The Green Party of Arkansas at its convention today nominated Jim Lendall as its candidate for governor.

He is still fighting to get on the ballot by challenging the rule that forces third-party candidates to gather over twice the number of petition signatures as independents.

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Lendall’s speech at the convention outlined his platform and campaign themes. The full text is after the jump, and here are some key excerpts:

What we have now in Arkansas is a ONE-Party system – the right-wing and the barely left-wing of the Republican Party  –  We need a TWO-party system where voters have real choices. …

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The Democratic Party Platform sounds good on paper, but obviously the party’s candidates can’t read.   Mr. Beebe, for instance, is ambivalent about women’s rights, the environment, labor laws, tax reform, and many other planks of the platform.  Or, he panders to the bigots, as in the case of foster care.  He has rejected the support of gay people in his own party. …

Discrimination is re-emerging as a dangerous political tool.  Religion, race, nationality, and sex have become fair targets for political exploitation.  It is ironic and tragic that the people who claimed that marriage and family were important to the stability of the community were stampeded to the polls to deny marriage for other American citizens. …

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I invite the Stonewall and Log Cabin members of their respective parties to join the Green Party instead … as members, as voters, as candidates, and as friends. The Green Party plank against discrimination is not just symbolic.   We do not pander to bigots.

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