[GPCA Updates] GP RELEASE Green Party candidates win some debates, battle exclusion from others (top stories, video, audio)

Thu Oct 14 16:54:57 PDT 2010

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Thursday, October 14, 2010

Green Party candidates across the US win some debates, battle exclusion from
others

• In Illinois race for the US Senate, Green candidate LeAlan Jones wins a
debate from which he was excluded: SC Green Tom Clements challenges Sen. Jim
DeMint's refusal to debate; Calif. Green Laura Wells arrested for entering the
gubernatorial debate site

• Video downloads and campaign news:
Green candidates in debates http://www.gp.org/candidates/debates.php
Greens on the campaign trail http://www.gp.org/elections/campaign-trail/index.php
Labor endorsements for Greens http://www.gp.org/candidates/labor-endorsements.php
More candidate videos: http://www.gp.org/candidates/videos.php

WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party candidates across the US are shining in some
debates -- and protesting their exclusion from other debates.

On Tuesday, California Green gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells wasn't only
barred from the debate, she was arrested for trying to enter the debate site
to sit in the audience, even though she had a ticket
(http://www.laurawells.org/blog.html /
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=359 / video of Ms. Wells' release:
http://qik.com/video/15595155).

"This isn't only about the right of Green and other alternative party
candidates to participate in debates.  It's about the right of voters to hear
from all the candidates whose names will be on the ballot.  It's about the
right of voters to know which candidate best represents their interests," said
Nancy Allen, long-time Green debate activist.  "The use of poll results to
include or exclude candidates, based on the likelihood of victory, assumes
falsely that the main reason to vote for a candidate is because that candidate
might win."

Greens have accused some sponsors of setting debate rules that effectively
allow only Democrats and Republicans, sometimes basing criteria for
participation on polls that omit the names of Green and other alternative
party candidates.  In New York, Green candidate Julia Willebrand, running for
State Comptroller (http://www.juliaforcomptroller.com), was barred from a
debate because of criteria that included results of a poll that didn't list
her name.

"If debate sponsors take polls seriously, they should recognize a recent
Gallup Poll that showed widespread dissatisfaction with two-party politics
(http://www.gallup.com/poll/143051/Americans-Renew-Call-Third-Party.aspx).
When debates are limited to Democrat and Republican, the real winners are the
corporations that send them big campaign checks to buy political influence,"
Sanda Everette, former co-chair of the Green Party of the United States and
videographer at the protest against Ms. Well's exclusion from the debate.

More news on Greens and debates:

• Tom Clements, Green candidate for the US Senate in South Carolina, has
released a series of radio ads challenging incumbent Sen. Jim DeMint (R),
whose has refused to debate him (article and ad downloads:
http://clementsforsenate.com/?p=641).  Mr. Clements has gained national
attention in a race against Sen. DeMint, an extreme rightwing ideologue, and
Democrat Alvin Greene, whose campaign has collapsed after embarrassing
revelations about his past.  (See "Democrats Step Out for Clements -- Quietly"
in the Columbia Free Times, Oct. 13-19,
http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064017974&ShowArticle_ID=12241210102712618)

• Illinois Green gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney will face the Democratic
and Republican opponents Thursday evening, Oct. 14, at WSIU-TV studios in a
debate to be aired on PBS-TV and NPR radio stations statewide
(http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_59e00f6a-d711-11df-920d-0017a4a78c22.html).
  Greens are protesting Mr. Whitney's exclusion from debates sponsored by the
League of Women Voters of Illinois, to be aired on WLS (ABC 7) on Oct. 20, and
the City Club of Chicago, to be aired on WTTW (PBS 11) on Oct. 28.  (See "A
Message to Illinois Voters from Rich Whitney" at
http://www.gp.org/candidates/debates.php)

• When LeAlan Jones, Illinois Green for US Senate
(http://lealanforsenate.org), was excluded from NBC's Meet The Press debate on
Oct. 10, he and Libertarian candidate Mike Labno appeared in a parallel debate
answering the same questions on radio station WBEZ (blog and audio downloads:
http://blogs.vocalo.org/shudzik/2010/10/the-election-file-kirk-giannoulias-debate-on-nbc-and-the-2-other-candidates-hash-it-out-in-wbezs-studios/39343).
  According to political blogger Edward McClelland, "Jones won the debate even
though he hadn’t been invited."
(http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Kirk-Giannoulias-debate-Jones-wins-104711379.html)

• Double-header on Monday, Oct. 18: Jesse Johnson (http://jesse4ussenate.org)
of the West Virginia Mountain Party (affiliated with the Green Party) will
participate in a four-way debate for US Senate candidates
(http://www.wvmetronews.com/index.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=39702);
New York Green gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins
(http://www.howiehawkins.com) will join his opponents in a televised debate at
Hofstra University on Long Island
(http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101007006884/en/News-12-Newsday-Hofstra-University-Partner-Bring).

• In the first televised debate for a statewide office in Arkansas that
includes a Green nominee, Arkansas Green candidate John Gray, running for the
US Senate (http://www.johngrayforussenate.com), participated in a four-way
debate on Wednesday, Oct. 13
(http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/14/arkansas-to-hold-4-candidate-u-s-senate-debate
/
http://arkansasnews.com/2010/10/13/u-s-senate-candidates-meet-in-four-way-debate/).
  See Mr. Gray's video "Think Outside The Box":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1teP2FG0FOs

• Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein participates in Massachusetts
gubernatorial debates:
http://www.jillstein.org/content/mass-gov-candidates-debate-greater-boston-chamber-commerce
http://www.jillstein.org/content/governor-candidates-debate-human-services
More articles, audio links at http://www.jillstein.org
Response to exclusion from a debate sponsored by the Media Consortium:
http://www.jillstein.org/content/stein-campaign-response-debate-exclusion