PROPOSAL:
Charter for the Presidential Exploratory Committee
DISCUSSION PERIOD:
Thursday, 4/18/02 – Thursday, 5/2/02
VOTING PERIOD:
Friday, 5/3/02 – Friday, 5/17/02 (midnight)
PURPOSE:
Provide a formal charter for the reconstituted Presidential Exploratory Committee
PROPOSED LANGUAGE:
Charter for the Green Party of the US Presidential Exploratory Committee (PEC)
1. Confirmation of the Restructuring of the Green Party of the United States Presidential Exploratory Committee
At the ASGP Coordinating Committee meeting in Hiawassee, GA in December of 2000, there was consensus to call back the Presidential Exploratory Committee. Four of the PEC members from 2000, along with 11 other Greens, have met several times this winter and are making the following recommendations for the restructuring of the 2004 Presidential Exploratory Committee.
The Proposal from the minutes from the meeting of the ASGP CC, Hiawassee, GA, 12/9 and 12/10/00, Submitted by Greg Gerritt (RI, former Secretary) was as follows:
“Greg Gerritt made the initial presentation on ASGP Committees. We brainstormed and group memories what is currently going on and suggestions for new committees. There was a consensus to call back to order the Presidential Exploratory Committee, so that we can start now to look at what to do in 2004. The committee will be restructured, and will present a restructuring proposal in June. It is hoped the committee will convene shortly after the first of the year.”
We hope to promote enthusiasm in the search for Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates among Greens around the country. 2004 will be another opportunity to challenge the corporate power structure and show how the Greens are working to develop a participatory political culture in America. In 2004, we can establish more ballot qualified parties that make it easier for local candidates to run, bring the Green program to more people, and grow our grassroots Green base.
2. PEC History
The ASGP Presidential Exploratory Committee was created on December 20, 1998 and charged with facilitating the dialogue between the ASGP and potential Green Party presidential candidates. They were mandated to create and send an introductory letter/ questionnaire to any potential candidate if a state party requested them to do so and were also expected to exercise their collective judgment when considering whether to send the introductory letter/questionnaire to names proposed by individual greens or by members of this Committee.
In January 1999, the Committee began soliciting names from individual greens. At that time, approximately 70 different names were suggested by various greens throughout the country. An internal democratic screening process was created based on specific criteria – Does this potential candidate share the principles and values of the Green party, and would her/his presidential candidacy serve to build/grow the Green Party?
Introductory Letters & Questionnaires Sent Based on the results of this process, an introductory letter/questionnaire was sent to the following people by certified mail on February 22, 1998: Wendell Berry, Jerry Brown, Lester Brown, Noam Chomsky, Ron Daniels, Ron Dellums, Lani Guinier, Dan Hamburg, Woody Harrelson, Paul Hawken, Jim Hightower, Molly Ivins, Winona LaDuke, Cynthia McKinney, Carol Miller, Toni Morrison, Ralph Nader, Ron Ouellette, John Robbins, Jan Schlichtmann.
3. 2004 Green Party of the United States Presidential Exploratory Committee Mission Statement
“The Green Party of the United States Presidential Exploratory Committee is responsible for identifying potential Green Party candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States. The PEC will ascertain potential candidate interest in these offices. The PEC will also determine the position of potential candidates on the 10 Key Values, all aspects of the GP-US platform and current issues of concern to Greens.”
4. Green Party of the United States 2004 Presidential Exploratory Committee Tasks
The Green Party of the United States 2004 Presidential Exploratory Committee will undertake the following tasks:
- Poll the state parties for candidate criteria and screening questions;
- Develop candidate questionnaire and evaluation criteria;
- Accept requests from State Green Parties for correspondence with potential presidential candidates;
- Compose a letter, to be sent to potential presidential candidates, which asks for a response from those candidates interested in seriously and legally pursuing the Green Party nomination;
- Compose a questionnaire for these potential nominees, and make the results of the questionnaire available to the Coordinating Committee and to recognized representatives of unaffiliated state Green Parties;
- Meet with potential candidates if the potential candidate requests a meeting with the Green Party of the United States;
- Provide candidate evaluations (individual parameters and total evaluation) to Coordinating Committee in a timeframe adequate for candidate selection and ballot access activities;
- Make recommendations to the Coordinating Committee based upon results of information gathering and make recommendations concerning long-term strategy.
5. Scope Limitations of Green Party of the United States 2004 Presidential Exploratory Committee
The Committee shall not be empowered to make any commitments on behalf of the Green Party of the United States and will NOT be choosing a candidate. This Committee will be facilitators and information gatherers/disseminators to potential candidates only. A GP-US candidate will only emerge after the spring statewide Primaries and Conventions, culminating in a national Presidential Nominating Convention in 2004.
The Presidential Exploratory Committee will be comprised of no more than 25 voting members drawn from affiliated state parties. Currently, the PEC is:
Voting Members:
Jane Hunter, NJ, Co-Chair <janemhunter@worldnet.att.net>
*John Strawn, CA, Co-Chair <jcs@west.net>
*Blair Bobier, OR <blairbobier@hotmail.com>
*Annie Goeke, PA <ajgoeke@igc.org>
Greg Gerritt, RI <gerritt@mindspring.com>
Rick Boyd, ID <rick3692@yahoo.com>
Susan King, CA <funking@mindspring.com>
Mike Livingston, MD <livingstonm@earthlink.net>
Carol Miller, NM <carolmiller@newmexico.com>
Starlene Rankin, IL <starlene@greens.org>
Jim Reed, TX <jim@manythoughts.org>
John Rensenbrink, ME <rensen@gwi.net>
Juscha Robinson, MI <jvannier@umich.edu>
Non-Voting Advisors:
Dean Myerson, DC, USGP staff <office@gp.org>
Ross Mirkarimi, CA <rossmon@juno.com>
* Members of 2000 Presidential Exploratory Committee
We will do outreach to add these states for PEC membership:
District of Columbia
Iowa
Ohio
Florida (?)
Minnesota
Tennessee
Georgia
New York
Wisconsin
Respectfully submitted by:
Jane Hunter (NJ), Co-Chair
John Strawn (CA), Co-Chair