Green Party candidate facing Romney again

[orphanedhawk]

A doctor who ran against Mitt Romney for Massachusetts governor a decade ago has won the chance to challenge him again, this time as the Green Party's presidential nominee.

Jill Stein, an internist from Lexington, Mass., blasted both Romney and President Obama, saying they had become too dependent on donations from corporations in order to reach office at the expense of the nation's citizens.

"We need real public servants who listen to the people - not to the corporate lobbyists that funnel campaign checks into the big war chests," Stein told applauding supporters Saturday at a hotel in Baltimore. "That's what brought me to the Green Party, the only national party that is not bought and paid for by corporate money."

Stein acknowledges that her candidacy is a long shot. Still, she notes that a growing number of people are expressing frustration with the two major political parties, and she cites the Occupy Wall Street movement as an example of the disenchantment.

"We are in it to win it, but we're also in it to build it, and those are both wins in my book," Stein, 62, said before her acceptance speech at the convention.

Stein won 193.5 delegates, compared with 72 for comedian Roseanne Barr, who did not attend.

Stein hopes the party will qualify for the ballot in at least 40 states; the total now stands at 21.

Stein has been running for office in Massachusetts for the past decade. In the 2002 race against Romney, she won only 3 percent of the vote. She made unsuccessful runs for secretary of state in 2006 and governor again in 2010.

She says she doesn't worry that even a marginal performance in a single state could tip the scales against President Obama. Many viewed Green Party candidate Ralph Nader's showing in Florida in 2000 as a big factor in Democrat Al Gore's loss to Republican George W. Bush.

"You don't get democracy by silencing the voice of the public interest," Stein said.

She is highlighting what she describes as a Green New Deal as the main focus of her platform. She calls it an emergency program designed to create 25 million jobs and jump-start a green economy for the 21st century to help address climate change and make wars for oil obsolete.

Online:

Green Party: http://www.gp.org


http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Green-Party-candidate-facing-Romney-again-3707659.php

[brice1967]

I agree with most of what you said, but saying republicans and democrats differ only on cultural issues is completely off mark.

The economy, immigration, taxation, health care and the theories on how to repair any of them are just a few things the 2 major parties differ on, greatly.

The "Green Party" is very much like every other 3rd party.  It's gaining in popularity because of the polarization of the 2 major parties.  They have some good ideas....  What they don't have is the trust of the American people, nor do they have the political clout necessary to be taken seriously.  

This country needs a lot of help.  We will not find that help along either party line, but as it stands... we really have no choice.  This election, like every one before it will melt down to a choice between a democrat and a republican.

[samfisher930]

Green Party is a hope for  USA. It a party of change.It has an effective social plan to counter recession and social crises in USA. Republicans and Democrats speak more or less the same language.They differ only on cultural issues.However they speak the same language when it comes to economic,but in different tones.

Democrat have vulgarized liberalism.Acted as an undercover agents for rich and corrupt.Liberalism of Democrats are totally failure.Now time has come for Americans to get themselves out of Democrats and Republican political deadlock.US people must explore alternatives like Green party and Ralph Nader.