Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Cynthia McKinney will not run for President
From the website, All Things Cynthia McKinney
To: Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States
Fm: Cynthia McKinney, Georgia
Date: September 10th, 2007
As I'm sure you know, I have been approached by many within the Green Party over the preceeding year who have asked that I consider seeking the nomination of the Green Party of the United States as its candidate for President of the United States. In 2003 I was similiarly approached about my potential interest in the 2004 race.
I have seriously weighed the options, travelled extensively holding first private, then more public events with Greens over the preceding year, exploring such a possibility with Greens in at least a dozen state parties, meeting with the chair of your Presidential Campaign Support Committee, with the members of your Steering Committee and speaking at, and entertaining questions from the Party's Annual Meeting in Reading Pennsylvania this past July. Since the Reading meeting, I have also begun to help Green candidates raise money for their campaigns.
For months I have answered questions about my intentions for this race in 2008 by saying that while I am not yet in, neither am I out of this race.
After careful consideration about the political conditions facing our nation, the level of development within the Party, my own readiness to take on such a daunting task and my own long postponed personal priorities, I write to inform the Party that I must at this time withdraw my name from consideration for the Party's 2008 Presidential Nominating contest.
I remain committed to our collective work of transforming our nation and to mobilizing peace loving Americans, justice seeking activists and others disfranchised by the powers which currently control our nation toward that end.
Sincerely yours,
Cynthia McKinney
To: Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States
Fm: Cynthia McKinney, Georgia
Date: September 10th, 2007
As I'm sure you know, I have been approached by many within the Green Party over the preceeding year who have asked that I consider seeking the nomination of the Green Party of the United States as its candidate for President of the United States. In 2003 I was similiarly approached about my potential interest in the 2004 race.
I have seriously weighed the options, travelled extensively holding first private, then more public events with Greens over the preceding year, exploring such a possibility with Greens in at least a dozen state parties, meeting with the chair of your Presidential Campaign Support Committee, with the members of your Steering Committee and speaking at, and entertaining questions from the Party's Annual Meeting in Reading Pennsylvania this past July. Since the Reading meeting, I have also begun to help Green candidates raise money for their campaigns.
For months I have answered questions about my intentions for this race in 2008 by saying that while I am not yet in, neither am I out of this race.
After careful consideration about the political conditions facing our nation, the level of development within the Party, my own readiness to take on such a daunting task and my own long postponed personal priorities, I write to inform the Party that I must at this time withdraw my name from consideration for the Party's 2008 Presidential Nominating contest.
I remain committed to our collective work of transforming our nation and to mobilizing peace loving Americans, justice seeking activists and others disfranchised by the powers which currently control our nation toward that end.
Sincerely yours,
Cynthia McKinney
// posted by Gregg Jocoy @ 7:56 PM 
Comments:
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yes, serious bad news. who's left? nader again? *snore* and mckinney's comment regarding the internal development of the party being a reason she is not seeking the nomination, is quite important. i think it's a similar comment on the party as Sheehan deciding to run against Pelosi as an independent *sigh*
# posted by 
: 3:06 AM
: 3:06 AM
This is a major disappointment for me. It's the difference between having a candidate that would be a boost for the party (and good for the country) and a campaign that is merely a distraction and possible negative. The plus side is it will allow us to focus on very important local races with a strong possibility of gaining seats. There are also very important local ballot issues.
# posted by : 10:04 AM
: 10:04 AM
I hope that people don't continue to confuse the statements of McKinney, Nader, and other potential high-profile candidates, on the "immaturity" or "unprofessionalism" etc. of the Green Party as the reason for their disinterest, with "infighting." That's not what they mean. All parties have serious infighting -- that's what politics is all about. You think you're more correct about candidate selection, organizing strategy, fundraising, whatever, that will lead to victory than the next guy, so you argue. Big deal. That's not the problem.
The problem is, nobody in the Green Party actually knows HOW to fundraise, design and implement an organizing strategy, develop qualifications for potential future candidates, build a resume for them in lower levels of public service, and then promote them in a properly conducted campaign (or recruit someone who has already achieved these goals), interact with the media, you know, all that actual operational stuff that so few Greens even have an interest in, let alone the capacity for.
It's not about ideology or platform. Setting that part up takes five minutes. In fact, it could take five seconds -- Peace, environment, health care, democracy, in no special order. See how simple? It's the other stuff that's hard, and as long as nobody develops functional, nationwide machinery and manpower that gets that stuff up and running, keeps money coming in, recruits membership, uses the courts to strike down bad ballot laws, generates publicity, and maintains those patterns between election cycles, no serious candidate, or person who has habitually interacted with functional operatives, will ever seek the Green Party nomination for any purpose beyond a publicity stunt.
Get the picture? Philosophize all you want. In-fight all you want. In-fight over in-fighting as much as you want. But until you actually learn what parties do, and set upon a crash program to make that the focus of most of what you do, your going to languish, and America is going to suffer from you absence from serious contention against the powers that be.
Get it? Does anyone get it? Does anyone want to get it? If you are one of the people who answers "yes," than what are you going to do about it, and when?
visit www.commonplans.blogspot.com
Eagle Scout
The problem is, nobody in the Green Party actually knows HOW to fundraise, design and implement an organizing strategy, develop qualifications for potential future candidates, build a resume for them in lower levels of public service, and then promote them in a properly conducted campaign (or recruit someone who has already achieved these goals), interact with the media, you know, all that actual operational stuff that so few Greens even have an interest in, let alone the capacity for.
It's not about ideology or platform. Setting that part up takes five minutes. In fact, it could take five seconds -- Peace, environment, health care, democracy, in no special order. See how simple? It's the other stuff that's hard, and as long as nobody develops functional, nationwide machinery and manpower that gets that stuff up and running, keeps money coming in, recruits membership, uses the courts to strike down bad ballot laws, generates publicity, and maintains those patterns between election cycles, no serious candidate, or person who has habitually interacted with functional operatives, will ever seek the Green Party nomination for any purpose beyond a publicity stunt.
Get the picture? Philosophize all you want. In-fight all you want. In-fight over in-fighting as much as you want. But until you actually learn what parties do, and set upon a crash program to make that the focus of most of what you do, your going to languish, and America is going to suffer from you absence from serious contention against the powers that be.
Get it? Does anyone get it? Does anyone want to get it? If you are one of the people who answers "yes," than what are you going to do about it, and when?
visit www.commonplans.blogspot.com
Eagle Scout
Yes I get it...I'm doing my small part...and I'm doing it now...
I went to your blog (I bookmarked it) it seems to be well thought out and relies on basic common sense...I like that.
I do disagree with you on the fact that many Greens don't have the "interest" or "capacity" to perform the "operational stuff". It comes down to getting activists involved, and not just during election years.
I am running for Town Council, and win or lose, if 10 people join us actively in our work, I have run a successful campaign. If I am unsuccessful in the election, next year I will run for another office, or work on another Party member's campaign. And in November 2008 I hope to be able to vote for a Green Party candidate for President.
So yes...I get it, and so do most other Greens. For over 20 years I have been part of the Progressive Left. I have seen how and why my Party or Candidate lost, I have learned from my failures, and I have looked at my modest successes with a critical eye.
The Green Party has a future, I hope to be a part of it.
With that said I wish you well in your new blog, but remember, it is not just the National, not just the Local, but the movement as a whole that will achieve success...
Bry
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I went to your blog (I bookmarked it) it seems to be well thought out and relies on basic common sense...I like that.
I do disagree with you on the fact that many Greens don't have the "interest" or "capacity" to perform the "operational stuff". It comes down to getting activists involved, and not just during election years.
I am running for Town Council, and win or lose, if 10 people join us actively in our work, I have run a successful campaign. If I am unsuccessful in the election, next year I will run for another office, or work on another Party member's campaign. And in November 2008 I hope to be able to vote for a Green Party candidate for President.
So yes...I get it, and so do most other Greens. For over 20 years I have been part of the Progressive Left. I have seen how and why my Party or Candidate lost, I have learned from my failures, and I have looked at my modest successes with a critical eye.
The Green Party has a future, I hope to be a part of it.
With that said I wish you well in your new blog, but remember, it is not just the National, not just the Local, but the movement as a whole that will achieve success...
Bry
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