Ben Manski was giving people the low down on the campaign strategy. He explained that for the next couple of months the highest priority will be given to organizing volunteers for petition drives in states where we can still get Jill Stein on the ballot. Key among them are Pennsylvania and (???). He explained that there is some money available for getting volunteers out there. See him after the show with questions on that.

After that we'll switch to getting Jill into the debates. The Presidential Debates commission currently sets the standard for inclusion at 15% support in a national poll and on the ballot in every state. That is an impossibly high hurdle for any real grass roots candidate. He is hoping they can change the standard to "polling at 2% and on the ballot in most states." If that happens Jill will be included for sure.

On an ongoing basis from now to the election the campaign will be all about getting green values discussed in every way possible. He explained that this boils down to a decentralized campaign where all of us have to take a leadership role. We need letters to the editor, tabling, and all the other kinds of media that make change possible. Social media is going to be a big part of that. He asked us to "Please share with your friends campaign updates that you like."

The campaign will do everything it can to make Jill Stein a resource for spreading the green message. Manski explained what you do if you want Jill to come to your town for an event. Send a one page letter explaining as much as you can about the event and the expected crowd and so forth to info@JillStein.org. They will do their best to fit you into the schedule. Then he explained that Jill Stein's one drawback as a candidate is that she likes people and will go as long as we let her. He made us all raise our right hands and promise to let Jill get enough sleep if she visits our town.

     

The guy in the green shirt said that he's collecting literature about the campaign and putting links to the online versions on JillStein.org. He wants us all to email links about coverage to the campaign so they can be included.

There was some Q&A.

     

I call seeing T-shirts with pro marijuana content "paying lip service to the issue." There were a few people there that said they had some weed, but I never saw it smoked. I didn't smell it on anybody's breath either. Partly that made sense, in that nobody wants to be off their game when discussing politics with people you don't know well. The problem with that there is already too much symbolism in our politics. That makes it hard to tell the real from the fake. I'd like to have seen the environment be safe for smoking at the less formal evening schmoozefests or something like that. So yeah, it's illegal, but that's a political issue the Green Party should differ from the Republicans and Democrats on in a real way. Click here to inhale my virtual protest.

Looking back on the event I wish there had been more grass roots vending type stuff. People like the Idaho Greens that unrolled a trading blanket covered in interesting home made buttons in the hall at the 2004 convention in Wisconsin. All I saw in that vein was one Iowa Green who obviously knows about busking as a musician and a few tables at the Law School in the first days. The bulk of the convention was as devoid of marketplace politics as a Wal*mart. Grrr...

On the bright side though, I was glad to see that the Green Party has yet another interesting and capable Presidential Candidate. I'm hopeful that the summer and fall will have good campaigning in them. I'm looking forward to getting the word out!