Why is the Michigan Green Party opposing Rashida Tlaib?

[wobbly]

I am puzzled by the decision of the Michigan Green Party to run a candidate against State Rep Rashida Tlaib who is one of the most progressive members of a conservative legislature and whose politics seem closely aligned with the MI-GP platform.

For the record I generally support the Greens and have voted for their candidates numerous times from the top of the ballot on down.

I am also puzzled by the candidate – Elena Herrada – chosen by the MI-GP. Herrada is circulating an 'open letter' that states in part “The issue of identity is important and i take it very personnally”. She emphasizes her identity concerns through repetition and notes that Tlaib's victory four years ago was “a deep disappointment to me and many others”.

Herrada also says “I am not running against any candidate; I am running for democratic principals and the right to representation” a lofty sounding phrase that defies comprehension. If your name is on the ballot you are running against someone.

Four years ago Herrada gave interviews saying Tlaib “is not one of us”. One of us could mean working class, grew up in the district, serves the district, and has progressive politics – but that would include Tlaib. “One of us” is apparently religious and ethnic -- Irish and Catholic and Mexican -- and seems to be in opposition to the MI-GP platform on diversity.

The 6^th District MI-GP is not the same GP I voted for in 1996 and 2000 when I voted for Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke. Neither Nader [[an Arabic speaking son of Lebanese immigrants) nor LaDuke [[a member of the Ojibwe tribe) meet the “one of us” standard of the 6^th District

Can anyone explain why the Michigan Green Party chose to oppose Tlaib & how and why it chose Herrada?

[Hypestyles]

got links?

...is Herrada still on the city school board? may simply be another career-jump move..

[Lowell]

Why shouldn't they? The Greens ~are~ another party so they run against the other parties, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, whoever. Rashida Tlaib is a Democrat.

Most Greens I know have strong opposition toward both major parties telling you that they are both pretty much the same, owned by Wall Street, blindly support the military, and neglectful of the environment. [Truth hurts sometimes. eh?]

They are not concerned about how they may effect the other parties. They are out to build a party, get votes and win. Just ask Al Gore. Greens decided that election.

That said I seriously doubt if they will have any effect in this race.

[SWMAP]

Herrada was born "Ellen" but she goes by the Spanish Elena now. She isn't worried about the Irish and Catholic side of herself when she speaks of BOTH tlaib and Tobocman being not quite right for our district.
She is an ambitious poseur. She can't carry Tlaib's water no matter how much she pads out her life resume.

[DetroitPlanner]

General party guidelines:

Dems = over-regulate for the sake of helping the poor
GOP = under regulate business, chip away at everyone's rights [[except the ruling class)
Libretarians = No regulation, lots of freedom, borderline anarchy.
Greens = Over regulate because they think they know what is right for everyone/environment.

[Richard]

IMHO Tlaib would be a good mayor for COD

[SWMAP]

Apart from the issue of who the Green Party is putting up, the question is why? I think it must have something to do with the Bridge. I know that the Sierra Club opposes it. I think they misunderstand Tlaib's position. I would not say that she endorses a new Bridge necessarily. She is a champion of community benefits from a new Bridge if SW Detroit has to be the host of a bridge that seems to be our manifest destiny. And she does oppose a twin Ambassador Bridge

[Wesley Mouch]

General party guidelines:

Dems = over-regulate for the sake of helping the poor
GOP = under regulate business, chip away at everyone's rights [[except the ruling class)
Libretarians = No regulation, lots of freedom, borderline anarchy.
Greens = Over regulate because they think they know what is right for everyone/environment.

Pretty much sums it up.

[DetroitHabitater]

Herrada was born "Ellen" but she goes by the Spanish Elena now. She isn't worried about the Irish and Catholic side of herself when she speaks of BOTH tlaib and Tobocman being not quite right for our district.
She is an ambitious poseur. She can't carry Tlaib's water no matter how much she pads out her life resume.

Upvote this

[wobbly]

Herrada's open letter:

Dear friends;
I am writing an open response to a letter I received from my friend, about my decision to be on the ballot for the upcoming election. The context is important, so I think it is a worthwhile endeavor to explain my decision.

wrote to me:

"Hi Elena. I saw a short piece on Fuff Post today which noted that you are the Green Party candidate running against Rashida Tlalib. I guess there are words to explain your candidacy against a Southwest Detroit born daughter of Palestinian immigrants who is committed to progress politics and who just won the nomination against a woman who was ultimately sponsored by weathy tea baggers who like her stand against public education and unions. Right. It's things like this that turn people off from the Greens. What's up?"

I took this letter deeply to heart, as I did the decision to run on the Green Party slate for this seat. I relate to Reg's disappointment in a very personal way about his statement of my running "against a Southwest Detroit born daughter of Palestinian immigrants." I felt this deep disappointment when Steve Toboccman, Rashida's predecessor and patron, ran against our first [[and thus far, last) Mexican American representative, Belda Garza. When Toboccman was finished with the seat, Rashida ran and won handily in a majority Latino district. This is a deep disappointment to me and many others, but that is not all there is to this. We know that a "third party" candidate could never win an election, especially those so well funded that even a democratic Latino hopeful would only win if she/he were the choice of the incumbants. The issue of identity is important and i take it very personnally. But that's not all there is to this race. Since we have been taken over by corporate interests. as a school board member under Emergency Manager, as a citizen and tax payer of Detroit who has struggled, collected hundreds of signatures to defeat PA4, who mourns the Consent Agreement for the piracy that it is, I find it worthwhile to join with a progressive organization to dedicate the entire remaining political cycle to the defeat of Public Act 4.I am not running against Rashida; I have no money and am a member of the disempowered school board. A Jim Crow district, theEducational Achivement Authority has been created; a statewide district with only Detroit in it, looting federal money, our brand new buildings, students and busses. Absolute silence from the Democratic party appears to give consent to this atrocity.
We are now disempowered at the city council level, too, after finally getting the possibility to have Latino representation through district voting. Now it does not matter; the city council has no governing power. At least the school board members have the decency not to get paid and we do work hard. We work hard at opposing the Emergency Manager, whom several "progressive" people are courting in the interest of privatizing public education. Southwest Detroit is run by non profit organizations and people who have not had their votes stolen from them. This is as good a time as any to stand up against the hegemonic forces that fetishize Latinos and strip us of our vote and dignity at the same time.
I am not running against any candidate; I am running for democratic principals and the right to representation. The democratic party leadership has been painfully silent in this time of crisis. We have nothing to lose; it is time for us to stand up against the racism that allowed almost all Black cities in Michigan to be taken over by Emergency Managers. Governance is a value that I hold dear. I am not running against any person; I am running on a set of principals that transcend personalities and parties.

In solidarity.
Elena Herrada

[EastsideAl]

I think the Green Party is trying to run candidates in all districts to raise their profile and retain their ballot and funding eligability, and thus is looking for volunteer candidates for what is almost certainly a losing cause. Unfortunately, this attracts people from the political 'hangers-on" class, and those strident about a particular issue, or with a personal grievance. In short, people like Herrada. But I doubt the Green party would be very happy with her race/ethnicity baiting language, if they know about it.

[wobbly]

Lowell, I agree with much of what you say, but there are legislators more deserving of being targeted than Tlaib if the Greens "are out to build a party, get votes and win." Better targets on principle & better chances for winning.

Targeting Tlaib seems to me to be opportunistic. Herrada in preparing to run for City Council[[?). The Greens because they simply need more candidates to be taken seriously. Choosing this race leaves me with the same concern as Reg ____ " It's things like this that turn people off from the Greens."

[downtownguy]

Thanks for posting the letter wobbly. I like Tlaib and I voted for her in the primary. But, I always try to keep an open mind. Now that I've read Herrada's letter... well, mind is closed. Tlaib is a lock for my vote in November.

[Corktown Mark]

Tlaib has done an outstanding job fighting for clean air in the district and raising awareness about pollution and it's effect on our children. Ellen[[a) just does not have the cred to stand against Rashida.

[goirish1966]

Or as Kermit might say.................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpiIWMWWVco

[Al Publican]

It's not that Herrada is a Marxist, but rather another carreerist agenda driver. Her and Paul Ryan would make for another Mary Matalin-James Carville Left-Right couple. Her polemic against Border Patrol agents a couple of years ago was enough to establish her as a theatric polemicist on the fringe.

[wobbly]

"It's not that Herrada is a Marxist"
No, she's an Ellenist.

And while "it's not easy being Green" I still don't know why they chose to make themselves look silly by putting her on their ticket. Better another empty space.