Green candidate in Maine Cobb campaigns at Unity fairgrounds

UNITY – When it comes to national polls – or even national recognition – David Cobb doesn’t even show on the radar screen. His standings aren’t listed on the most recently released polls, and national media coverage of the November election doesn’t mention his name.

But as the Green Party presidential candidate stumped Saturday at the Common Ground Country Fair, many of those attending not only knew of Cobb, they also supported what he stands for – building the Green Party and ensuring that President Bush is not re-elected.

Political observers think the Green Party ticket will not affect the outcome of the presidential race in Maine or the nation but are watching closely as the third party gains ground as a force of its own.

Cobb’s goal is not to win the presidency, but rather to build a strong third party from the ground up, a movement that has been particularly successful in Maine.

Across the county, voters elected 40 Green Party candidates in 1996, and elected 207 in 2004, Cobb said. This year, Maine has 29 Green Party candidates on ballots, a number topped only by Michigan and California.

“Maine has always been in the forefront of the movement,” he said. Cobb’s running mate is Patricia LaMarche of Bangor and Portland who ran an unsuccessful candidacy for governor in 1998 but secured third-party recognition in Maine.

“I may be preaching to the choir,” Cobb said, “but at some point, the choir is going to stand up and sing.”

As Cobb walked the fairgrounds, surrounded by a small entourage of aides wearing Green Party buttons, people came up to him, shaking his hand and clearly aware of who he is. He also was expected to participate at the fair’s renowned Harry S. Truman Manure Pitching Contest.

While the Democrats and Republicans dominate the headlines, many other political parties have eyes on the White House. They include the Libertarian, Constitution, Green, Independence, Reform, Socialist and Natural Law parties.

Cobb maintained that “at the end of the day, the Greens are not going away.”

The Greens stress environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice and grass-roots organizing as a counterbalance to the two major political parties.

While walking Saturday through the fair greeting supporters, Cobb addressed the accusation that he is a spoiler, a candidate who strips votes from an otherwise viable candidate.

The Green Party received national attention in 2000 when its presidential candidate, consumer advocate Ralph Nader, won 2.7 percent of the vote, infuriating some Democrats who believe Nader’s candidacy took votes from Democrat Al Gore and helped Bush win the closely contested election.

A poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, released Thursday, showed the race between Bush and Kerry now at a dead heat.

“What others call spoiling, the Green Party calls participation,” Cobb said. His goal is not so much to pull Democratic voters away from Kerry but rather Republicans from Bush.

He stressed that the solution to “spoiling” is instant runoff voting, which allows voters to rank the candidates in order of preference. Cobb also opposes the war in Iraq, the Patriot Act, the drug war, the WTO and NAFTA agreements, promises health care for all and favors the decentralization of schools.

The Green Party is “growing against all odds,” maintained Cobb, noting that the Greens have been excluded from national debates and ignored by corporate America.

“Our growth is not just impressive; it’s miraculous,” he said. “We come out of the best tradition in this country – hardworking, hopeful people who realize that we are ordinary Americans doing something extraordinary, creating our own political party.”

Cobb said it has always taken third parties to advance systemic change in the United States. He cited the abolition of slavery, women’s right to vote, creation of the Social Security Administration and Workers’ Compensation, passage of pure food and drug laws, and the end of child labor as third-party accomplishments.

“If you want systemic change, you have got to vote for a candidate that will advance that agenda,” the candidate said.

Cobb was particularly taken with the flavor of the Common Ground Country Fair.

“This is awesome and profound,” he said. “I have been on a Greens’ tour for two weeks pointing out solutions to our country’s problems, and here they are.”