Miguel Camejo, Ralph Nader’s running mate, spoke at USM’s Luther Bonney hall on Monday. The independent party’s vice presidential candidate delivered a passionate speech to the 50 or so people packed into the 5th floor classroom. He covered the gamut of issues, from gay marriage to foreign policy.
Camejo runs a financial consulting firm in California. He and Nader joined the two major candidates on the Maine ballot an Aug. 9.
For much of the speech, he condemned the Democratic party for running the same basic political agenda as the Republicans. He also excoriated the Democratic party’s legal efforts to keep Nader off the ballots in several states, calling the lawsuits a “totalitarian strategy.”
Calling the room of mostly Green party supporters “a temporary pocket of sanity,” he painted a picture of the two major parties in America as a two-headed monopoly on political power.
“The Senate voted 98 to zero in favor of ‘under god’ in the Pledge of Alllegience,” Camejo lamented. And when house members attempted to protest what they said was the misrepresentation of their black constituents in the 2000 election, “not one senator raised their hand. The house members were saying that 38,000 black Americans were ignored.”
“This is a disaster,” he said. “Kerry is a disaster! The only person stealing votes is Kerry, from Nader.”
Camejo narrowed his criticism to the Democratic nominee for long-standing support for Bush policies – he “voted for everything Bush asked for,” Camejo said, and gave “18 standing ovations” at Bush’s last State of the Union address. Meanwhile, he said, progressive Democrats are being ignored.
Camejo said he opposed the dominant themes raised during the conventions held by both political parties. “They were both about how strong and powerful and great we are,” he said. “What America should be saying is, ‘we’ve got a responsibility as a member of the world community.'”
He pointed out the tenacity of Iraqi resistance fighters in fending off American forces throughout that country.
“Humans don’t submit,” he said. “They have no helmets, no tanks, no airplanes, and they’re fighting off the most powerful army in the world! Think of the bravery of those resistance fighters.”
At this, a hesitant clap grew to a hearty applause.
“Kerry’s positions are diametrically opposed to what Democrats are for,” Camejo said. He spelled out a laundry list of issues on which Kerry’s platform matches Bush’s: the Massachusetts senator is against the Kyoto treaty, the World Court, gay marriage and universal health care, while he supports the PATRIOT act.
For all his political fervor, Camejo proved an adept comedian. His account of his first meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger served as an ice breaker.
“He’s a little guy! They must have him stand on a box for all those movies.”
“If you vote Kerry in November, I want you to do one thing,” he said. “When you check that box that says ‘Democrat,’ feel your forehead – it’ll feel cold. That’s the soul leaving your body.” The audience hooted and applauded, one of many outpourings that night from the rapt audience.
Especially vexing to the vice presidential candidate was the legal battle to keep Nader off the ballots. Todd Chretien, a Nader campaign aide, said 19 lawsuits have been filed against the Nader campaign by the Democratic Party.
“It’s an extension of the PATRIOT Act, which violates the Fourth Amendment,” he said. “There’s never been such a campaign to tell someone not to run.”
Dusan Bjelic, associate professor of criminology and sociology agreed with points of Camejo’s speech in a later interview: “It’san extraordinary condition of society where you can impose rules to block the democratic process. It’s the criminalization of individuals who want to run for office. That’s the inalienable right of every citizen,” he said.
After the speech, someone in the departing throng handed Camejo an envelope, from which he produced a sheaf of papers. He smiled and held the papers aloft.
“While you were listening to me speak, I’ve been served with a lawsuit in Arkansas,” he announced.