After loosing both the Democratic and Libertarian nominations, Mike Gravel, former Senator from Alaska, has put his weight behind the Jesse Johnson campaign’s efforts to win the Green Party nomination. In an email sent out by the campaign, Gravel explains why he thinks Jesse is the best choice for Greens in 2008. The text of the email is under the fold…
Jesse Johnson for President 2008
Let’s Work Together
Dear friend,
I am writing you today in the hope that you will support Jesse Johnson for the Green Party presidential nomination. The party’s convention is in two weeks, and Jesse needs your help.
I feel deeply in my heart that if we truly want to empower the people, end illegal and immoral wars, provide healthcare for all Americans, and fight global warming, we must do more than just work together with other voices. We’re going to have to make a commitment to support them.
Let me tell you why I’m with Jesse.
The foundation of Jesse’s political aspirations began with a desire to stop the environmental plundering of his home state, West Virginia, by corporate interests at the expense of the people. Since then, Jesse has expanded his policies to include providing education and quality healthcare to all Americans by reining in the military-industrial complex. These are goals we should all support.
We’ve seen the havoc the two major parties can wreak on a global scale by locking out other voices, third-party voices. Both parties support war and American imperialism, which distract us from focusing not only on our domestic well-being, but also the world’s well-being. I want to lend my support to those voices that are committed to saving our country from our own shortsighted, greedy actions. Clinging to power for the sake of power benefits no one. We must have a voice in the political realm speaking earnestly and intelligently about all of our needs. Jesse and the Green Party have that credibility.
Please join me today in supporting Jesse Johnson for president by making a donation on his web site. You can also send a contribution via mail to the Committee to Elect Jesse Johnson, P.O. Box 893, Charleston, W.V. 25323.
Remember: We’re all in this together. Let’s help voices like Jesse’s be heard.
Sincerely,
Mike Sig SmallMike Gravel
Steve Kramer
Campaign Co-Manager
Phone: 240.426.3338
e-mail: [email protected]Joel Brown
Campaign Co-Manager
Phone: 703.864.5199
e-mail: [email protected]
Skyler McKinley has been only professional and friendly toward me, and always went above and beyond whenever I would contact him on behalf of Last Free Voice.
Personally, I think he is a very likable young man with a very bright future, and I would certainly recommend him to anyone seeking campaign assistance.
Skyler is busy, so I am defending his and Gravel’s honor.
Gravel is endorsing Johnson for the Green Nomination, not exactly the presidency. Just like me endorsing Robert for the nomination, but HELL NO to the general election. He just happens to be the only guy running that I can talk to. 🙂
He is still a Libertarian and respects our party. Although he is not endorsing Barr. Add him to the list.
Mountains out of molehills, ladies and gentlemen.
Gravel has run a confusing campaign. See my article on http://www.millerpolitics.com.
and amputate the foot of my criticism?! I think not!
Mike Theodore, have fun in the mountains. & try to not chop yourself in the foot!
I disagree, Mike.
Robert Milnes most definitely has issues.
Interesting quote from the Phillies opening.
“Very briefly, every campaign has two parts: Issues, Delivery.”
Which do you have Robert? Issues? You never seem to discuss those. When you do, people seem to back even further away. Delivery? From what I’m seeing in this debate, I think not.
Robert! I though you already left for mining. I’m actually watching the debate you were in. Oddly, right when your intro came up, I saw your post.
Back to business. Now I can go after your progressive strategy that ignores the ideologies of all who you want to represent (in dreams, I’m sure).
Instead, I’ll try to give you a wee bit of advice. Don’t go after McKinney on the claim of name recognition. Her lack of it will send her under the LP bus in the fall (and Nader, maybe Amondson!). The GOP unfortunately tore the good nature of her name apart after 9/11 in some disgusting plays. Right now, she is actually turning down media appearances. I guess in protest of their failure. Unfortunately, that can no longer work in this day and age. Even after she wins, it will be a lackluster campaign.
Robert, do research. Call your opponents out on the ISSUES. None of this senselessness.
BTW, folks. Until Monday, I’ll be away. Going up to the mountains to chop wood. I hope you all don’t go loopy in my absence.
His name is ironically Skyler McKinley(not McKinney). I think of him fondly as “Snotty Skyler” due to the patronizing attitude he gave me. At one time I thought Gravel/Ruwart had possibilities as a progressive alliance ticket. But it needs both to actually believe in it & I saw no indication of that. & Skyler’s attitude convinced me to give up trying to make Gravel president. Johnson/Gravel presupposes that libertarians would relate to Gravel as a fellow libertarian enough to forsake Barr/Root. I don’t think so. My candidacy for the GP nomination is only awaiting 100 Greens contacting the Presidential Campaign Support Committee. And I’m hoping the Green delegates aren’t automatons like the LP delegates. & repeat the same mistake they did: voting for a newly joined former Congressperson for the name recognition. A real progressive alliance ticket needs both sides to relate to one or the other on the ticket. MSM type name recognition would not be necessary. That would come later. As the ticket starts getting so much polling as to register on MSM radar.
I think Mr. gravel just can’t let go of being a player. If he’s not careful, he becomes a bit of an Imperato or Milnes himself! I believe the term is gadfly. Or would it be gadabout?
Skyler McKinney was a really cool dude. I met him in Denver.
I agree that Kat Swift is the coolest. Unfortunately, she agreed to an interview at IPR and never sent her answers!
Greg – Of course I was joking about Milnes. I myself literally have a much, much better chance of capturing the Green Party’s nomination than does Milnes.
Skyler McKinney!
I just emailed him to see if Gravel would be interested in a book endorsement.
He said he would ask him.
I’m calling you out publicly Skyler!
🙂
No,he means Skylar–one of Mike Gravel’s head guys.
“The best Green candidate is Kat Swift.”
Then spell her name the way she likes it to be spelled.
“kat swift”
I am truly terrified.
Do you mean Ross Levin?
So you go from supporting Christine Smith, who supported Ron Paul after billing herself as the anti-Paul, then you say you’re looking at Paul supporter Baldwin, and now you call Ron Paul the opportunist?
By the way, where’s that guy from Gravel’s campaign that used to post here and at TPW? What was his name, Dave? Kenny? If you’re out there, please confirm if this means Gravel’s officially leaving the LP for the GP, or if it’s predicated on Johnson winning.
Oh crap! Or does it mean the plan is Johnson/Gravel? The progressive alliance fulfilled???
Mike Gravel is a political opportunist as is Ron Paul and Bob Barr. The best Green candidate is Kat Swift.
G.E. is partly right, as is Trent. While it is true indeed that Congresswoman McKinney does have the delegates she needs to win the nomination outright on the first ballot, the question is, will they show up at the convention? I, for example, cannot afford the air fare and hotel room, much less the registration fee, to attend. Now, if you know a friendly millionaire…
Where G.E. is wrong is in assigning Johnson to the same chances as Milnes. Johnson, as is true of kat swift and Kent Mesplay, will be on the ballot, and if lightening strikes, each of them has supporters and a chance. Mr. Milnes, as best I can tell, has not met the criterion to even be considered by the convention.
But in truth, I suspect that G.E.’s observation about Gravel’s earlier support is the real story here, and I for one find it refreshing that a politician would not walk away from a candidate they supported just because the tide has turned against them.
He already threw his support behind Jesse once, and then entered the LP race saying he was a Libertarian for real, and now he’s back to the Greens and a guy who has as much chance of capturing the nomination as Robert Milnes.
This seems odd. McKinney has already captured enough delegates to win…why throw your support behind a candidate already-determined not to win the nomination?