Posted on 06/26/2004 6:06:51 PM PDT by summer
Greens Pick a Candidate Not Named Nader
By RICK LYMAN
Published: June 27, 2004
MILWAUKEE, June 26 - The Green Party of the United States rebuffed efforts by Ralph Nader to win its endorsement for president by voting Saturday to make David Cobb, a longtime party activist, its 2004 presidential candidate.
Mr. Cobb, 41, immediately reached out to Mr. Nader, who drew 3 percent of the national vote when he was the party's nominee in 2000, as well as to Mr. Nader's Green supporters, asking them to put what had been a raucous convention battle behind them.
"Ralph Nader has had more influence on my life than any human being who is not related to me," said an ebullient Mr. Cobb, flashing the peace sign to cheering supporters in the grand ballroom of the Midwest Airlines Center here. "Ralph, if you are watching, thank you for what you have done, and thank you for what you will continue to do."
Many Democrats have blamed Mr. Nader's 2000 candidacy for costing Al Gore, the Democratic nominee, the White House, since Mr. Nader drew more votes in some crucial states than the gap between Mr. Gore and President Bush. This image as a spoiler party is particularly irksome to Green leaders, who say it is false.
Still, eager not to be viewed once again as spoilers, many Green supporters here were pushing for a strategy in which their presidential candidate would actively campaign only in those states where a Republican or Democratic victory is all but assured.
Mr. Cobb, in fact, has said he will campaign for other Green candidates in all 50 states, but for himself in only the 40 states he deems "safe." In the battleground states, where votes for him might tip the balance, he said he would ask voters to let their consciences guide them, a suggestion that was interpreted by Mr. Nader's supporters as permission to vote for the presumptive Democratic nominee, John Kerry.
Mr. Cobb describes himself as a self-made activist. Born in "grinding poverty" on the Texas Gulf Coast, he went to law school and worked for the party in Texas before moving to Eureka, Calif. Two years ago, he said, he gave up a successful career as a trial lawyer to dedicate himself to party activities.
Mr. Nader did not seek the Green Party nomination this year, asking instead that the party nominate no one and then endorse his candidacy as part of a strategy to collect endorsements from several independent groups, including the Reform Party.
He did not make an appearance at the convention and was represented in Milwaukee by his vice-presidential running mate, Peter M. Camejo, a veteran Green Party activist from California. In his speech to delegates before the voting, Mr. Camejo appealed for unity.
It took two rounds of voting here on Saturday for Mr. Cobb to emerge with 408 delegates, compared with 308 for "no nominee" and 54 for other candidates. Only a victory for "no nominee" would have allowed Mr. Nader's supporters to push for a party endorsement.
The sprawling convention hall was filled with party banners and delegates from more than 40 states. There was a traditional roll call of the states, just as there is at Republican and Democratic conventions, though the colorful opening declarations from each state had a somewhat different flavor.
New York, for instance, described itself as "home of Wall Street and unbridled corporate greed." And the official spokesman for Indiana said that his state stretched "from the shores of polluted Lake Michigan in the north to the clear-cut banks of the Ohio River in the south, with many other sins in between."
Bad news. We needed Ralph.
I don't know. I am thinking more choices may be better.
Maybe not. I'd rather see the loonies choosing between Nader and Cobb, rather that Nader and Kerry.
Some Dems hate Nader for Election 2000. A new Green candidate might inspire more Dems to vote Green.
That's sort of what I'm thinking - Cobb might bring more new interest to the Green Party.
Ralph has name - recognition value.
The Dems just undercut Mr. Nader with inside operatives at Green. If Ralph decides this crap in 08 when Hillary! is the standard bearer, there just might be an accident...
Ralph is dviding up the Kerry votes, and Cobb is dividing up the Nader votes. More's the pity. LOL
The Deaniacs will go with anyone but Bush or Kerry.
Ralph is the Green party.
I turned it on, and some comedian was on there, he wasn't even funny in my opinion. I'll pass at this time.
Yep.
I know, I saw it and turned the channel, too; however, that guy is off now.
Any idea when Cobb takes the mic and speaks?
No idea when Cobb speaks. Sorry.
Thing is, non-Deaniac fence sitters who would lean toward Ralph will lean back to Kerry. Not good.
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