan and
>> the candidate cannot run as a Green). The Green Party of California exists
>> to promote the Green Party, and to support and promote Green Party
>> candidates. Our limited resources should be focused on promoting our own
>> candidates and our own party. If people want access to them, they can seek
>> our endorsement and run on our ballot line. The logic behind this will
>> inevitably lead to justifying our endorsement of "progressive Democrats"
>> who ostensibly refuse contributions from PACs and corporations (while
>> benefiting from corporate funded Democratic Party resources deployed on
>> their behalf); more importantly, it will be the functional death of our
>> party as ambitious individuals seek office as "independents" with the goal
>> of having their cake (our endorsement) and eating it (not being accountable
>> to our party once elected); the likely result should such individuals be
>> elected is affiliation with the Democrats for purely pragmatic reasons (and
>> as the consequence of extreme peer pressure from fellow electeds). We
>> already lose enough folks to the Democratic Party as it is. We are not a
>> political lobby, we do not make general purpose endorsements. Either you're
>> a Green, or you're something else (and not eligible for our state party's
>> endorsement).
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Thomas Leavitt
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Feb 15, 2018 at 12:43 PM, GPCA Votes <gpca.votes at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> *Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
>> <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*
>>
>>
>>
>> Discussion has begun for the following GPCA SGA ranked choice vote:
>>
>>
>>
>> Ranked Choice Vote ID #155
>>
>> Ranked Choice Vote *Endorsement Policy Amendment: GPCA Endorsements for
>> General Election Candidates*
>>
>> Ranked Choice Vote Administrators: Victoria Ashley, Brian Good, Laura
>> Wells, Eric Brooks, Mike Goldbeck
>>
>> Discussion  02/12/2018 - 03/25/2018
>>
>> Voting  03/26/2018 - 04/01/2018
>>
>> Voting ends at Midnight Pacific Time
>>
>>
>>
>> *Background*
>>
>>
>>
>> The Green Party of California is currently prohibited from endorsing
>> candidates who have good Green values and who take no corporate money: the
>> GPCA needs visibility, in a positive way, and putting our name on
>> endorsement lists of good candidates is one way to get the Green Party name
>> in the public eye.  The GPCA wants to help voters vote for good candidates,
>> even in races where we have no candidate.  For instance, the Peace and
>> Freedom Party can and does endorse Green Party candidates in state and
>> federal races, but the GPCA is prohibited from endorsing Peace and Freedom
>> candidates.  The GPCA currently cannot endorse candidates with No Party
>> Preference or any other voter registration, even when we have no candidate
>> running in the race.  The GPCA cannot help voters differentiate between
>> good candidates who are aligned with Green values and take no corporate
>> money and bad candidates (who may speak well) from the two-party system.
>> The current endorsement policy is confusing: county parties are not
>> prohibited from endorsing candidates who are not Green, but the state party
>> is; in addition, it precludes a possible endorsement even in the face of
>> grassroots interest.  The current endorsement policy was promulgated in the
>> pre-Top-Two era, and, if left unreformed, will further hobble
>> party-building efforts in California.
>>
>>
>>
>> Changing the endorsement policy would advance the party’s attempts to
>> implement Proportional Representation so that we can have a multi-party
>> system and not a two-party system. By expanding our endorsement options, we
>> will demonstrate that we will work in coalitions and will endorse
>> candidates who have green values, but who choose other political party
>> affiliations.  As it stands, people who want to “throw their hat in the
>> ring” and yet who have no track record with the Green Party or allied
>> organizations are able to register Green and use our ballot line, and get
>> an automatic advantage in the endorsement process, even though they may not
>> be the best candidate.  Moreover, given that there are many public
>> perceptions over which Greens have very little control, such as being
>> marginalized or cast as “spoilers” or “third-party” candidates who “can’t
>> win,” the endorsement area is one we can control.  We can avoid
>> marginalizing ourselves as people who are only interested in the label
>> “Green Party,” not the green values that we share with millions of ordinary
>> folks in the nation and certainly in California.
>>
>>
>>
>> Furthermore, it is common advice in social media, for example (and even
>> in life), that if you want likes, followers and friends, you’ve got to
>> like, follow and friend others, as long as you stay true to your values. We
>> need to reciprocate and be proactive, not sit back and wait for everyone to
>> switch to “team Green Party,” while we display an unwelcoming attitude.
>> People want a new party, but our current restrictive endorsement procedures
>> make us look as if we do not want to be an “umbrella party” or “big tent”
>> for all people who are aligned with our values and stances. It looks like
>> we want to remain a small, exclusive “third” party with a narrow
>> “sectarian” view of how change happens.
>>
>>
>>
>> Accordingly, we recommend the following changes to the GPCA Endorsement
>> Policy.
>>
>>
>>
>> *Proposal*
>>
>>
>>
>> That the current GPCA Endorsement Policy be amended as follows:
>>
>>
>>
>> That the policy be amended from its current text:
>>
>>
>>
>> GPCA CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT POLICY FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS (approved by the
>> GPCA General Assembly, June 25, 2006, 43-6-2)
>>
>>
>>
>> 2. The GPCA shall not make any endorsements of General Election
>> candidates who are not Green Party members.
>>
>>
>>
>> To read as follow:
>>
>>
>>
>> GPCA CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT POLICY FOR ELECTIONS
>>
>>
>>
>> 2. The GPCA shall not make endorsements of candidates who accept
>> corporate campaign contributions or who belong to any political party that
>> accepts corporate campaign contributions.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sponsors: This proposal has been endorsed and sponsored by the Green
>> Party of Yolo County.
>>
>>
>>
>> Full details will be available at: http://www.sjcgreens.org/s
>> ga_vote_bylaw_interpretations
>>
>>
>>
>> *Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
>> <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*
>>
>>
>> --
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>>
>>
>>
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>>
>> --
>>
>> *Erik Rydberg *
>>
>> *Green Party of California(GPCA) Spokesperson*
>>
>>
>> *erikrydberg34 at gmail.com <erikrydberg34 at gmail.com> 530-781-2903
>> <(530)%20781-2903>*
>>
>>
>>                 cagreens.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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>>
>> --
>>
>> *"We have it in our power to begin the world over again." - Thomas Paine,
>> Common Sense, 1776 *
>>
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>
>
> --
> *"We have it in our power to begin the world over again." - Thomas Paine,
> Common Sense, 1776 *
>
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