Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Elaine Brown to Seek Green Party Presidential Ticket

Former Black Panther Party leader, noted author, community and prison justice activist Elaine Brown announced this week that she intends to seek the Green Party¹s nomination for a presidential bid in 2008. "The 2006 elections signified a mass rejection of Bush¹s policies--not a shift to the Democrats. We have arrived at a powerful moment when the majority of the country is seeking a political alternative, toward embracing progressive values and realizing a progressive agenda. I haven¹t seen this potential since the 1960s."

Brown, who ran as a Green in the 2005 Brunswick, Georgia, mayoral election where Republicans succeeded in illegally removing her name from both the ballot and the voter roll, intends to run on a platform that addresses the interests of poor and working families, in terms of living wages, free healthcare, decent housing and increased funding for public education and higher education; ending the war in Iraq; restoring the environment and bringing about economic parity. Strategically, she intends to target non-voters, specifically women under 30 and African Americans, constituencies she believes are not represented by the nearly identical agendas of the Democrat and Republican parties, stating these crucial constituencies "have the power to build up an alternative party to truly challenge the status quo."


"I believe I have the ability to raise consciousness among disaffected and disenfranchised poor and working people, women and blacks, to galvanize them to vote for a real second party. Such a broadening of the Green Party base will allow us to start winning big time, at the state level and nationally, so that we can overturn some of the most egregious policies and laws (like the three strikes crime bill which has so devastated black communities) and introduce progressive legislation. There are a lot of great community organizations working for change, performing Sisyphean tasks that cannot address the fundamental problems. I believe the time is right to use the ballot to make the kinds of changes we know must be made to serve the people we represent."

Brown stated she is running as a Green because: "Not only does the Green Party support reparations for slavery, but the party¹s ten key values represent the values and interests of poor and working people. Only the Green Party offers clear positions on the needs of the people, in terms of a living wage, decent housing, food, education, and medical care. The Democrats and Republicans offer black and poor people nothing."

When asked what she hopes to achieve with her run, Brown said: "I know the party can earn a significant increase in votes and membership, which will increase our viability to take congressional seats, state house seats, and local offices; so that we can really start changing the way government operates."

The Green Party will nominate our Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates at our 2008 Convention. Anyone interested in seeking the Green Party nomination should contact Greg Gerritt, on behalf of the Presidential Campaign Support Committee, at (401) 331-0529 or Gerritt@mindspring.net

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This woman is out of her mind.

Anonymous said...

Courage is not a mental defect.
frk

Anonymous said...

I'm still wondering why she chose the Green Party. She simply chose an established "alternative party" from which to spout rhetoric that is not at all in line with party tradition.

Anonymous said...

"PARTY TRADITION" ????

Maybe it's time for change !

Gregg Jocoy said...

Actually, Ms. Brown has a fairly long-term relationship with at least some active Greens. She sought to run for Mayor of Brunswick, GA with the active support of local Greens.

I lived on St. Simons Island, across the marsh from Brunswick, and graduated from Glynn Academy, a Brunswick public high school. I was a friend of one of Ms. Brown's more prominent supporters sister.

The bottom line is, statements about the mental health of people who seek a relationship with the Green Party are seldom flattering, and I'd encourage the folks who run this blog to remove the "out of her mind" comment.

Ms. Brown is entitled to seek our nomination, and I believe we could do worse.

Anonymous said...

Ms. Brown seems to have more courage then alot of people these days. Challenging our government for so long and trying to initiate change in our society is very difficult to do. She inspiers me to keep pursuing my dream of being president one day. The politicians are not the only ones who get to have fun. I am rooting for her because she has me in mind. Good Luck Elaine.