Matt Gonzalez press conference (9:42) at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. following presidential candidate Ralph Nader's announcement yesterday (2/28/08) that Gonzalez is his running mate.
"There are those that are going to say that what we're doing is going to take votes away from other candidates. Let me just emphasize this.""There's nothing that we can do that is going to force anybody to vote for us, but we very much want the opposite to not be true -- that anybody who wants to vote for us should not be forced to vote for other candidates."
"If there is any candidate that fears what we're trying to do here, then I invite them to go out and earn the votes that would otherwise be cast for us."
"We are in a democracy, that's how it works. Candidates with different opinions put them forward, and go compete for votes."
"Thank You."
Disclosure: I'm a big fan of Matt Gonzalez and I'm very pleased that he's entered the race. The progressive cause is well-represented by Matt, and while the chances of the Nader/Gonzalez ticket winning their White House bid is smaller than infinitesimal, this race will push Matt into the mainstream of American politics. It could be a springboard for a later bid for Diane Feinstein's U.S. Senate seat in California.
