5 Jun 2008

Obama first Green President?

Well Obama wins. The US system is still essentially a closed one. For example, it is almost impossible for a non Democratic or Republican Presidential candidate to even get on to the ballot form across all 50 states. Obama will promote feel good rhetoric and even make some progress on climate change. He or indeed Hiliary is less likely to go to war than Bush or McCain.

But free health care, a basic right in Britain will not even be discussed by Obama. Opposition to nuclear weapons, nuclear power or the corporations, not even going to be debated.

Obama has strong ties to the nuclear power industry.




America consumes 20% of the worlds resources, produces 20 tonnes of CO2 per annum per person. It is the great car economy addicted to gasoline. Will Obama change this I don't think so.

The importance of a Green candidate especially such a strong one as former Congresswomen Cynthia McKinney is that the Greens can simply put some alternatives on the table...however the US political system is dominated by big money with little room for ideas.

I have been invited by Mike Feinstein to the Green Party US convention that will nominate Cynthia. I am sticking to my no fly policy...I think I am more use blogging to Cynthia than flying half way around the world to cheer her.

To support her have a click here



[Washington, DC] Recently released preliminary results show that Cynthia McKinney has taken a clear lead in the delegate count for the upcoming Presidential Nominating Convention of the Green Party of the United States, scheduled for Chicago, from July 10th - 13th. With the addition of the recent Florida and New York mail balloting results, McKinney now has an outright majority of 267 of the 550 allocated delegates. With these results, former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney now commands her first clear majority of convention delegates in the ongoing contested four-way race for a Green Party presidential nomination.

McKinney is widely acknowledged, both inside and outside the campaign, as a leading contender for the Green Party's presidential nomination. Campaign organizers point out that nearly two-thirds of delegates have been named and instructed so far. There are 840 total possible delegates, including 34 uncommitted delegates, and some states for which allocation is incomplete. McKinney's lead puts her ahead of all other announced and write-in candidates, including early returns for Ralph Nader, who has announced he will run independent of the Green Party.

However, her campaign is not taking anything for granted. Campaign supporters have taken the initiative to carry her message to the public in spite of inequitable access to the public airwaves and debates, which are being used to promote some candidates to the exclusion of others. "Ms. McKinney may be heading into the convention with an impressive lead," said one campaign staffer, "but this contest is not yet over, and we're urging our supporters to engage with this campaign and help us use this opportunity to bring to the forefront issues no other candidate in this race is prepared to raise as effectively as Cynthia does."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

McKinney is also avoiding speaking directly to the press, according to some sources. For example, on the same day that Ralph Nader was being interviewed by KPFA in mid-May, McKinney also had the opportunity to speak, but she turned it down. So, what's up with that? Sure would like to know. KPFA, afterall, wouldn't play hardball with her. Thomm Hartmann would have her on his show, he like her spirit.

I just don't know if she's working the media and I thought that was the reason to be promoting her - to acquire greater visibility. Maybe she wants to wait until the Convention? Maybe she can't run a campaign without cash (man, is that a burden but she's received tens of thousands more in donations than the other candidates).

Final note: it Takes Green to run Green. Maybe, by 2012, the GPUS will have figured out a way to help fund the national level candidates - at least until they can find someone willing to stake their own inheritance on a run. Though Obama now denying corporate funding, that might knock some resources out of the way.

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