May 6th [2008] primary choices

[November 25, 2022 update - This post [originally posted February 6, 2008] was censored sometime between][about 11/19 and 11/25.  It is still listed as a draft, but seems to have been made publicly visible again, by about 4am on the 26th and the 3 comments are still there, but now it is posted in the wrong year.  Blogger sent an email about it at 1:06am.  Hopefully they won't change their decision.  In the depths of the George W Bush years the GPUS could say this and it was people on the left with these concerns.  Re-reading, through automated censorship.]

[I tried to re-post it the evening of December 21st to the original date and time in 2008, but it re-censored the post if I included the text below or even tried to post it to the original day:  durhamspark.blogspot.com/2008/02/may-6th-2008-primary-choices-re-posted.html ]

According to an article in the City & State section of the N&O today, Clinton (www.hillaryclinton.com), Gravel (www.gravel008.us), and Obama (www.barackobama.com) will be on the Democratic primary ballot and Huckabee, Keyes, McCain, Paul, and Romney will be on the Republican ballot, and write-ins do not count in North Carolina.  NC Democratic Party chair Jerry Meek submitted the Democratic Party list yesterday and told the N&O that he tried to discuss this with the Edwards campaign but his calls were not returned.  State law requiring the ballot to list "all candidates whose candidacy is generally advocated and recognized in the news media throughout the United State or in North Carolina."  Apparently this would exclude former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel (and Alan Keyes), because this is the first time in a week or more that I have heard or seen Gravel's name in the media. 

 

I'm thinking of displaying my Kucinich for president pins until May.  I was considering a write-in vote for Kucinich, but if it does not count, I might not vote in the presidential primary.  I consider Gravel a progressive candidate, but he supports dubious ideas like a national sales tax.  He might be a small business candidate, thus the combination of progressive ideas and "small government" ideas like a national sales tax.  I don't know if I want to cast a protest vote for Gravel and I could be wrong, but I don't think Obama is left enough that I care if he is the Democratic candidate or not.  I've heard of some Democrats who will vote for Obama if he is facing one Republican and not another and other strategic thinking.  Obama just does not sound that left, even though he did not vote for the start of the Iraq War, and I am tired of the Democratic Party (and I'm not a Democrat anyway, I just vote for them sometimes) being the left wing of US politics.  I won't be their hostage just because a Republican might be worse.  I want to vote for someone because I want what they offer, not because I am afraid of what will happen if their opponent wins, unless of course that opponent is truly dangerous.  The Republicans are dangerous, but so are the Democrats and I expect more war and rumors of war, except maybe from Gravel or Paul, and Gravel is probably the least likely candidate to try to destroy welfare, social security, etc.     

 

I like some of what Ron Paul says on the Iraq War, 9/11, fascism, etc., but I don't plan to register as a Republican to help him or provide other support, though surprisingly there are prominent leftists who are getting behind him because he is anti-war.  Supposedly he has said racist things, though he denies it, and of course he is libertarian on domestic policies, not just on foreign policy.     

 

I don't know if there will be a Green Party primary in NC, maybe not since the NCGP is not officially recognized, but below is some information on their candidates.  I voted for Nader in 2004 and I might do so again if he runs, but I think he should try to run on a party ticket and not doing so would be a big error, maybe big enough that I should not waste my vote on him, if he again throws away a chance to get wider ballot access.  At least he didn't surrender votes without much of a fight like Kerry in 2004 and Gore in 2000.  It is a relatively minor detail, but I think Nader has condemned communists, even if they were the revisionist Chinese, which does not endear him to me.  I'm not sure about the Green Party.  I like them, but they are so "green," and I should be working for a red or labor party, so I have held off on joining so far.  I'm tempted though, even if it is just to snub the Democratic Party. 

 

Several smaller "fourth or fifth-tier" (said someone on NPR) left parties (such as the Socialist Party and the Party of Socialism and Liberation) are running candidates (see www.thirdpartywatch.com), but I assume they will not be on our general election ballot.  At least then I could cast a vote for socialism, even if it would probably be a vote for some Trotskyist or even a non-Marxist party.  I'm holding out for the time when there will be a mass workers' party, even better if it is for real revolutionary socialism.  Some communists will condemn me for even getting wrapped up in the presidential election, and that is looking increasingly true as the field is 'winnowed' for us by the other states.     

 

     NORTH CAROLINA GREEN PARTY

==========================================================


GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell
202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805,
starlene@gp.org


Victories for McKinney, Nader in four Green primaries
on Super Tuesday

• Results by state for Green primaries in Arkansas,
California, and Illinois; Massachusetts results
forthcoming

• Widespread voting irregularities hinder Greens in
Illinois


WASHINGTON, DC -- Results from the four states where
Green Parties participated in the February 5 Super
Tuesday primaries show a landslide for Ralph Nader in
California (61%) and a lead among candidates for
Cynthia McKinney in Arkansas and Illinois.

The office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, responding to an inquiry, said that his
state doesn't post unofficial results, and will not
announce the numbers until absentee and overseas
ballots are counted.  Some early returns from Boston
and a few other cities show a near tie for Mr. Nader
and Ms. McKinney, with Mr. Nader slightly ahead by a
few votes, but too inconclusive to call.

Ms. McKinney, a former Democratic US Representative
from Georgia (now a Green), won the Illinois primary
with a strong lead (57%).

The Arkansas results currently show that over half
(nearly 54%) of the state's Green voters decided to
remain uncommitted.  Arkansas' totals have been
delayed because of power outages after severe storms
and tornadoes Tuesday evening while voting was still
going on.

Mr. Nader has not declared his candidacy, but recently
announced the formation of an exploratory committee
for a possible presidential run
<http://www.naderexplore08.org>.

The Illinois Green Party is currently fielding reports
of voting irregularities in Chicago and elsewhere in
Illinois, with Green voters told by pollworkers on
Tuesday that no Green Party ballots were available at
their polling places, or that they had to vote on
suspect electronic voting machines, even while other
parties used paper ballots.  More information:
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-state.php?ID=21

After the Super Tuesday primaries, Green candidates
will compete in the February 12 primary in the
District of Columbia.  Currently, 21 state Green
Parties hold ballot access within their respective
states.  Some Green Parties chose presidential
candidates by caucus voting and by election of
national convention delegates at state party
conventions.

The Green Party will hold its 2008 national convention
in Chicago from July 10 to 13.


SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARY RESULTS (as of Wednesday,
February 6)

ARKANSAS (8 delegates)
Polling Locations Reporting: 893 of 2081 (43%)
Last Update: February 6, 2:47 pm
http://www.arelections.org/index.php?ac:show:contest_statewide=1&elecid=151&contestid=3
• Jared Ball, 55 votes, 10.24% *
• Cynthia McKinney, 117 votes, 21.79%
• Kent Mesplay, 49 votes, 9.12%
• Kat Swift, 27 votes, 5.03%
• Uncommitted, 289 votes, 53.82%
Green Party of Arkansas: http://arkgreens.kk5.org/
Media contacts:
Jim Lendall, Public Relations Co-chair,
jelendall@comcast.net
Rebekah Kennedy, Elections Co-chair,
misskennedyesq@yahoo.com

CALIFORNIA (168 delegates)
95.4% (22055 of 23109) precincts reporting as of
February 6, at 7:15 am
http://vote.sos.ca.gov/Returns/pres/grn/all.htm
• Kent Mesplay,  562 votes, 2.0%
• Jared Ball, 443 votes, 1.6% *
• Jesse Johnson, 506 votes, 1.8%
• Kat Swift, 842 votes, 3.0%
• Ralph Nader, 16,792 votes, 61.1% **
• Elaine Brown, 1,256 votes, 4.6% *
• Cynthia McKinney, 7,110 votes, 25.9%
Green Party of California: http://www.cagreens.org/
Media contact:
Crescenzo Vellucci, Party Press Secretary,
916-996-9170, greenparty-press@comcast.net

ILLINOIS (44 delegates)
11264 of 11574 precincts Reporting - 97%
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2008/by_state/IL_President_0205.html?SITE=ILCHTELN&SECTION=POLITICS
• Cynthia McKinney, 1,446 votes, 57%
• Howie Hawkins, 438 votes, 17% **
• Kent Mesplay, 369 votes, 14%
• Jared Ball, 302 votes, 12% *
Illinois Green Party: http://www.ilgp.org
Media contacts:
Patrick Kelly, Media Coordinator, 773-203-9631,
media@ilgp.org
Phil Huckelberry, Chair, Government & Elections
Committee, 309-268-9974, phil.huckelberry@ilgp.org

MASSACHUSETTS (32 delegates)
Official results not posted yet by the state: check
later at http://www.gp.org
Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts:
http://www.massgreens.org/
Media contact:
Eli Beckerman, Communications Director, 617-821-1453,
communications.director@green-rainbow.org

* Although their names remain on the ballot in some
states, Dr. Ball and Ms. Brown have withdrawn from the
Green presidential race.

** Mr. Hawkins is serving as a placeholder candidate
on the ballot for Mr. Nader in some states until Mr.
Nader announces his intentions for the 2008 election;
in other states, Mr. Nader is on the ballot.


WEB SITES for Green presidential candidates, competing
as of February 6:
• Jesse Johnson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMxgYnmdHfg
• Cynthia McKinney http://www.runcynthiarun.org
http://www.americanblackout.org/
• Kent Mesplay http://www.mesplay.org
• Howie Hawkins http://www.draftnader.org
• Ralph Nader http://www.naderexplore08.org
(Exploratory Committee site)
• Kat Swift http://www.voteswift.org


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• Video of Green presidential candidates
http://www.gp.org/2008-elections/presidential-videos.php
• Green candidate database for 2007 and other campaign
information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Green Party News Center
http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau
http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Media credentialing
http://www.gp.org/committees/media/kit.shtml