3. What role do you see the Presidential Campaign playing in the larger picture of the Green Party of the US?
*=GPUS recognized candidate
Howie Hawkins*
If the Green Party is to become a major party and force in American politics, we have to build it from the bottom up. We should be electing thousands of Greens to local, state, and then congressional office as we go into the 2020s. The Green Party presidential campaign can help lay the basis for this growth by:
Ballot Access: Ballot access for the Green Party in about 40 states depends on the vote the presidential ticket receives directly, or mobilized indirectly for other statewide office with its coattails. Ballot lines make it easier for local candidates to get on the ballot in their races.
Supporting Down-Ballot Candidates: The presidential campaign should defend down-ballot candidates from challenges to those candidates’ ballot placement and attacks by Democrats crying spoiler. The campaign should run with down-ballot candidates as a slate and team.
Organizing Locals: The presidential campaign should help Green Party locals get better organized. Well-organized locals are the foundation for electing more and more Greens to local, state, and congressional offices.
Dario Hunter*
A Green presidential campaign can energize party efforts on a national and local basis, shape the conversation in the party on how to best manifest our values through policy, and of course, serve as the face to the larger public nationwide for the platform and values we represent. Because of the unique needs of our party in the context of a two party duopoly, our campaign believes strongly that a Green presidential campaign needs to focus extra attention on party building (local, state and national), motivating successful ballot access across the country and inspiring a new generation of Green leaders (and hopefully, elected officials). Our presidential campaign has a vital role to play in maintaining our party status across the country as some states may depend on a certain percentage of votes for our presidential ticket in order for the Green Party to maintain ballot access.
Susan Buchser-Lochocki
For me, I see the role of the President to unite, inspire, and to lead by example. The Campaign should be more about listening and noticing the areas that need improvement and bringing that information to the public, in this case, the Green Party. Then you pull the ideas together, from all Greens in the USA for the best common “Green Way” forward. United we stand, divided we fall. GREEN WAYS matter