Dear Greens,

I wanted to explore the sentiments within our party regarding the support of Dennis Kucinich. I have searched the archives of our state discussion lists and will comment generally on some observations I came across. Overall, I found no solid opposition, but did find many interesting points to consider when reflecting on this issue. I say issue, meaning, the issue of a Green deciding to support the campaign of Dennis Kucinich, and the implications for the party of Green members supporting a “Democrat”.

One point I found most compelling in this issue is that the support of Mr. Kucinich could be considered as a choice of principles over organization. Insisting that support be withheld because he is not officially a Green Party member or candidate limits us, for he does embody the type of progressive agenda the Green movement seeks to propagate. The time and effort put toward his campaign would be productive towards furthering that agenda. The result would be a coalition of like-minded individuals in support of shared principles that are most distilled in this particular individual. But is Mr. Kucinich himself a sectarian of the Democratic party by drawing people into the Democratic “big tent” and not considering a third party candidacy? I doubt that he intends to ward off supporters by this stance; I imagine he sees the Democratic party as his vehicle, which he has used thus far in his political career.

Beyond the issue of faithfulness to organization, we move into the issue of deciding what to do now. Why is it important to decide now, to decide what to focus our energies upon? It is a matter of the culmination of time & effort; if no decision is made to promote our shared ideas, the products of our immediate decision making will be postponed to a time when a substantial amount of equity resulting from that decision and effort could be the force needed to grow and sustain the movement. If we wait for the season of the election to draw closer, the machinery of interests outside of our own ambitions will have taken advantage of the gap left by our hesitance, and will have reached those whom we could have reached ourselves, had our efforts been in place throughout.

For this presidential race, a coalition movement can be realized – the Green Party can still be represented in state and local races. At the national level, to support Mr. Kucinich, we promote his message and contribute to our sustainable future. We as a party and as individuals are mechanisms of election. Supporting Kucinich at the national level does not necessarily interfere with our state and local agendas for running our own official Green candidates. It is again a matter of principles over organization.

The Green Party of the United States is clear that it will run a candidate in 2004.  To further a progressive agenda now, we as individuals or as groups can work to propagate our movement in the most productive ways possible.

Thus, it is my feeling that we can be in support of Mr. Kucinich, if we choose, without compromising our integrity as Greens. If you are a Green and want to support Dennis, do so! Now is the right time to focus the energy, and the Green movement will not lack because of it.

Matthew Fouts