David Cobb email re: Presidential Candidacy
Greetings Green Sisters and Brothers, I am writing to advise you of my
efforts to win the Green Party nomination to run for President of the
United States. I have filed a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal
Elections Commission (FEC), created a FEC Candidate Committee, am
actively fundraising, and have been traveling the country since late
Sept. I have already traveled to 7 states, and will have traveled to
over 17 by the end of this year alone., As many of you may know, I
currently serve as General Counsel for the national Green Party. I
helped found the Green Party in Texas in 1999, co-coordinated the
Texas ballot access petition drive in 2000, (We collected 76,100
signatures in 75 days), helped manage Ralph Nader’s 2000 campaign in
Texas, and ran for Attorney General in Texas in 2002. I am proud of
the role I have played in helping to grow the Green Party in Texas!,
Since I am seeking the Green Party nomination for President, I believe
I owe it to Greens to articulate my personal strategy for 2004. I have
consistently and publicly said that I will follow the national, Green
Party’s mandate if the Party develops one. I sincerely hope we are
able to come to general consensus on some agreed upon strategy.
My personal goals, tactics and strategy are described at
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/cobb.html It is my attempt to describe
the nuanced approach that I believe will grow the Party in 2004. In a
nutshell, I believe we can increase party membership, strengthen our
infrastructure, form new state and local parties and help unelect
Bush!, It is worth noting that I am (so far) the only candidate willing
to make public my personal preferred strategy, and the only candidate
willing to publicly pledge to follow the Party’s direction if a
different strategy is developed. I am also the only candidate (to my
knowledge) who is traveling across the country in an effort to grow the
Party and to earn the Party’s nomination., The Green Party is the only
non-corporate political party that is growing and that runs sufficient
candidates for office to be honestly described as a national political
party. I mean no disrespect to the, Labor Party, the New Party, or
any of the various Socialist Party organizations. But the reality is
this: There is only one alternative to corporate controlled politics at
the ballot box. Only one political party consistently runs candidates
in active opposition to “Empire Building” foreign policy. Only one
party is poised to be the electoral arm of the growing movement for
peace, justice, ecology and democracy. That party is the Green Party. I
am proud to be a member of it.
In solidarity,
David Cobb
www.votecobb.org
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Green Party 2004 Presidential Strategy
By David Cobb
Introduction
The Green Party is the electoral arm of a growing worldwide movement
for peace, social justice, ecology and democracy. The fundamental
question facing us is one of sovereignty. Who shall rule - “We the
People” by shared public decision-making or unelected and unaccountable
corporate executives in private boardrooms?
The seriousness of the question cannot be overstated. Unrestrained
corporate power is literally destroying the earth, and creating an
unjust and ultimately unsustainable world with the plunder. Against
this somber backdrop the Green Party must consider how we can continue
to grow, and evolve beyond our current role as the party of opposition
to the party of transformation of politics, culture, and economics.
Growing Our Party
I propose that the Green Party run a strong and strategic presidential
campaign in 2004 that builds the party at the local, state, and
national levels. This campaign should be a genuine partnership between
the candidate, the campaign, and the Green Party.
Specific Goals
Increase Green Party membership
Build and strengthen our internal infrastructure
Help elect local candidates and win initiatives
Create state and local chapters where they do not exist
Hone our skills as citizen organizers by providing trainings to local chapters
Cobb Pledges
I will publicly support the Green Party Platform as adopted at the
Green Party national convention.
I will immediately share all volunteer lists generated during my
campaign with the respective local and state Green Party.
I will share (at no cost) all donor lists generated during my campaign
with the Green Party National Committee by January 2, 2005.
I will coordinate all hires at the national level with the Green Party
National Committee, and at the state and local level with the
respective state and local Green Party.
The Proposed Strategy
The Green Party stands at a crucial moment in our history. The
unelected Bush regime has deeply divided the American people. It is not
enough to claim that there is no difference between the Democratic and
Republican parties. If we want our party to grow, we must demonstrate
to the American people (and especially progressive voters) that we hear
their concerns of the real danger Bush poses.
I propose the following strategy for the Green Party Presidential
campaign in 2004:
1) We consistently articulate Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) and
Proportional Representation (PR) as the solution to the question of
Greens as “spoilers”. The Green Party is getting larger, stronger and
better organized with every election cycle. We will continue to
exercise our right to participate in elections!
2) The candidate should publicly state that if Dennis Kucinich or Al
Sharpton wins the Democratic Party nomination, we will withdraw from
the race. We know that the DNC leadership and their corporate funders
will never allow a Kucinich or Sharpton nomination. By publicly making
this statement we demonstrate our willingness to work across party
lines with genuine progressives. When Kucinich and Sharpton are rebuked
by Democratic Party leadership (as were Jesse Jackson and Jerry Brown),
it will continue to illustrate that the Democratic Party is not the
progressive party in the US.
3) The candidate should publicly state that if Joseph Lieberman or
Wesley Clark wins the Democratic Party nomination our Presidential
campaign will be run so as to prevent his election. We will not back
away from an absolute rejection of pro-war, corporate-friendly
conservative candidates.
4) The candidate should publicly state that if a marginally “moderate”
(but still woefully inadequate) candidate wins the Democratic Party
nomination, we will follow a Strategic States Plan for our campaign.
Most of our resources should be focused on those states where the
Electoral College votes are not “in play”.
The Green Party can run a strong campaign in 2004 that grows our party,
garners millions of votes, and culminates with George Bush losing the
election. The Green Party has grown larger, stronger and better
organized with every election cycle. With such strength comes a
responsibility to exercise it wisely and effectively.
Response and feedback requested
David Cobb - cobbweb@greens.org
General Counsel, Green Party of the United States
GPTX Attorney General candidate in 2002
Seeking the Green Party nomination for President in 2004
www.votecobb.org
