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Camejo's Groundbreaking Campaign in Recall Sets Stage for Greens in 2004. |
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Wednesday, October 15, 2003 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Green candidate Peter Camejo's strong performance in the California gubernatorial debates drew praise from across the political spectrum, giving further credence to calls for Green inclusion in the 2004 presidential and candidates' debates. "If the California recall election is any indication, Greens are going into the 2004 election season with a focused message and a lot of respect," said Mark Dunlea, chair of the Green Party of New York State. "There's no excuse for barring Green candidates from the debates in 2004." Many national commentators lauded Camejo as a serious candidate with a sound platform budget plan, increasing Green Party credibility nationwide. San Francisco Chronicle political writer John Wildermuth praised Camejo's performance in the debates, calling him an "articulate advocate" for the Greens, and declared that "Camejo isn't going to be California's next governor, but the Green Party candidate wasn't a loser in Tuesday's election" (October 8). After the September 24 'Superbowl' debate, 32% of respondents chose Camejo as the winner in a poll conducted by the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner. The Los Angeles Times found that among Democrats, 25% saw Camejo as the winner, compared to 13% for Democrat Cruz Bustamante. Camejo's favorable ratings increased after each debate, according to a California Field Poll, with upwards of 2 million Californians giving Camejo's candidacy positive marks by the end of the campaign. In early October, when the League of Women Voters and media sponsors initially barred Camejo from the final two debates, the public responded with more than 20,000 letters of protest sent to debate sponsors. Greens note that the Commission on Presidential Debates, which are controlled by the Democratic and Republican parties, are unresponsive to the public's demand for inclusion of third party and independent candidates. Camejo's participation "broke new ground for the Green Party and was an important victory for American democracy in a time of threatened civil liberties," said Camejo campaign worker Linda Schade, noting that Green presidential candidate Ralph Nader was excluded from the debates in 2000. "Voters clearly support the inclusion of Green voices in the political debate. The question is, will the Presidential Debate Commission respect their call?" MORE INFORMATION search:
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