Sunday September 26, 1999
Giardina's run already a victory
by Denise Giardina
I am an independent candidate for governor. In the Sept. 19 edition of the Sunday Gazette-Mail, Tom Rodd declared that a "darker quality" underlies my campaign, that it is "creepy" and "phony," that I am on a "power trip."
It's unfortunate that name-calling rears its ugly head so early in a campaign, and especially since it comes from the employee of a Democratic officeholder. We're a year away from the general election. But I want to talk about issues, and I'm grateful to Rodd for creating that opportunity for me.
I am running as an independent because that's what I am. I have been a Republican and I have been a Democrat, but I feel most comfortable without party ties. I do not feel a need, as Rodd seems to imply I should, to be loyal to the Democratic Party, since it is not my party.
West Virginia's ballot access laws have in the past discriminated against independent candidates. My campaign is mounting a challenge to the state's ballot laws that has the potential to open up the political process for all third-party and independent candidates.
Tom Rodd attempts to pigeonhole me as a "progressive" candidate. I detest labels. If people want to evaluate my stands on issues and pin a label on me, that is their prerogative. But I believe labels are a way to separate and isolate people, to put people in little boxes and keep them from talking to one another.
One of the joys of running as an independent is that I have been able to connect with Democrats, Republicans and independents across this state. I have the freedom to appeal to West Virginians, not parties.
I believe there are good Democrats and bad Democrats, good Republicans and bad Republicans. The test should not be what party we belong to but how much we love West Virginia. I am tired of political games. I am tired of officeholders who claim to stand for parties and in fact stand only for themselves and their careers.
When I look at our divisions - liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican, I see false divisions that keep us from working together to create the kind of West Virginia we deserve. If Rodd thinks I am not sufficiently loyal to one of these party or political labels, I proudly agree.
Tom Rodd claims that my candidacy will hurt the environmental movement. In the first place, I do not see a commitment to the environment from either major party. For example, neither party will seriously address the problems caused by mountaintop removal or forest clear-cutting.
And second, I don't see how speaking out on environmental issues can do harm. I am proud to stand against mountaintop removal, as a Christian and as a West Virginian. These are the only two labels that are important to me. But this does not mean that I don't care about jobs or the future of the coalfields. I grew up in McDowell County and know the pain of having to move away, of seeing friends and family dispersed to the winds, all because of our dependence on coal.
I believe West Virginians can take care of ourselves. I believe we can be a haven for small business, which is our hope for the future. I believe we can benefit from high-tech industries. I believe we can take the lead in developing alternative energy sources that can benefit the entire nation. I believe we have enough creativity in this state to assure our future, if only the people have a voice.
I believe West Virginians are most comfortable in places where they can know each other personally. That means small schools. I am against the bullying by the School Building Authority that is forcing the closure of small community schools across the state.
That also means small business. While we give away the farm to big coal and big companies like Rite Aid that care nothing about West Virginia, we treat our locally owned small businesses like dirt. This must be reversed.
In addition, I oppose the spread of the influence of the gambling so-called industry in this state. I support the repeal of the food tax. As a native of the southern coalfields, I feel a particular call to diversify the economy of those communities that have suffered so much under King Coal. In short, this is not a single-issue candidacy.
The Republican Party began as a third party opposed to slavery (an unpopular cause at that time). Throughout the 20th century, third-party efforts have pricked the nation's conscience and led to social reform.
The Democratic and Republican parties (in this state, especially the Democrats) labor under the mistaken assumption that they are the government. They are not. Political parties are private entities. The people are the government. Anyone has the right to run for office. As an independent, I resent the assumption that I am excluded from electoral politics.
Who knows what will happen between now and November 2000? Certainly the election of an independent candidate is a long shot, but it has happened in other states such as Maine and Minnesota and it may happen here.
But here's what crucial - I don't know if I will get the most votes in this election, but I have already "won." I have won by opening up the electoral process in this state. I have won by starting to talk about real issues, not public relations fluff, by challenging other candidates to spend at least a tiny amount of their millions of dollars on the real needs of people in West Virginia. And all that before any vote is cast.
I believe that in November 2000 we will have an election, not a coronation. And the people will decide.
Giardina, author of books such as "Saints and Villains" and "The Unquiet Earth," is an independent candidate for governor.
