Jesse Moorman, Application for Delegate, Green Party of the United States (2015)

---

I hereby apply for a seat on the GPCA delegation to GPUS for the 2015-2017 term. Below is some information derived from my application to be seated on the GPCA Coordinating Committee.

 

In 1966 I realized that the political and economic system we have could not be sustained, and that the failure of those systems was likely to be catastrophic. On the other hand, I could not see any political movement that could achieve the necessary changes. It seemed that it was not possible to avoid a cascade of catastrophic failures. I misjudged the strength of the system, the economy continued for decades on its reckless course, and we did not meanwhile die in nuclear annihilation.

 

In the 1980s, when I  learned about the Green movement and the initial success of the German Green Party, I began to have hope for the change that was needed. So I organized a Green group in my Los Angeles neighborhood. After 2 or 3 years of having a Green movement, some of the members across the state felt that it was time for a political party. A substantial part of the movement clearly did not want a political party, but we who did were free to try to form one. Thus we had a statewide meeting (somewhere like Fresno) and decided to take the step to organize a party. We were the Green Party Organizing Committee.

 

I was one of the very first persons to register as a member of the California Green Party early in 1990. I was very active in all aspects of the Green Party Organizing Committee, and I was on the original GPOC Coordinating Committee, and was on the Los Angeles County Council for its first few years. I may have remained on the Coordinating Committee after we got ballot status, but I don't exactly remember, because I ran for Congress in the former 27th District of California -- Pasadena, Burbank and Glendale, and I could not have continued effective work on the CC. In that election I got 5% of the vote, 11,003 votes, and quite an education about the electoral system.

 

I remained active in the Green Party, mainly on the county level, for a while after the 1992 election, but I could not continue the intense involvement that I had for a few years. In those days, the GPUS was in early stages of organization, and I never took an active part in its activities. Since 1993 or 1994 I have had only occasional involvement with GP work, such as during Nader's 1996 campaign. For some years I had no contact at all with the Party.

 

In December 2011 I attended the General Assembly in Los Angeles, and, partly because the election was coming up, I again felt somewhat energized to be involved with the Party.

 

I have been on the Coordinating Committee again since June 2013.

 

Being 67 years old, and having begun some major changes in my personal situation, I am, within the past month semi-retired from working as a lawyer. I expect to have more time available for work in the Green Party now, if I can see any way of turning it into an instrument of real political change.

 

 

I am not familiar with the operations of GPUS, so I do not know how much achievement any individual can make within that institution. But I think that the Green Party in the US and in the various states needs to clarify its mission at this stage in development, where almost any contest for partisan office is exceedingly challenging. I think that, if I can devote the time and effort to the task, I could be one of the best choices to help us redefine the Green Party mission.

 

I want to help develop strategies that can sustain and empower the party. The Green Party in the United States has been an institution that challenges its activists psychologically. Even though we have been so badly marginalized, for so long, by such misguided interests, we know that we are right and that we must keep our ideas and values in the public consciousness. As a political party we have been failing to win the favor of our best potential supporters. Our strategy is failing, and it is exhausting us.

 

We are involved in asymmetrical warfare for the public mind, and we should try to make it feel rewarding and invigorating, perhaps interesting and fun, while we prepare for the time that we can make the necessary political changes. And, at that fateful hour, we will need to have enough capable and trustworthy people to take responsibility; we should know them and work with them before the changes take place.

 

The Green Party, as distinct from the green movement (which is vast and somewhat thriving) is conceived as a vehicle for contesting partisan elections. This basic idea is in tension with practical strategy. After Prop.14, contesting elections in California, where we have no chance of winning, usually has little value, and, I believe, weakens the Green Party. I tend to believe that other state Green Parties have the same problem. The GP race for President has tended, unfortunately, to destroy rather than build the Party.

 

The Green Party is valuable to the public only as a well-defined and tested organization that stands ready and able to run credible candidates when the time is ready. The green citizens should register Green simply to keep our ballot status. They will not register Green if they know that we are only going to mess up important political choices that they must make.

 

We need large numbers of people to register Green, because they like our values and they want to keep our ballot status, but they don't have to worry about embarrassment for their party's counter-productive political contests. Registering Green without an expectation of voting Green is a win/win situation at this point in history. In this way, the public keeps a valuable institution alive, and the Green Party gets a great membership base to educate and organize.

 

If I am seated on the GPUS delegation, I will see if I can use the position to promote good will toward the Green Party among the self-perceived green citizens who, using basic common sense, understand that Green Party politics is irrelevant, under present circumstances, to what they want from partisan elections.

 

I recognize several issues with such a restrained political strategy and expansive organizing strategy. These issues must be discussed by the GP. The strategy might be rejected, but I think a new strategy of some kind is absolutely necessary.

 

It is a desperate time for GP and for the world. I continue to think that the Green Party must be kept alive in these dreadful political times. Thus I may be willing to serve on the GPUS delegation.

 

Jesse Moorman
 

---