20160904 (aspire)

Dr. Jill Stein, 2016 Presidential Nominee of the Green Party. Haven't heard of her? No surprise. Avoided by the MSM Dr. Stein will likely not be on the debate stage at Hofstra College either. The debate commission is comprised of only the two major parties who will take no guff from the Greens.

Peggy, my partner in protest, Ms 

Kacerek, suggested we attend

A Green Party Rally last Friday

In Cuyahoga Falls to see Dr.

Jill Stein, the party’s 2016 

Presidential nominee. we had

Tried to see her several weeks

Earlier at David Ellison’s office

In Ohio City but she and Cornel

West were meeting elsewhere

With local media and they 

Thought that more productive

Than meeting with fifty or so

Devotees. Compared to the 

Estimated billion dollars of

Free publicity given Donald

Trump, Dr. Stein, so often 

Snubbed, couldn’t pass it up. 

A similar rumor buzzed around

The Falls gathering but at 8 PM

She strode confidently into 

The auditorium eager to rouse

Two hundred party faithful and

Some like me just curious. Having

Heard in the prior hour various

Green lesser lights, all of whom

Lacked the moxie for polished

Public speaking, I welcomed

Her spirited stump speech. She 

Is a woman of striking physical

presence. When she opened

The floor to questions I raised

My hand quickly. The director

Pointed to me  but one of the earlier

Speakers seated a couple rows

Ahead mistook the signal for him.

We both rose and he began

Talking. They pointed again to

Me as soon as he finished.

“Dr. Stein,” I spoke loudly, “when

You are elected president . . .” 

(Crowd broke into wild cheers)

“You will need people to help

Govern. Not only your cabinet 

But sympathizers in the legislative

And judicial branches to get anything 

Done. Who will those be, and

Will announcing them now add

To your credibility as a serious

Contender?” She smiled 

That I had motivated those

Attending and referred me to

Her website list, a “Shadow 

Cabinet,” of potential occupants, 

Then proceeded to name several

Well known activists and stated

How each would help her agenda.

Later I told Peggy I felt egg 

On my face for not knowing more

Of her web content. Home again

I looked them up and was as 

Disappointed by the list as I’d 

Been by the amateurism of the

Earlier Green speakers. I knew

A few of those named: Leah Bolger, 

Defense; Ellen Brown, Treasury; 

Medea Benjamin, State. But Tim

DeChristopher as “Emergency 

Climate Action Coordinator” 

And Lee Camp as ”Commissioner

For the Comedic Arts”?  It compared

With Click and Clack’s staff of

Car Talk: Seat Tester, Mike Easter; 

Lawyers, Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe.

Although activists are sincere

And capable people in their own

Right, a government needs more 

Of those drab bureaucrats who 

Can get things done. Just as

Grass roots organizations

Eventually develop articulate

Spokespeople, the Green Party will

Have to recruit for competence in

Managing change over fiery

Commitment to seeking change

Before they’ll inspire enough

Confidence in the electorate to 

Put them in office.

c. J.S.Manista, 2016