Green Party Candidate in California Governor's Race - Spoiler? (One Can Only Hope!)

Sacramento Bee ^ | September 5, 2002 | Kevin Yamamura

[Saundra Duffy]

Green Party gubernatorial candidate Peter Camejo came out swinging Wednesday against Gov. Gray Davis, attacking the Democrat for excessive fund raising and refusing to debate.

In a Sacramento Press Club appearance that smacked of his firebrand days as a college activist, Camejo spared little time before targeting Davis.

[Saundra Duffy]

Thank you, Green Party. You just made my day!!!!! Every vote for this guy is worth about FOUR VOTES FOR SIMON! DUMP DAVIS!! GO, SIMON!! For victory & freedom!!!

[Saundra Duffy]

I am grateful for every vote this guy gets. Yahoo! For victory & freedom!!!

[Saundra Duffy]

Those peacenik creeps at Shaw & Blackstone aren't all bad after all! They might help us get Bill Simon elected! Go, Simon!!!!!! For victory & freedom!!!

[rb22982]

Camejo, a 61-year-old Venezuelan American, has devoted his campaign to swaying liberal voters, including many Latinos, away from the more moderate Davis.
I guess everything is relative.

[hchutch]

Indeed, this guy just might help, but the right has a spoiler or two as well, and we've got to get people to close ranks. Heck, the ranks should have been closed after the primary. Hopefully, the same won't happen in New Hampshire, but given the attitudes of some "conservatives" here, I don't hold out much hope of that...

[Saundra Duffy]

away from the more moderate Davis.

LOL! Go, Phil Donahue! Hey, Phil, they need you in California! Come on out here and help the Green Party. Please?!!! DUMP DAVIS! GO, SIMON!! For victory & freedom!!!

[Publius]

Here's the gimmick.

California politics is driven by media buys. The Greens don't have the kind of cash that Democrats and Republicans have, so they can't compete in the expensive California media market.

If the Greens got enough money to buy time for some paid political ads on TV, the calculus in the gubernatorial race would change. Davis is not popular in his own party, and the purists of the Left would happily vote Green if the party could get some exposure.

In a two-way race, Simon is a goner. In a three-way race with a viable Green candidate, Simon needs less than 50% to win. Every vote that goes to the Greens is a vote Davis doesn't get.

Unfortunately, the Republicans don't have enough cash to fund a Green media campaign to undermine Davis. My solution: FReepers should give money to the Green Party to make it competitive. That's the only way Simon can win this thing.

[Malcolm]

It's sad that we can't have a clear choice. But since the Libertarians are deliberately trying to spoil elections, I have no choice but to encourage the Green vote. Only 3rd parties can convince otherwise intelligent voters that there are 3,4,5, sides to an issue, when in reality, there are only 2.

IMNSHO, the only legitimate reason for a 3rd party is if the major parties are so far apart that the middle is not represented, (LOL, no chance of that in the US, both fight for the middle vote), or if both parties were identical, (which in that case, the parties would merge, and a place for a 2nd party would be obvious).

But alas, 3rd parties are not into contesting elections, but to further dilute a person's vote, which is already diluted enough. 3rd parties are for malcontents who could never be tolerant enough to participate in the mainstream. Someone made the above statement to me years ago, and it always proves true. LOL, next time the Libertarian convention is on C-SPAN, (the freak show of politics), check it out. I did last time it was on, and I never saw so many geeks in my life. Those guys in elective ofc, doing BETTER than the current ones? YEAH, RIGHT!!!

[Saundra Duffy]

We'll see . . . won't we? Go, Simon!!!!

[Saundra Duffy]

Go, Greenies!

[Saundra Duffy]

Where's Phil Donahue when we need him?

[NEWwoman]

"How do you get Gray Davis to change 180 degrees in two seconds?" Camejo asked. "Tell him the check bounced."

Great line!

[Saundra Duffy]

DUMP DAVIS!! GO, SIMON!!! For victory & freedom!!!

[skeeter]

I guess everything is relative.

Always consider the source.

[Coop]

In a two-way race, Simon is a goner.

Blah, blah, blah...

Yeah, sure. Okay. Whatever. Mmmmm hmmmmm.

Then why does this Davis-loving Field Poll show a statistical dead heat? Why? Simon's a goner right? Heck, he should be down 15 or 20 points now. He doesn't stand a chance! Right?!?

I admire those folks that can continue to make silly, opinion-drive statements in the face of numbers that show the opposite.

Okay, "admire" is not the word I'm looking for. :-)

[Saundra Duffy]

Coop - I think the naysayers (about Simon) are disruptors from "Gay" Davis' camp trying to discourage us. That's exactly what I think. Anyone can sign up to be a freeper. But you'll know the true freepers by their "fruit". DUMP DAVIS! GO, SIMON!!! For victory & freedom!!!

[Coop]

Coop - I think the naysayers (about Simon) are disruptors from "Gay" Davis' camp trying to discourage us.

Some undoubtedly are. But way too many are folks from around here who have fallen for the "can't win" bait hook, line and sinker.

[Zansman]

38% to 31% is a statistical dead heat? I didn't see any margin of error cited from the poll (Field generally runs around +/- 3%), but if you factor in their bias as well...., maybe so.

I've been pretty loud in pointing out Simon's lack of campaign skills, but: if Camejo can pull 5-6% of the lib vote AND if enough dems are apathetic enough about Davis to stay home AND if Simon can keep his base at least motivated enough to show up maybe he'll get the "perfect storm" and win. I sure hope so.

[Redcloak]

"How do you get Gray Davis to change 180 degrees in two seconds?" Camejo asked. "Tell him the check bounced."

ROTFLMAO!!

[Poohbah]

But you'll know the true freepers by their "fruit".

You watch, someone's going to smear you as a Log Cabin Republican now!