Green Party Candidate for San Francisco Mayor Crashes Debate

San Francisco holds its non-partisan mayoral election on November 8, 2011. On August 8, nine candidates were invited to debate each other at the Castro Theater. Terry Baum, a registered Green who has the backing of the San Francisco Green Party, was not invited. She was told there wasn’t enough room on the stage for a ninth chair. But then the incumbent (appointed) Mayor decided to run, and the debate organizers made room for a chair for him. So Baum brought her own chair, and she was permitted to participate. Some of the other candidates ceded some of their time to her. See this story. Baum is one of only two persons running for Mayor who is a member of any minor party. The other is Wilma Pang, a member of the Peace & Freedom Party.


Comments

Green Party Candidate for San Francisco Mayor Crashes Debate — No Comments

  1. It just goes to show that people can make way for a major party candidate readily, but not so much a minor party candidate. The people who ceded some time to her deserve some praise for their action. Even though I disagree with green ideology, I still want fair and open debates for everybody!!

  2. Thanks for the story. The headline might also been, the Green Party candidate shows up at Mayor Election debate, and participates.

    After 10 years as state Independent Green Party state Chair in Virginia we have found this to be true.

    Yes – debate organizers sometimes wish to exclude Green Party candidates. Yet, if you go to the debate in Virginia as an Independent Green candidate in 90 per cent of the cases – our candidates have then been included in the debate.

    You must be on the ballot and at the debates. That’s the positive lesson.

  3. Good luck with such a stunt in a Prez debate.

    INSTANT arrest by Fed/State/local cops.

  4. With 36 candidates running in a non-partisan local election, it’s ridiculous to claim that Baum in the only mayoral candidate from a minority party. For example, also running is Peace and Freedom party member Prof. Wilma Ping, who came in less than 0.8% behind a Republican candidate in a previous run for mayor.

    I was at the debate, and as for the candidates invited, Joanna Rees, who Baum later thanked for helping secure her spot, doesn’t belong to any political party, and I believe neither does Tony Hall.

  5. #6, thanks for telling me about Wilma Ping. I will amend the post. Joanna Rees and Tony Hall are not registered in any minor party.

  6. Sorry, my typo. That’s Wilma Pang.
    Joanna Rees and Tony Hall aren’t registered or affiliated with any party at all, minor or otherwise. The other eight major candidates are all Democrats.
    The other 2/3 of the current candidates, I have no idea about.

  7. I crashed more than a few candidates nights when I ran as a Green in the 14th Assembly. The other candidates were kind enough to defend my participation. But then the Democrats gerrymandered my house out of the 14th district in the 2000 redistricting.

  8. Pingback: Greens for Greens ™ » Blog Archive » Green Party Candidate for San Francisco Mayor Crashes Debate

  9. As Terry’s campaign manager, we were extremely gratified by not only the graciousness of Joanna Rees, Bevan Dufty and Leeland Yee (who all ceeded some time to Terry, with Rees offering particular support before the debate started), but very moved by the audience response which was supportive before we were included and then very approving (applause, etc.) when she spoke.
    In fact after the debate one of the organizers who had threatened to have her arrested, thanked us for adding to the excitement of the evening and gave Terry his card with the offer to help us down the road. All in all a smashing success. Thanks to all who made it happen.

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