Thursday, February 28, 2008

Matt Gonzalez Shoulders Vice-Presidential Mantle for Nader's Campaign

In what will no doubt be a shake up amongst Greens, Ralph Nader has announced that Matt Gonzalez, a Green Party champion and lawyer, will run as Vice President on an independent ticket for the Presidency. For those who have speculated whether or not Nader would be seeking the Green Party nomination, this appointment of the well-regarded Gonzalez should make it clear. Come July, there will be a robust competition for the Green party nomination.

Gonzalez publicly renounced his affiliation with the Democratic Party in 2000 and joined the Green Party, egged by the stranglehold that the major parties had over the media during a political debate.


“ I couldn't help thinking of how most of my support in last year's district attorney's race came as a result of being allowed into televised debates with my better-known opponents and how that support has eventually led to my being the frontrunner in the District 5 supervisorial race.

The more I thought about it, the more I knew I wasn't OK with it. I didn't want to be a member of a party that was urging the exclusion of a candidate solely on the grounds that the candidate didn't have enough support, when it's precisely television coverage that could win that candidate public acceptance.

So if the Democratic Party is working so hard to squelch valuable debate, why should I remain a Democrat? I was already discouraged by Al Gore's pronouncements, during the presidential debates, in favor of the death penalty and his equivocation on gay marriage. As I reflected on this, I realized I had less in common with Feinstein's party than with Medea Benjamin's." (quoted from Wikpedia)



Anyone who enters the race with Ralph would have to anticipate that there will be an onslaught of Democratic led lawsuits badgering them along the way. Gonzalez, a civil rights lawyer, will be better prepared than most to handle the pressures that will be applied throughout the nation.

To hear some of Gonzalez' recent comments related to the Green Party, listen to this re-broadcast of January's Green Party debate in San Francisco, in which Matt adds perspective on the development and consequences of the party's campaign on the 2008 election.


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