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The Scene at the 2008 Green Party Presidential Convention in Chicago
I am so inspired by just having watched Rosa Clemente and Cynthia McKinney on C-Span giving their acceptance speeches for the Green Party nomination. I truly believe that this broadcast will be a big boost to the Green Party. Both women and both speeches were wise, profound, and motivating. New Green Party Vice-Presidential candidate Rosa Clemente asked everyone to go, Monday morning, to break with the Democrats and register Green Party.
Cynthia McKinney gave a detailed and hopeful speech on history and policy. I found Cynthia McKinney’s new description of the 5% goal as mind-expanding. All this time, greens have been trying to explain that if we reach the 5% of the votes threshold in November, we will get federal matching funds. That is complicated to understand and appears to be about money alone. Cynthia McKinney figured out the heart of the issue. Cynthia McKinney defined the goal as this: If the Green Party can get 5% of the vote, the Green Party will become a major party in the nation.
Rosa Clemente (left) and Cynthia McKinney at Press Conference on Convention Day
I had the honor and privilege of seeing Cynthia McKinney’s speech live on Saturday, July 12, 2008. Though, like any offering from an artist or expert, watching it over again can bring new insights and understandings. Seeing her on C-Span tonight made me think about all the areas in which Cynthia McKinney is experienced and talented: A good person, a good mother, a good daughter; an activist who has supported brave people in movements for peace and justice; a good campaigner, who won a seat in Congress and made an exciting political comeback after losing that seat; a policy wonk, who does her own research and creates new paths; a political philosopher and wordsmith who can create language and metaphor which open up new windows of understanding; a student of international issues and a world traveler; and a charming, composed, articulate, and image-conscious ambassador of the political ideas of progressives.
I am feeling more and more that Cynthia McKinney did not win the Green Party nomination, the Green Party won by recruiting former Congresswoman and wise, outspoken woman, Cynthia McKinney.
Go Green Party. Grow Green Party. Power to the People.
Filed under: Ballot issues, cynthia mckinney, election, elections, grassroots democracy, green, Green Party Websites, international politics, News, Peace, Political Websites, president, presidential race, progressive politics, Rosa Clemente, third party, US Politics Tagged: | C-Span, cynthia mckinney, Photos, speech, third parties, Vice President
Thank you for all your wonderful reporting and blogging at the convention. I wish I could have been there. It was nice to have regular updates.
Dee Taylor
http://deesings.livejournal.com
Great information about Cynthia McKinney can be found in the Wikipedia entry here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_McKinney
Scroll down to the “2004 Return to Congress” headline. It’s amazing what she’s accomplished in office…. look at all the worthy causes she has spent time pursuing…
hey I am supporting mckinney as well. My hip hop group is working on a song about the campaign that can be used to motivate and educate. Its a fun song too. I wanted to get your support in publicizing it, when its finished. perhaps you could put it on your website and forward it out. we’re doing a video as well. what do you think,
thanx,
joe