Green Party surges in New Mexico

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

NY Times, July 20, 2002
Green Party in New Mexico Goes From Gadfly to Player
By MICHAEL JANOFSKY

ALBUQUERQUE, July 19 -- A third political party seldom rises to a level
much beyond annoyance to Republicans and Democrats.

That is clearly not the case in New Mexico, where the Green Party has
achieved so much power that its leaders say both major parties this year
have tried to exploit it for their electoral advantage.

One offer, they said, came from Republicans this month, a promise of at
least $100,000 if the Greens fielded candidates in two House races as a
way to hurt Democratic chances. The other, they said, came from
Democrats in January, a suggestion of helping the Greens maintain
major-party status if the Greens did not field a candidate for governor.

Green leaders here say neither offer came to anything but political
theater that has since devolved into a fight between Republicans and
Democrats, with Greens trying to stay above it all, citing the incidents
as affirmation of their growing importance.

"We're players in New Mexico politics," said Eric Wilson, the Green
state co-chairman, a bread maker by trade who said he was surprised that
Republicans and Democrats have acted so boldly. "We now have leverage,
and that becomes dangerous ground for us, considering all the dust that
has been stirred up."

full: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/21/politics/21GREE.html

--

Louis Proyect
www.marxmail.org



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