I am the co-chair of the Green Party of Colorado, but I am not supporting Cynthia McKinney for President.
Colorado Green Party candidates this year are exceptional and I support them whole heartily: Bob Kinsey for U.S. Senate; Art Goodtimes for San Miguel County Commissioner; Scott Zulauf for Jefferson County Commissioner; Jerry Lacy for Custer County Commissioner; Joe Calhoun for Congress-CD 2; and Tony D'Lallo for State House District 34.
There have been internal Green Party controversies involving the Green Party of Colorado and the McKinney presidential campaign that have raised very serious concerns for me -- structurally the McKinney campaign is disorganized, uncommunicative, and there have been incidents of a dismissive attitude towards state and local Green Party groups. These failings in operation are seriously at odds with the Ten Key Values that make the Green Party distinctively different from the major political parties.
There are more importantly real issue oriented reasons why I believe the nomination of McKinney and her vice presidential pick, Rosa Clemente, was a mistake by the national convention of the Green Party of the United States.
In politics and running for office, one cannot stop other groups or organizations from expressing support or opposition to your candidacy or cause. In this Republic where free speech is enshrined as our first freedom in the Bill of Rights, people and groups have a right to say what they think and believe. However, one also has the right to choose with whom one decides to associate.
The Cynthia McKinney campaign cannot stop the Workers International League from endorsing her ... but McKinney has decided to embrace that recommendation and publish it on her web site. This is also true of the Workers World Party.
Here are the links (McKinney has revamped her web site and the W.I.L. has been removed ... perhaps my post has already had an impact ... :
Workers International League (cached)This is plainly and simply unacceptable to me.
I believe that there are indeed politically and socially disaffected and alienated Americans who should be reached out to and encouraged to participate in our democratic process -- the two afore mentioned groups, however, are not part of the 'oppressed' or 'forgotten'.
My goal has always been that the Green Party could become in time a major principled, progressive mainstream political party in the United States of America. The commitment of Greens to a more inclusive democracy, to a broader, pluralistic Republic, to politics free from the taint of big special interest money makes the Green Party uniquely different from the Democrats. The Green Party's commitment to non-violence and rejection of militarism and nationalism as an organizing principle for the country makes us radically preferable to the Republicans.
Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente, however, appear to be moving the Green Party I believe in, in a very different direction. To put in glibly, but honestly -- I don't know what a 'hip hop' political party is.
Furthermore, even passing references to violent revolution are anathema to me. This is NOT Green, it is uncivil, and for a vice presidential candidate, Ms. Clemente does not seem to know the difference between radical, reactionary, and being gratuitously inflammatory (end of video):
I have not decided for whom I will vote for President of the United States in November 2008. I will certainly post that here when I decide. For now, however, I can state that I reject the McKinney-Clemente candidacy.
Dave Chandler
Co-Chair
Green Party of Colorado