Rudnick correspondence to local Green Party 8/10/11

Dear Vivek (Green Part of Philadelphia Chair), Carol (Green Party of Philadelphia Secretary)

I was wrong.

As someone considering another candidacy for public office, I should have let it roll off my back when GPOP city committee at large member Chris Robinson, my former campaign chair and the one who fueled my ego by recruiting me to run in2007, emailed other Greens back in May that my write-in campaign was not real and compared me to Donald Trump.

And, as serious as that write-in campaign was and, as hurtful and unfair Chris’s comment was, I still needed to make the case to the City Committee of the Green Party of Philadelphia that it was worthwhile. I was convinced it was worthwhile but a candidate has a much, much bigger job; he or she has to convince others.

I was wrong to allow being “dissed by Chris” move me into acting alone, in a reactive and “roguish” mode. I apologize. I think this is a character flaw of mine and may have something still to do with the death of my father by suicide 40 years ago. I am hoping a campaign manager whom I hope to bring on board tomorrow can help manage me and the campaign!

Permit me to give you a little recent history of the campaign.

As I was assiduously handing out and campaigning with the cleverly designed-by-Rich-Garella-Write-in-Brian-Rudnick pens, I continued to receive firm, consistent pressure from confidants and supporters and people like Hillary Kane to consider a ballot campaign. I listened. Expressions of dissatisfaction with or lack of favorable knowledge of the Democratic nominee kept on coming in.

Eventually I came to believe that I really could, with help, even without GPOP help, even with only 10 days remaining, and in 100 degree heat, collect the 750 plus signatures needed to get on the ballot.

On Wednesday, July 27 I took a step that I feared might cost me my job. I told the Executive Director of Orleans Technical Institute where I work as a librarian that I was running for office and was waiting for, “you can’t.” But she said, without hesitation, “I’d vote for you if I could.”

That evening, after work, I took to the phone and in the space of a couple days and sometimes even from out on the streets collecting signatures, furiously recruited about 12 good supporters to help me collect the signatures.

We filed 967 signatures on Monday August 1st to have my name and my party registration, “Green Party” placed on the ballot.

My team is confident that we can beat back the challenges of candidate Jim Foster, including the one based on the press release kindly provided to him from GPOP announcing that GPOP has not endorsed me.

So here we are, people who share the same values and have the same goal to build the Green Party in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the United States, the world (and beyond?)

One of our key values is “Future Focus.” I recall the movie, “Sliding Doors” which showed two parallel universes that could unfold in time, depending on what does or does not happen at just one moment in time.

You have this moment. I have this moment. I am asking you, what should WE do with this moment in time, what do we want for our future and the future of our children?

Sincerely,

Brian