Network station interviews Laura
Reporting Hank Plante, February 2, 2010

http://cbs5.com/local/green.party.candidates.2.1465889.html
(Watch TV coverage: Green candidate compares two parties to Titanic; Green Party to lifeboat.)

OAKLAND (CBS 5) ― The Green Party has seen a steady decline in registration and donations in recent years. The slow decline has meant an even tougher struggle for viability among third party candidates.

Oakland's Laura Wells knows she has an uphill battle in the race for California Governor.

As a traditional Green Party member, she supports grassroots democracy, environmental issues and social justice. Wells said the green party could be a solution to many of the problems faced by the state's two traditional parties.

"The green party is this life boat, but it looks like a little lifeboat," said Wells, referring to the parties relatively small registration numbers. "The trick is the more people that get into the lifeboat, the bigger and stronger it gets."

But you only have to look at liberal San Francisco to see how the Green Party's popularity is declining. It once had 15,000 registered members here. That number is down to 9,000. Nationally, donations are down 10 percent.

"There are definitely challenges," said Wells. "Third parties in this country, as you know, are not valued in our democratic system."

Before you dismiss the Greens, remember that there are many ways to impact an election besides winning.

"They can definitely be the spoiler," said CBS 5 political analyst Joe Tuman, who points out that the green party could steal enough votes from the major parties to determine who loses the election.

One of the reasons the Green Party has declined is thought to be the election of President Obama. He drew a lot of Green Party loyalists. But the Greens could definitely tap into any voter dissatisfaction in California as they build their campaign toward the fall election.

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