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A NEW RISING STAR IN US POLITICS: NATURAL LAW PARTY LEADS A GROWING THIRD PARTY MOVEMENT
There have been many remarkable developments for the Natural Law Party of the USA in the run up to this November's presidential and congressional elections. The party has been continuously in the media spotlight, not only for its rising wave of support and its unique Natural Law-based policies, but also because of the backing won by the party's presidential candidate, Dr John Hagelin, from leaders and members of the Reform Party, founded by Ross Perot.
The birth of this new relationship between the two parties came into focus at the Natural Law Party-Reform Party Coalition Convention held in Alexandria, Virginia, from August 31 to September 2. During the Convention, the Natural Law Party and Reform Party delegates unanimously nominated Dr John Hagelin and Nat Goldhaber for the US presidential ticket of the Natural Law Party.
A credible challenge to the Republicans and Democrats
Accepting the presidential nomination before a cheering crowd of 500 delegates and supporters, Hagelin said, "This is the birth of a union that is historically unprecedented - a powerful coalition of America's leading political parties that can credibly challenge the stranglehold of the two parties in our political process.
"I pick up with pride the mantle of responsibility to speak for America's tens of millions of independent voters who are thirsty for political renewal," he said. "This campaign is about achieving unlimited possibilities for ourselves and for our country. We have an unprecedented opportunity today to improve all areas of our public policy through common-sense solutions that have been ignored by government for purely political reasons."
Nat Goldhaber, who brings to the campaign 20 years' experience as an Internet entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, likewise accepted his vice presidential nomination before the cheering crowd and proposed a new entrepreneurial approach to politics.
"We need a new politics for a new economy," he said. "An entrepreneur is someone who has an idea that is different from anything that existed before. But his passion is so deep and expansive that he takes hold of society. Entrepreneurship is not limited to the field of business, and in no area is entrepreneurship more needed today than in the field of politics."
Geoffrey Clements reports on the Convention UK Natural Law Party leader Dr Geoffrey Clements, who was a guest at the Convention, spoke of the many outstanding and inspiring features of the Convention.
"An event that was originally planned as a Natural Law Party Convention became a coalition Convention, with the leading figures of the Reform Party in attendance, giving their full support to John Hagelin and the Natural Law Party," Dr Clements observed.
"Reform Party leaders played a prominent role in all sessions of the Convention, including Jim Mangia, current Chair of the Reform Party, and Russ Verney, who worked with Ross Perot as the founding Chair of the Reform Party. Hagelin and Goldhaber also introduced Doug Friedline as their new campaign manager. Friedline was previously campaign manager for Jesse Ventura, who, against all odds, was elected Governor of Minnesota on a Reform Party ticket in 1998."
Emphasising the campaign theme "Anything's Possible", Friedline vowed to bring the Hagelin/Goldhaber campaign into every home in America and to take the candidates to the White House in November. Representatives from all the major Reform Party state delegations also attended.
"Jim Mangia seconded Hagelin's nomination as presidential candidate, and Russ Verney gave the nominating speech for Nat Goldhaber. Their two speeches made it clear the high regard that they, as past and present leaders of the Reform Party, have for the Natural Law Party and for Dr John Hagelin," Dr Clements continued.
"The nominating speech for John Hagelin was given by Omer Rains, a former Senator, who had served in the Administrations of a number of Presidents, and who spoke of Hagelin as having in abundance the qualities of leadership necessary to take the high office of President of the USA.
"Among other talks one of the most compelling was by a 15 year-old schoolgirl who eloquently and powerfully laid out her reasons for all young people to give their vote to Dr John Hagelin." "Spirituality IS politics"
Keynote speaker at the closing banquet was best-selling author Neale Donald Walsch ("Conversations with God") whose nation-wide series of lectures with Dr Hagelin has attracted thousands of people. Walsch brought the crowd to their feet again and again with his exhilarating description of spirituality and politics. 'Spirituality IS politics, demonstrated,' he said, and urged the Convention participants to take action on every level to bring John Hagelin and Nat Goldhaber to the White House.
"The overall impression of the Convention was the power of the Natural Law Party and its leaders to attract a wide base of support," Dr Clements concluded. "In all countries today, a major portion of the population are disillusioned with politics. In the USA, the Natural Law Party is clearly demonstrating that it can take the lead in transforming politics and creating an enlightened vision for the nation. In taking this lead it is, of course, vital, that the message of the Natural Law Party rings out loud and clear, undiluted by other influences.
"Those who represent the Natural Law Party in other countries can also provide a direction for all those who are disaffected by politics, and demonstrate to everyone in society that the Natural Law Party provides the practical key to bringing fulfilment to all areas of life."
As a first step toward creating a unified Natural Law-Reform platform, the Convention adopted the eight core constitutional principles of the Reform Party platform as part of the Natural Law Party's platform. Both groups pledged to work together to build an increasingly powerful coalition that will give all American citizens a reason to vote in November.
John Hagelin and Nat Goldhaber will now begin a two-month national campaign tour to all 50 states, focusing especially on colleges and the student vote. Visit: www.hagelin.org
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