Gravel goes Green

Last week you may have missed it. In the political brouhaha that is American politics during a Presidential election year, you often hear about candidates supporting other candidates but only after they have dropped out. What isn't usually newsworthy is the fact that they always support someone from their own party. So why, when a candidate who hasn't dropped out of the race supports a candidate in another party is there so little news on the event. Well, last week Mike Gravel gave his support to Green Party presidential candidate Jesse Johnson. ...

Like Mike Gravel, when I first saw Jesse Johnson in a debate I wasn't that taken with him. Perhaps it was because he wasn't officially running for president at that time. Sure, he said his first focus was to get the Greens on the ballot in West Virginia but he wasn't officially running so I didn't take him seriously. He was very intelligent and well spoken but until his run was official I just decided not to pay attention.

Recently Jesse Johnson finished getting the Green Party candidates on the ballot in West Virginia, even though the Mountain party ( the Green party affiliate in West Virginia ) has a different name. Way to go Jesse, he can make things happen. That's a bonus in my book.

Then when he is freed up from ensuring a more democratic ballot in the mountain state he did indeed officially announce his run for president. No sooner did that happen then the big new. Mike Gravel,a Democrat still running for President himself, endorses Jesse Johnson for President of the United States. I didn't think an endorsement would make any difference for me, but this one sure did.

Perhaps we'll see more of this. Disenchanted major party candidates supporting minor party candidates. Minor party candidates supporting each other. Joint tickets between minor parties? Okay maybe that is pushing it, I'm open to the idea though.