From Curtis Mansoni at The North Star, via Joshua Fauver at American Third Party Report:
Why run for president now?
Mimi: As a revolutionary organization in the United States, it’s not as if the media is regularly banging down our door for interview requests. That changes a bit during the general election. And, for obvious reasons, there’s an added interest in the socialist/radical perspective this time around. So, why not use that interest and the media coverage we might receive to offer a bottom-up, community-focused, revolutionary perspective? Why not use that interest and coverage to support an effort that seeks to facilitate community/local involvement in movement-oriented work throughout the country? We understand and acknowledge that it might look and sound a bit different from what folks expect, and we think that’s okay.
Has your campaign done any outreach with Bernie supporters? What’s that like?
Mimi: In the sense that there are Bernie supporters who are our neighbors, co-workers, fellow students, yes. Frequently. And in those environments, the outreach has been pretty positive and there is reason to think that outreach will lead to relationships that extend beyond November. It’s a bit different than working to intervene within the Sanders campaign, to steer it in a particular direction. To us, this is about the dialog and the relationships that might develop throughout and beyond the election.
What is your assessment of the position of the SPusa currently holds within the American Left?
Mimi: We are one organization among many. We have a statement of principles and we have a platform that differentiates us, to varying degrees, from many of the other organizations. That doesn’t mean we feel as though we’re “better than” the others or that we have any interest in seeing the sectarianism continue among the U.S. Left. We enjoy the collaboration with many of the other orgs on the U.S. Left. Of course, there are reasons why I choose the Socialist Party USA, but someone else might feel another organization is a better fit, and that’s cool. I think that folks who are following the Campaign will see that we not only enjoy the discussion with folks from across the U.S. Left, we also enjoy the friendship.
I’ve read several emails with Soltysik abt his campaign and I have read nothing abt the campaigns ballot access efforts. It seems like the SPUSA has become reduced to running strictly nominal Presidential candidates. And this seems like a perfect election cycle for a socialist campaign.