RE: [Mpls] Green Party, DFL Party, Republican Party Oh My!

[W. Brandon Lacy Campos]

Matthea and the group,

 

Matthea, I respect your opinions and your work, and the sentiments you expressed in your post (which I've included below), reflect my own beliefs when it comes to electoral politics. I also did not mean to, but obviously did, lump all DFLers together. I should clarify and say that my post was expressly addressed to those DFLers who have sent out emails in the past weeks attributing to the Green Party the explicit agenda of tearing down the Democratic Party and supporting, directly or indirectly, the Republican Party. I sent out a post to another listserve last week in which I said that I expect all candidates, regardless of party, to state firmly what they believe, to stand by their beliefs when faced with unprincipled attacks, to fight like hell, and to remember the "least" as well as the "greatest." If there are folks who are interested, I can forward them, off list, one of the posts of which I am speaking.

 

If more people supported the greatest amount of principled choice when it comes to candidates, instead of participating in silencing campaigns, zero-sum politics, and conformist pressure, we would have a political system that would readily deal with those office holders and candidates that have, as my Great-Grandmother (Bisabuela) would say, the snakes tongue.

 

-Brandon Lacy Campos

-Powderhorn Park 

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of M Smith
Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 11:55 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; sue; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Mpls] Green Party, DFL Party, Republican Party Oh My!

Brandon:

I, as a DFLer, am not "scared" of any other party or any other party's candidate.  I think it is important that we have viable choices.  Unfortunately, I think, that party politics have become more about competition and less about the people.  Yes, I DO want the candidate I support to win, but not at the expense of the people.  It would seem that many candidates (from all parties) run, and will say anything, to get the required votes to win.  Then when they get in office, you find that their personal agendas seem to take the forefront and their constituents are lost somewhere in the background.

My hope is that we will again have races that the candidates really state what they stand for so folks will get to choose who they feel is the best candidate for their own belief systems.  If one is a DFLer, Green, Independence or Republican (notice I put them in alphabetical order), they should get the information on their candidate and make sure that what that candidate stands for is something they believe in.  Also, that the candidate will be accountable to the constituents from where they were elected throughout the time they are in office. 

Unfortunately, I believe many elected officials are not responsive to their constitutents, and those that are, are seen as the "exception" rather than the rule.  My hope is that with the serious voter outreach efforts that are happening all over the State and the many candidate forums and debates, this voting cycle's candidates will take accountability to their constitutents seriously.

Brandon, I applaud you for taking a stand.  I might not necessarily agree with you, but as I have said before, I do believe it is important for everyone to be able to vote for who they believe would be best for candidate.

Take good care,

Matthea Little Smith, Powderhorn Park

  "W. Brandon Lacy Campos" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

Now, I am a new Green Party member. Actually, I'm the first member of my
family in about a hundred years to step away from the Democrats, but I've
encountered no nefarious plans that allude to the destruction of the
Democratic Party to pave the way for the real progressives. Actually, I've
found the Green Party, over the last several years, the party most willing
to work with progressive individuals regardless of party label. Do I believe
the Green Party made a mistake in endorsing Ed McGaa for Senate, yes I do.
But, what needs to be recongnized was that many Greens opposed the
endorsement of a Green Senate candidate. And, further, I opposed the
endorsement of Ed McGaa because he has no experience to qualify him for the
office. I will be voting for Senator Wellstone.

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