INTRODUCTORY LETTER/QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear --]

We are contacting you on behalf of the Association of State Green Parties
(ASGP), a federation of Green Parties in the United States.  As the ASGP's
Presidential Exploratory Committee, we are charged with recruiting and
interviewing prospective presidential and vice-presidential candidates for
our 2000 campaign.

Your name has been suggested as someone with the vision, character, and
proven accomplishments to warrant consideration. The presidency may be the
single most demanding position in the world. Now is the time to make a
transition to a sustainable and just society and your role in a Green
presidential campaign could make a historic difference.

With this letter, we hope to begin a dialogue with you about the future of
our world and country. Green values and positions can broaden the debate
across a spectrum of ideas and offer solutions that might otherwise never
be brought to light. We have included a copy of the (draft) "Green Party
Platform 2000" to give you a sense of how the Green Party vision can
profoundly impact public policy. If you are ready to lend your voice and
strength to this immensely important effort, we hope you will seriously
consider joining us in our 2000 campaign and serve as either a presidential
or vice presidential candidate, or even as a supporter or campaign advisor.

As you may know, the Green movement began in the 1970's and is now
worldwide. The Green Party in the US is based on "key values" of ecological
sustainability, grassroots democracy, non-violence and personal and social
responsibility.

In 1996, the Green movement in the U.S. took a major step forward with the
presidential and vice-presidential campaign of Ralph Nader and Winona
LaDuke. The Nader/LaDuke campaign put a foundation of ideas and integrity
in place and we are looking to build on the credibility and visibility
gained in our first presidential election.

We would ask you to carefully read our Green Platform. It is a unique and
comprehensive political document, one that Ralph Nader called far superior
to the major party platforms. We believe our ideas belong in the debates,
and that the American people will welcome innovative solutions and policies
based on values. Considering the upcoming election season has been
shortened with front-loaded, super primaries, the role of an independent
voice will have greater weight than ever in 2000.

Running as a presidential candidate for a "third" party in a "two-party
system" will be a unique and extremely challenging experience. The Green
Party will again be organizing a serious, credible campaign, looking to be
placed on over 40 state ballots.  We are also undertaking a plan to raise
$5,000 in each of 20 states in order to qualify for matching federal funds,
thereby ensuring a minimum of $200,000 for this effort. By qualifying a
candidate for these matching funds, all contributions received by the
candidate before the Green Party presidential nominating convention will also
be matched dollar-for dollar.

The Green party represents a voice for change and a vision of the future.
The future is not discovered. It is built. What we do today will determine
the world we leave for our children.

This is our challenge - to make history as we enter the new millennium and
change the world in which we live. Although the work will be hard, and the
obstacles daunting, we are here to support you and each other in making our
world a saner, safer, more equitable and peaceful place.

We sincerely hope that you will consider our proposal and we will be in
touch with you in the near future. Feel free to contact our Exploratory
Chairperson, David Cobb, Esq. [...........................................].

1. Please list five issues that you think are most important and what would
you do about them?  (Who are you?)
2. Is there anything in our Draft Green Platform with which you disagree?
(Who are we?)
3. Most Green Parties use a modified form of the consensus decision-making
process to promote wide participation and encourage consideration of divergent
viewpoints.  What experience do you have with consensus? (Can we work
together?)
4. Over the past few years, have you become more or less inclined to believe
that a third party can work here in the USA? (Will we succeed?)
5. How can we work together to make the Green Party more effective? (How
to?)