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"We're in a load of shit here, man:" Mel Packer's exit interview
As you Cloggers are well aware, I've been obsessing a bit this week over the major parties' bullying tactics toward their minor party competitors — and more than a bit perturbed by the fact that Pa. law makes those bullying tactics not only possible, but almost assuredly successful. Sure, if I was part of the Sestak campaign, and worried about a spoiler in a close election, maybe I would have done the same thing. But that doesn't make it morally right, particularly for someone who purports to represent the Democratic Party. Competition, it seems is for pussies. (I come from a state, after all, where ballot access is something of a free-for-all. During the 2008 presidential election, for instance, there were 13 minor party candidates on the ballot; it didn't hurt anything.)
"We're in a load of shit here, man:" Mel Packer's exit interview
As you Cloggers are well aware, I've been obsessing a bit this week over the major parties' bullying tactics toward their minor party competitors — and more than a bit perturbed by the fact that Pa. law makes those bullying tactics not only possible, but almost assuredly successful. Sure, if I was part of the Sestak campaign, and worried about a spoiler in a close election, maybe I would have done the same thing. But that doesn't make it morally right, particularly for someone who purports to represent the Democratic Party. Competition, it seems is for pussies. (I come from a state, after all, where ballot access is something of a free-for-all. During the 2008 presidential election, for instance, there were 13 minor party candidates on the ballot; it didn't hurt anything.)
This morning I chatted with Mel Packer, the former Green Party candidate for Senate. First impression, based on a 20-minute conversation: He's a hell of a nice guy, completely sincere and not one of those third-party candidates who runs vanity campaigns.
âIf you're going to run at all, youre aware youre going to be challenged,â he says. âIf you don't walk in with a whole lot more [petitions] than what you need, you're not going to be able to stop them from challenging you — and they might challenge you anyway.â
State law required about 19,000. His campaign filed about 20,500, he says: âIf you don't get 30,000, you're going to be in trouble. At least 10 to 20 percent [are bad].â It's not so much a problem of fraud, but of human error, he says: People say they're registered when they're not, people move and don't update their registration info, and so on. Moreover, he says, the Sestak campaign had a process server send him a binder that included the findings of a handwriting expert (!) they paid to analyze some 700 petitions. The Sestak folks also challenged petitions where people signed in the space assigned for printed signatures (and vice versa), and people who write in their neighborhood instead of a zip code or city of residence.
âAs you know, they have challenged every single candidate. Will not have any third parties in any of the statewide races.â If he lost, after all, he'd have to pay Sestak's expenses — including the handwriting expert — probably $80,000. âWho can afford that? I can't afford that.â
He continues: âIf you run, one of the things you hope to do is gain ballot status. If you can gain 2 percent, I think, they put [your party] on [the ballot] automatically the next time. You at least get ballot status. The other reason you do it is, you know third parties don't win, but you hope they gain status.â There's also the principle of the thing, he adds: âThis is what I've done my whole life because I believe in human justice and peace. Someone has to speak out on these issues.â
And no, Packer, 65, doesn't like the notion that he's a spoiler: âSpoilers — look at the policies of the two parties. We are in a lot of trouble. There's no recovery coming except for the rich. ⦠We're in a load of shit here, man. ⦠It's an arrogant assumption of their part. Half the electorate stays home. It was reinforced out there collecting signatures. You hear that over and over again, âThey're all the same.â They can see what's coming down, man. It's a plain out corrupt system.â
A lifelong activist, Packer says he'll continue doing what he's done the last four decades — working on issues of âhuman justice and peace,â including drilling in the Marcellus Shale. âMy thing has always been about getting up every morning and saying, I've got to do the right thing, trying to make the world a better place. ⦠I do what any peace and justice activist does. I'll go to my grave doing that — what a life.â
Not that it matters now, but you can check out his platform here.
Folks, let me clarify a couple of things in this most recent article by Jeffrey Billman, and (by the way) I've really been enjoying his articles and his righteous indignation over this corrupt system that enslaves us all. First, I think we should avoid terms like "it's for pussies" as it is insulting to women and implies that women are weaker, etc and the use of that term should be ended and put to rest forever. Second, Jeffrey did a great job of catching some of our terrific conversation and included snippets, but just in case some of them seem weird out of context, let me add a brief explanation. Regarding the notion of 3rd party candidates being spoilers and "arrogant assumption". That refers to the assumption on the part of Sestak and his supporters that progressives will, when denied their first choice, automatically go for the lesser of two evils, meaning evil Sestak over evil Toomey in this case. WRONG!!! Many will just abstain and I don't blame them. That's what I do. I'm not going to compromise myself that way. I respect myself too much and hope you do as well. I'm not wasting MY vote on something I don't want. Third, regarding legal costs of $80,000 if I defended the Sestak challenge. That number is based on the judgement awarded AGAINST Green Party candidates Romanelli and Nader in the past and still hanging over their heads. I have no way of knowing what my costs would be until I got hit with them after fighting Sestak, but I can't afford to even try. Fourth, "We're in a load of shit here, man." Correct quote. Read the papers every day, listen to the news, the "recovery" is bringing record home repossessions, highest new unemployment claims since 11/09 at 500,000 last month, about 25 million out of work, 40 some million of us on food stamps and growing, yet continuing wars without end and now into Yemen and Pakistan. If that isn't a "load of shit", then I'm the tooth fairy. Finally, regarding the rest of my life fighting for peace and justice and "I'll go to my grave doing that-what a life". I hope you all understood the unspoken words at the end of that are "It's great", and I mean it, I love doing what I do and have tremendous admiration for those who do it even more. We all owe them a great debt. Thanks to all for your support, thanks to Jeffrey for the great articles and being willing to speak truth to power. We should all do that every day of our lives. We CAN make the world a better place of all of us, and you should never doubt it. Solidarity Mel Packer
I, another reader, was just about to comment on the problems of the "pussies" reference but of course I didn't have to, Mel.
I respect a person willing to stand up for his rights. I also respect a person who recognizes reality. One cannot put their own fortunes on the line in a hopeless cause. Still, the system stinks. If Packer was still on the ballot, I would vote for him, even though my libertarian philosophy would probably be diametrically opposed to his. My proposal: Independant candidates must be allowed access to the ballot. Next election, let all independents gather signatures for each other in one massive campaign. In that way we will all be represented on the ballot.
1- Those who block alternative candidates from the ballot reveal their inadequacy...that they know they can't beat the alternative candidates with ideas. 2- If the ballot blockers believe a significant number of voters prefer the alternative candidates' platforms, they could take up those platform proposals themselves. 3- Ballot blockers are not just denying rights to one candidate, they are denying rights to innumerable voters. 4- It's the "Democrat" party...which is no more democratic than the United Arab Emirates. 5- The push for Proportionate Representation, where minority interests have representation, seems to have faded. But, isn't the wealthy and powerful Corporate Sector the minority? They have disproportionate majority representation. Backwards land. All who approve of this.....? 6- "Third-party" (i.e. second party to the Bizness-Uber-Alles Party) candidates at this point need to go for some unprecedented push for Write-In Votes. Give out little pencils engraved with "Write In....." (whatever name), and the address of a web site. The Pencil can become an icon for this movement...t-shirt designs, jewelry, tattoos (if one is of that mind), and even ...uh...impromptu murals. Green parties can do green pencils.
I agree with John's #6. We can write him in! I'll bring my own pencil to my polling location -- even though it's one of those fancy no-receipt weird computer ballot boxes that look like they came from the late 1980s -- as a symbol that I'm from now on going to let my yes be a yes. I'm done with choices based on fear, or settling for second-best. That's not a life.
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