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Octobert, 1998
N.M. Rides Crest of National Green Wave
By Rachel Smolkin, Albuquerque Tribune
October 24th, 1998
WASHINGTON - Bob Anderson loves to tell the one about Dick Gephardt
and the bathtub.
"I had been out campaigning and decided to sit in the tub and
relax and
read the paper," said the Green Party candidate from New Mexico's 1st
Congressional District. "I was screening my calls."
Then a voice identified himself as Dick Gephardt, and Anderson
slowly
realized it was that Dick Gephardt, the House Democratic leader.
"I jumped up out of the tub," Anderson said. "I was standing in
the middle
of the hallway, dripping wet and talking to one of the most powerful
leaders in the country."
Anderson turned down Gephardt's carefully worded pleas to drop
out and
throw his support to Democrat Phil Maloof. In a June special election,
Anderson took 15 percent of the vote, and Republican Heather Wilson
won the
seat by 6 percentage points.
To Democrats and political pundits, Anderson and his 3rd Congressional
District cohort, Carol Miller, are spoilers responsible for handing
close
elections to Republicans. But for Greens around the country, Anderson
and
Miller have provided inspiration.
Though commonly associated with the environment, Greens also emphasize
non-violence, universal health care, carnpaign-finance overhaul
and a
livable minimum wage.
About 110 Green candidates are running for office in 20 states this
election season, up from 80 in 1996. Among the contenders are
six
gubernatorial candidates and 16 congressional candidates.
Although no Greens hold national positions, 57 hold locally elected offices
- half in California, but also in 12 other states.
Greens have gained enough votes in past elections to earn automatic
ballot
access in nine states - Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii,
New Mexico,
Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Wisconsin. They hope to add Minnesota,
Maine
and New York this year.
In 1996, consumer advocate Ralph Nader ran for president as a
Green and he
helped broaden the party's image by focusing on corporate threats
to
democracy.
That year also kicked off a series of high-profile Green campaigns
in New
Mexico, beginning with popular former Lt. Gov. Roberto Mondragon's
bid for
governor [note: the Mondragon-Schmidt campaign was in 1994]. He
received 10
percent of the vote, and Republican businessman Gary Johnson edged
incumbent Gov. Bruce King by 9 percentage points.
In 1997, Rep. Bill Richardson's appointment as U.S. ambassador
to the
United Nations forced a special election in the 3rd District,
which
includes Santa Fe. Health-care consultant Miller won 17 percent
of the
vote, marking the strongest third-party congressional finish since
1924 and
aiding Republican Bill Redmond's stunning 3-percentage-point upset
in the
heavily Democratic area.
When Rep. Steve Schiff died from cancer earlier this year, Anderson
a
teacher and former steelworker defied political conventional wisdom
by
repeating Miller's strong performance in the 1st District's special
election.
In New Mexico, three consecutive races with Greens have got Democrats
flustered," said Dan Hamburg, the Green candidate for California governor
and former Democratic congressman. "I think what New Mexico's
done is
clarified the efficacy of our strategy and has shown us as Greens
how much
effect we can have in the big races."
David Cobb, chairman of the Harris County Green Party in Houston,
received
aid from New Mexico Greens in June during Texas' first statewide
Green
gathering.
"Carol Miller and Bob Anderson's congressional campaigns were
the next echo
of the Nader '96 campaign for us in Texas," said Cobb, noting
Greens fare
especially well among young voters.
A September victory by Germany's Greens also galvanized their newer U.S.
counterparts. The election that unseated longtime Chancellor Helmut
Kohl
rewarded Greens with 6.7 percent of the vote, compelling a coalition
with
Social Democrats and earning Greens three Cabinet posts.
"All of the sudden, people are seeing Greens on the cover of the
L.A.
Times," Hamburg said. "People are now aware that Greens are in
governing
coalitions in at least six countries around Europe."
Despite recent strong showings here and abroad, national political
observers are not prepared to tout the Greens as the alternative
of the
future Greens are badly underfunded, often excluded from debates,
and
disdainful of refined dress and savvy consultants. In big races,
a Green
vote is still seen as an establishment protest.
Even in New Mexico, polls are showing Anderson and Miller slipping.
Anderson's former campaign manager recently endorsed Maloof.
"Ultimately, any third party Greens, blacks, blues, whatever faces
the
central problem of winning something," said Curtis Gans, director
of the
Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, a Washington-based
non-partisan group that tracks voting trends. [note: In New Mexico,
Greens
have won four elections and hold a seat on the State Board of
Education]
"At this point, I don't think the Greens are there," he said.
"But they are
factors in the outcomes in places, usually in terms of siphoning
votes away
from the Democrats."
The party's image as spoilers for Democrats has some prominent
Greens worried.
Abraham Gutmann, co-founder [sic] of the Green Party of New Mexico,
endorsed Democrat Tom Udall to represent the 3rd District. Although
he says
Miller is an excellent candidate, he believes state Attorney General
Udall
basically adheres to a Green platform. Democratic leaders last
year chose
State Corporation Commissioner Eric Serna - an insider Gutmann
calls
"ethically challenged" - to represent the party in the special
election.
"Now that Democrats have done the right thing and nominated sort
of a Green
Democrat (Udall), I don't see that we should punish them for it,"
Gutmann
said. I can't be, in good conscience, throwing this election to
a very
conservative, extremely right wing Republican."
Gutmann believes Greens should focus instead on the many uncontested
state
legislative races. He favors a mainstream progressive Green Party
and fears
alienating crossover Democrats who voted Green last year. Only
about I
percent of New Mexico's registered voters are Greens.
"We're in danger of being sort of a one-act play that all we do
is spoil,"
he said.
Across the country, Greens are pondering the best electoral strategy,
a
process Gutmann describes as growing pains. They formed the Association of
State Green Parties - a loose network with a minuscule budget and no
national office - and are voting on forming a presidential exploratory
committee.
"Ralph Nader didn't really run a full campaign in '96, and we
need a
candidate to run a full, active campaign on the Green platform,"
secretary
Dean Myerson said.
Some Greens - such as Santa Monica City Council member Mike Feinstein, who
started his business career as California's first in-line skate
salesman
-advocate a two-prong approach: Make slow, deliberate inroads
with local
candidates; while at the same time, run high-profile candidates
such as
Nader to spread the Green message.