The Green Party Presidential Candidate Forum was held tonight in at the Green Party US Annual Meeting/Convention at the Palmer House in Chicago. It was moderated by former Green Party of Illinois candidate for governor, Rich Whitney.
The large ballroom was packed with Greens, and interest shown by the large amount of media present. All four candidates for the Green presidential nomination were there. Numerous signs supporting the four candidates were present, including signs promoting Kent Mesplay in 2012.
The evening started with a brief speech from long announced VP candidate SKCM Curry. She got the audience going with a chant to paint the White House Green.
The four candidates were then introduced, and took their place on the stage.
Jesse Johnson, a West Virginia native, is an artist, performer and film maker, and was a Green Party United States Senate candidate. In 2004 he was the gubernatorial candidate for the Mountain Party of WV and received over 18,000 votes.
Following Jesse was Cynthia McKinney. Cynthia, from California, served as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003, and from 2005 to 2007, representing Georgia’s 4th Congressional District. She left the Democratic Party in September 2007 and on October 22, 2007, filed paperwork with the FEC creating an exploratory committee for a Green Party presidential campaign.
Next introduced was Kent Mesplay. Kent was a Green Party candidate for United States Senate from California in 2006. He also ran previously for the 2004 Green nomination for president. He currently works as an Air Quality Inspector at the Air Pollution Control District, in San Diego. Kent made it clear that he will be looking for the Green presidential nomination in the next campaign cycle in 2012.
Lastly there was Kat Swift, is a former co-chair of the Green Party of Texas, and spokesperson for the Green Party’s National Women’s Caucus. In 2007, Swift ran for City Council, District 1 in San Antonio, Texas finishing second of three candidates with 1,630 votes for 29.48% of the total vote. She has been an active green since late 1999 (the birth year of Green Party of Texas), and was the top petition gatherer in Bexar County, Texas 2000 & 2006.
Each candidate gave five minute speeches, and answered a number of questions submitted from the audience.
A couple of good lines (more to come).
“We’re the ones that are going to create the change we want to see. ” – Kat Swift
In answer to a question about what the candidates’ energy policy would be, “War is not going to be my energy policy.” – Cynthia McKinney
“We can not consume our way to a sustainable culture.” – Kent Mesplay