It didn't quite happen as envisioned, but it happened. Some of us Harris County Greens convinced Ajamu Baraka and his mini-entourage to travel to the Palm Center early voting site after Baraka's campaign appearance at TSU's Thurgood Marshall School of Law Saturday afternoon.
Kayleen originally wanted us to hike to the MetroRail stop and ride the Purple Line to Palm Center, but then she opted for the convenience factor. Driving there made it easier for us to take Baraka and his two assistants back to their hotel afterward. Voting traffic was slow and steady on Saturday afternoon, nothing like a typical Sunday of early voting, but we did get to talk to some folks. Although they're accustomed to seeing candidates visiting their polling places, some of those folks found it difficult to comprehend that they were talking with an actual vice-presidential nominee from a nationwide party. These are the venues and times for Jill Stein's actual appearances in Texas over the next few days. The events may start earlier than the times indicated: For example, the Houston event begins at 2 pm and ends at 7, with Jill expected to arrive about 4 after flying in from El Paso.
Last night I watched most of Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka's one-hour appearance on C-SPAN with Steve Scully. As I mentioned in the preceding post, I am 100% behind the Green Party's presidential ticket, and not just because I find the other parties and candidates abhorrent. Stein's Power to the People Plan, and the Green Party's national platform, are the blueprints for the world I want for my extended family, friends, and descendants.
This does not mean that I refrain from criticizing my preferred candidates' performance in the rare media opportunities they receive. Jill does not do media as well as a presidential candidate ought to. She has improved with practice, but she's not where she needs to be. In the way she educates interviewers with hardball questions, she's literally awesome, as a recent video demonstrates. But she has some habits that are irritating to someone like me who watches her regularly and has a background in public speaking. Now that I have my Samantha Bee post out of the way, let's move on to some major excitement.
Jill Stein will be swinging through Texas next week! Two weekends later, running mate Ajamu Baraka will grace Dallas (28th) and Houston (29th). Stein's Houston appearance will be at the Last Concert Café, 1403 Nance Street in the Warehouse District. The fun starts at noon. The Green presidential nominee will likely address the crowd somewhere around 4 pm. We can't say what time she will arrive, but she'll be flying in from El Paso that morning. Here's the Facebook event. Get on it. Invite others. Let's make this a campaign appearance to remember for generations. We do not have venue information or times for Baraka's appearance. Stay tuned. Yesterday, I observed that the Green Party ticket has yet to experience any post-convention "bounce." The bounce phenomenon isn't usually associated with minor parties, but this is not a normal election year. Let's see if, after tonight, the poll numbers Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka show a bit more elasticity.
Tonight, Stein and Baraka get more than the standard five-minute interview on CNN. The fun begins at 8 pm Central Daylight Time, and lasts an hour minus commercial breaks (so probably 35 minutes). Harris County Greens & Green-leaners will gather at Midtown Bar & Grill, 415 West Gray Avenue, beginning at 7 pm for a watch party. What to Watch For: Wow, this item actually mentions Instant Runoff Voting as the cure for the "spoiler effect." Jill Anti-Science? Like the "spoiler" accusations, this trope refuses to die. It was cute when it was confined to clickbait sites and social media; it is far less cute when CNN and other major news sources decide to repeat it, even if to explore it from both sides. Saying "just because we can doesn't mean we should" about a scientific advance or practice is not opposition to science in general, but to unwise applications of science. Keyword searches on CNN for Jill+Stein and Ajamu+Baraka include the original announcement of the Town Hall broadcast. Today is 1 August 2016.
Thursday, 4 August 2016, the Green Party US's Presidential Nominating Convention and Annual National Meeting commences. The convention, entitled Houston, We Have a Solution—Vote Green 2016, will occur about three miles from my dwelling, at the University of Houston's main campus. This year, unlike 2012, and 2004, I am not a delegate to the convention. However, I will be staffing the registration desk. While typing this entry, I am filled with a very positive mixture of excitement and anxiety. This could be the convention that launches the Green Party into the national consciousness to stay. On the other hand...nope, not gonna say it. |
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