With Kucinich’s Exit, Democratic Discourse Is Diminished
The media managers of the 2008 presidential contest worked for months to get Dennis Kucinich off the stage and out of the running. And they have finally succeeded, as the Ohio Congressman says he is now “transitioning out of the presidential campaign” and into a tough Democratic primary race for reelection to his Cleveland-area U.S. House seat.
Kucinich’s decision to quit the Democratic presidential race is an acknowledgement of reality. Never flush with the funds needed to buy paid media, he has lately been denied access to the free media that is the lifeblood of insurgent candidacies. The congressman was excluded from the last few debates by the television networks, and his campaign events — even those that drew substantial crowds in New Hampshire and Michigan - had gone largely uncovered.
The casual dismissal of what for Kucinich was always a sincere, issue-oriented endeavor made it easy for critics at home — led by the virulently anti-Kucinich Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper — to ridicule a campaign that raised critical issues as little more than an ego trip. That encouraged challengers to enter the March 4 Democratic primary contest for Ohio’s 10th District House seat.
The critics claim that Kucinich has neglected his constituents in order to pursue what Bill Clinton might refer to as a “fairytale” campaign for a nomination that was never realistically within reach. “Our district is heading in the wrong direction because we have an absentee congressman,” says Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman, whose primary challenge to Kucinich has been generously funded by special-interest groups that disdain the incumbent’s independent streak.
Kucinich, who flew to Cleveland rather than to South Carolina or California after the New Hampshire primary in which his campaign received more votes than the “serious” candidacy of debate-regular and one-time media darling Fred Thompson, was anything but an absentee congressman during his presidential run. If anything, the congressman neglected the national race in order to spend time in his district and on the floor of the House — where he maintained a far steadier attendance record than the senators against whom he was running for the presidential nomination.
The congressman’s greatest attention to his district during the course of the presidential campaign took the form of his focus on the economic issues that are most important to a working-class district that includes portions of the city of Cleveland and neighboring blue-collar suburbs. Even as he discussed the essential subject of the war in Iraq, Kucinich usually did so in the context of a discussion about the cost the war was imposing not just on the distant battlefields of Iraq but on the American cities from which needed federal funds have been diverted to fund a fool’s mission in the Middle East.
Much is made of the populist turn the presidential race has taken as economic conditions have worsened. But when none of the other candidates were taking pointed stands on trade policy, the mortgage crisis and real health-care reform, it was Kucinich who staked out precise positions and forced the other candidates to offer working Americans more than mere rhetoric.
The AFL-CIO extended an enthusiastic invitation to Kucinich to participate in the labor federation’s August debate in Chicago because union leaders knew that he alone would guide the debate toward specifics on questions of how to reform free-trade agreements, renew industries and protect the rights of workers to organize. At that debate, it was Kucinich who earned the loudest applause. And rightly so. He was bringing the concerns of cities like Cleveland to the national stage.
One of things that most debate moderators found so frustrating about Kucinich was his determination to talk about the bread-and-butter issues that matter most to working Americans, rather than to play their games. Kucinich forced the anchormen and the reporters, as well as the other candidates, to pay a little attention to the problems of factory workers, shop clerks and farmers. There is no question that the Ohioan’s determination to do this influenced more prominent and well-funded contenders, especially former North Carolina Senator John Edwards.
Kucinich never got much credit from the media or the other candidates. But he influenced the national debate for the better, and the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is diminished by his exit.
It is not just Kucinich who is leaving the national stage. It is the discussion about cities like Cleveland and Detroit and Milwaukee. Mayors have bemoaned the neglect of urban affairs in this year’s campaign, but the former big-city mayor never allowed that neglect to become complete. Now, it may be, as least as far as the presidential race in concerned. But the congressman’s determination to retain his House seat points to the likelihood that Congress will still be called upon to consider the concerns of a city on Lake Erie and the so frequently-forgotten people who live there.
John Nichols is a co-founder of Free Press and the co-author with Robert W. McChesney of TRAGEDY & FARCE: How the American Media Sell Wars, Spin Elections, and Destroy Democracy — The New Press.
© 2008 The Nation
Now the media can concentrate on insuring John Edwards is given the same treatment.
Kem Patrick, “the media” already has if you mean The Nation magazine. They ignored Kucinich for months and months when he could have used their support. For fun, count up all the covers featuring Barack Obama in The Nation last year and then the amount that featured Dennis. (Dennis got one cover and it was the one that featured every Dem running for president.) They’ve done a little better with Edwards but not much.
What a great loss to the tone of debate within the fetid Democratic Party Dennis’s absence will mean. He has been an inspiration, and I hope he continues to advocate in Congress for the working class for many years to come.
What a great loss to the tone of debate within the fetid Democratic Party Dennis’s absence will mean. He has been an inspiration, and I hope he continues to advocate in Congress for the working class for many years to come.
It was effectively the networks and print media that got him out of the race. It was their slanted and selected coverage that kept him on the very fringes of the political discourse. And when you talk about the media and the influential print media you are talking about editors. Editors who Jack London described in IRON HEEL as: “They draw their salaries for the policy they maintain. Their policy is to print nothing that is a vital menace to the established. The press of the United States? It is a parasitic growth that battens on the capitalist class. Its function is to serve the established by moulding public opinion, and right well it serves it.” Once the editors marginalized him he had no chance of going mainstream. But his exclusion will give him more time to try and get impeachment back on the table.
Hoa binh
Pretty sad when the best commentary on the realities of our electoral system is in a satirical newspaper:
http://www.theonion.com/content/columnists/a_letter_of_introduction
Then again, the citizens of this country, with the exception of a brief period in the 1960s, haven’t had any real say in the governing of their nation since Woodrow Wilson, with the help of the advertising industry, conned the American public into entering World War I. Or was it McKinley and the Spanish-American War, with the help of William Randolph Hearst?
With respect to any grassroots strategy, this is my thought. I do NOT want another repeat….Clinton that is. We need something better and the same old same old ain’t it.
They might have the media. They might have all the “powerful” connections, but they don’t have the grassroots and how could they?
I appreciate all Dennis Kucinich has done and his spirit will live on even if it is just amongst those who make the effort.
If the effort is maintained, it will prevail in the long run if it is just. We all might be dead by then, but at least we can die knowing that we were true to better ideas about humanity.
Peace,
Ken
Lord Trigo… FDR was representative of the people. Even Eisenhower wasn’t too bad. I would say that the seventies were the beginning of the disappearing act (DEMOCRACY) that was finally complete with the termination of DK.
This comes back to Marx who said only violent revolution could overthrow the establishment. For the first time I can finally recognize the desire of Americans to arm themselves to the teeth. Corporate America successfully dismantled democracy with their dog and pony shows disguised as NEWS or DEBATE or PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS. I personally have run out of ideas on how to fight this behemoth corpocracy.
What most Americans fail to see is that the largest sponsor of terrorism is none other than our own government. As for the Americans who recognize the crimes of their government, they are powerless to fight it.
“I have seen the enemy and it is I.” Julius Caesar
Astrologically speaking, all of the candidates are either on a downhill or a soup.
There are no Cancers or Capricorns running.
The Aries/leo last gasp is this year.
Maybe Obama can sustain himself till his Leo shine runs out.
Actually, I would not count on that beyond this month.
The Republican Hilary has a better chance.
Awful, I know, and it also mumbo jumbo for some of you folks- but it always pans out that way.
Look at Federer.
The Giants will win the Superbowl.
Nadal just lost. So will Edwards loose
For what its worth….
Zero
i really wish he and cynthia mckinney would run as independents. not neccesarily so they could win but just to get into the debates and say alot of things that need to be heard……
ZeroPointField - I am cheering for the giants, but are you willing to take a bet on that speculation? My brain says the Patriots are a good bet.
As far as that Clinton person, she might be a surprise, but I wouldn’t bet on that. I’d rather have just about anyone else even a Republican.
By the way, don’t give up on the Leo’s.
Peace,
Ken
KEM PATRICK wrote:
…..Now the media can concentrate on insuring John Edwards is given the same treatment…..
In my observation the media have been quite effectively ensuring John Edwards’ marginalization for awhile now. In fact I read an article yesterday in which he was described as “the perennial also-ran.” This, in reference to last Monday evening’s Democratic debate in South Carolina.
I am thoroughly disgusted (understatement) by the national print and broadcast media’s failure to adequately cover the Edwards campaign.
>> I am being very restrained here. <<
Edwards is getting my vote in the primary.
I wish Dennis Kucinich the very best going forward.
I for one will NOT tune in on the California debate. Its all nothing but a hollywood play, and the same rhetoric. The debate is nothing but a waste of time with DK present. And I agree that J.Edwards is in the race to become VP and take votes away from Obama. Oh my God J.McCain will pick up where Bush left off.
I think progressives should at this point support Ron Paul as the most viable TOTAL anti war candidate. He also supports dismantling corporate welfare and the empire to boot. You’ll survive four more years without universal healthcare (maybe) and only DK’s plan wasn’t a giveaway to special interests anyway. Supporting Paul is a primary thing and in the general election you’ll have plenty of time and hopefully money left to support the Greens who have always been the best vehicle for spreading progressive ideals. Maybe there could even be a popular front (which will require working with some very unprogressive people) effort to just beat U.S. imperialism and civil liberities theft.
James06,
I couldn’t agree with you more about The Nation. It’s been pretty awful in this primary season. John Nichols himself wrote a column about the greatness of Joe (I love credit card companites) Biden. Yesterday, I got to hear Katrina Vandanheuval herself wax eloquent about why Obama’s Reagan remark was not so bad after all.
So many progressives have gone mad, lately. Thank god for common dreams.
So what are we, as voters to do? When a candidate that actually cares about more than getting elected is ignored and basically ignored by the media, how can we “get back” at the media? Write letters to CNN, NBC, PBS, etc? Turn off the idiot box?
Seriously, I am very disappointed that Dennis is dropping out of the race, but I’m more angered about the complicity of the conservative-owned media.
Freedom of the press, my ass. Freedom of the press owners.
What can we do?
Losertarian Yes I would cross the line and vote for Ron Paul. I still think a DK and RP would be the ticket to elect.
Nice quote, since1492!
Here’s another: “News is what powerful people don’t want you to hear; everything else is just publicity.” — Bill Moyers.
And the FCC just increased Big Business’s stranglehold on the press: one company can now own all the media in any given market!
In the future, I suspect the way to political office will simply be a proxy battle between media moguls… oh wait, did I say, “In the future?”
I stopped paying attention to The Nation after it supported Al Gore and dissed Ralph Nader. I switched to The Progressive instead, which did endorse Nader in 2000. The Nation seems comfortable with the kind of half-measures liberalism which gives the illusion of progress and disguises the same-old, same-old reality of American party politics. The Kucinich withdrawal is just another victory for the oligarchy which runs our government and economy. Both Republican and Democratic parties will continue to serve military Keynesianism and outsourcing until it completely hollows out our economy and leaves us with a landscape of blasted-out public schools, roads and industrial plants.
The European Union is already the richest political entity in the world, not us. China will also soon surpass us in wealth. We are number two, working on being number three, but the two-party band will continue to play it’s same “God Bless America” tune.
The real story that everyone is ignoring is that Kucinich is also dropping out because he is, for the first time facing four, no doubt DLC/DNC-apporved contenders for his congressional seat in Cleveland.
These candidates will probably smear, slander and throw mud all over Kucinich in spite of him representing a perfectly secure district where he gets easily re-elected every time. But, for pushing for the impeachment of the White House Criminals, and for standing for the worker, and for principle over personal gain, the Democrat party leadership has decided he’s got to go.
Just as the term “being Kuciniched” has entered our vocabulary to describe the ongoing corporate media’s follow-up work dissapearing Edwards, Kucinich may be getting “Cynthia McKinnied” - double-crossed by his own sold-out party.
The multiple number of candidates will help work in his favor, but still, PLEASE go to Kucinich’s _Congressional_ primary election website, http://www.kucinich.us/ and send him some money. The primary election is just 42 days away.
I stand corrected. How did I forget about FDR?
Y’all remember that one guy going on and on about how it was OK for Iowa to exclude Kucinich since he wasn’t even trying?…doesn’t seem fair.
One question: Why would Clinton pick Edwards? How does he help her win?
I am so bored of that poser Kucinich. I’m glad he’s dropped out of the race and I hope he loses his seat so we don’t have to watch him run another tedious vanity candidacy next time.
Edwards primary votes has to go somewhere in the general election. Who will Edwards throw his support to? But I think Hillery might choose Richardson or Joe Biden, during the debate she was always agreeing with Biden.
We need Kucinich in congress to fight for the PEOPLE… they are slandering him in Cleveland, and legal fees to fight NCB and have a recall for democracy have left him needing $$$$$… So donate to his campaign here:
http://www.kucinich.us
He is our voice, so put your money where … well you get the idea…
Gavin gourley wrote,
“I hope he loses his seat so we don’t have to watch him run another tedious vanity candidacy next time.
Sure Gavin, sure thing,that’s why Kucinich ran; not for high principles that go beyond self; not for an uncompromising vision of a USA that finally joins the world in guaranteeing medical care, higher educaton and a decent wage for all, but for vanity.
Sure.
And oddly enough, that’s what you types always accuse the similarly principled Nader of too: “he ran because of a big ego”.
But, of course, manifestly venial, self serving, rich, greedy, scum like Gore, Kerry, obama, Hillary - NO! They don’t have big egos! Their motives are entire beyone reproach!
Gavin, go to Hell.
PJD - thanks for saying what I was thinking!
John Nichols advised the candidate last October: “If Kucinich were to commit now to mount a campaign that made no pretense of personal electability but rather promised to force the party to debate its direction—not just on the war but on the whole question of what a post-Bush America might look like—he could yet turn himself into the most effective protest candidate this country has seen in years.” Read that article with this one. See http://www.progressive.org/mag_nichols1107 .
But as I already mentioned above, our main job now is keeping Kucinich in Congress. We only have a month. Please read my post above.
I fear this will cause a lot of disatified/PO’d dems to sit out the 08 elections.
There’s a real danger that McCain will be our next president. They Times just gave him the nod, and all kinds of fake liberals — and the lapdog media–will fall, once again, for the Straight Talk Express story line. It’s all about the story line…. Facts are so last century.
Are there any longer any progressives anywhere, regardless of how delusional, who still believe that their ideas are welcome in the Democratic Party?
Good grief!
No PJD I won’t go to hell. I’m sick of watching the Progressive movement diminsh under the weight of self-righteous mouthpieces who are incapable of forming sound political strategies. You, and many others like you, would prefer to be excluded from the halls of power as it gives you freedom to bask in your own self-righteousness without any danger of having to deal with the consequences of your actions.
That is why Kucinich ran. He had no hope of ever winning the nom, yet consistently pretended that he did. He’s a laughing stock and has tarred the Progressive movement with the same brush. I know he means well, I’m not accusing him of deception, but I am accusing him of ignoring reality in favor of entertaining delusions of political relevance.
Why would he do that? Vanity? He likes to see himself on TV? Likes to think of himself as being important? Yep, that pretty much sums it up. He did not, in any way, shape
or form, make a positive contribution to the Progressive agenda in this country, except within the aforementioned coterie of equally vain, self-righteous progressives.
Nader also should have dropped out of the race after it became apparent he wasn’t going to win. It’s not clear whether his votes would have benefitted Gore, but that’s irrelevant.
You are right that they all have big egos - Kucinich, Nader, Clinton, Obama, Edwards, McCain, Bush. All of them, no question about it. They all maintain their positions by building coalitions of power - labor unions, corporations, parties, etc. We need a progressive voice with the power to build a coalition like this, and they’ll need a big ego to hold it all together.
Kucinich. Is. Not. That. Voice.
PJD, Grow a brain.
gavingourley, now that you’re done telling PJD to grow a brain, no doubt you’ll be expecting him to be your ally in that progressive coalition.
Vanity is irrelevant. Policy is what matters. It is time to fall out of love with the critique of vanity.
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” John F. Kennedy
Obama’s principle foreign policy adviser is Zbigneiew Breshinski, seasoned bitter warmonger, who is the reason I voted for Barry Commoner in 1980.
Hillary Clinton is unelectable. Have you looked at her negatives? Mrs. DLC can forget my vote.
The Republicans own all the big media outlets, and know John Edwards would win, hands down, if they gave him equal time, and they have no intention of doing so. John Edwards can’t afford to buy the election, so he is out.
The Republicans are all dogs who are clearly insane. If a moderator asked who among them did not believe in erosion about half the hands would go up. “There hasn’t been time - the world is only 6000 years old.” “We will stay in Iraq for 100 years!” “All Federal taxes and programs are illegal and must be eliminated.”
They let around 11 of those mentally disturbed clowns spread across the stage, but could not find a 4th chair for Kucinich.
It’s a sad day.
McCain is in his slow learning phase right now.
He may come out the winner in November, when Saturn will no longer be in Virgo.
But money will be very hard to come by for him after October.
For what its worth….
Just in case there is anyone who really and honestly wonders why the MSM neglected DK and shut him out of the debates, go to:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/16/breaking_the_sound_barrier_democracy_now
and watch Dennis get the chance that the others had–no more time just the same amount of time–to answer the same questions and comment on the other candidates stands where they were contradictory with their records.
His shining moment came at Soldier Field in Chicago and at that time the MSM determined they would never do him that favor again. I know that many Common Dreamers agree with me that DK was the only thing enjoyable about this whole electoral process and, alas, now he is gone–but not ever forgotten.
Right On PJD! I couldn’t have said it better.
Gavingourley’s horserace fixation shows that he believes that unless a candidate is “sure” to win there’s no reason to continue to represent the people who have put their faith, time, money and effort into his or her campaign. His idea seems to be that a candidate who is unlikely to win is irresponsible if they to continue to fight for the issues and values they were nominated by their constituents to champion. According to the Gourley Mandate, Nader (or Kucinich) should have turned his back on all of his supporters just to make life easier for whichever corporatist clone was bound to win the election because issues mean nothing, values are unimportant and challenging the status quo is a waste of time–because the status quo wins every time and only a fool would bother trying to change that.
Come on now people, EMBRACE THE GOURLEY MANDATE. If you waste your vote on someone who represents your personal views and best interests you are either stupid or just plain evil. The only vote not wasted is the one cast for the WINNER! Otherwise, if you vote for a loser, you’ll be a loser too! And nobody likes a loser. Changing the political discourse, speaking truth to power, staying true to your principles and fighting for what is right even in the face of so-called “impossible” odds–these are not attributes to be admired, commended and appreciated, they are to be ridiculed.
Humbug, Gavin! Humbug!
Hillary’s negatives are a secret now.
If she gets the nomination there will be a thermometer like graphic that shows a range from zero to 100, gaging her negatives, on every newspaper front page and TV news broadcast every day. They will start it at 55% and a there will be a feature story on the front page 6 days a week on her “record negatives,” with the appropriate speculation and unnamed sources. “Hillary’s grating delivery and scowl may explain some of her now record high negatives.”
“Hillary, with her record high negatives, has little chance of defeating the jocular [any Republican]” goes here.
“Record high negatives,” by November, will be her middle name.
By the time they are through, turnout with be a record low, and we will have a completely psychotic fool as President again.
Was Kucinich for real? Did he ever have a chance? Was he a vanity candidate? Did he blow it? Did he disgrace our cause by losing? Well?
People, wake up! Kucinich did what he could and motivated many people, but not nearly enough, to get into action around the issues that we all (I presume) believe in and care about. His campaign might not have been the answer, but are we not better off because he ran? Where did he fail? The answer, my friends, is in US. WE are the ones who need to build a great mass movement for change if anything is going to change. WE are the ones who need to organize the millions of disenfranchised, disillusioned and disaffected people (which description includes most of us, to be honest about it) and bring them into action. And when we do we will need people like Kucinich to help give us voice and leadership and the wisdom that comes from decades of passionate struggle.
I have posted on ten different websites - including this one - about what we need to do to build a movement that can contest for power in 2012. These posts received on average less than one comment per website, and not a single response that talked about the specifics, about how to build a movement that can win. People seem to be content to let a hero like Kucinich do it for us, and then to carp about it when he can’t do it without us.
What’s it going to take? We have this great medium available to us now, the Internet, on which to talk to each other about things like this. Well, let’s start talking! Time to get serious, while we still have time!
ps. Don’t forget to send Kucinich some money - at www.kucinich.us - to defend his seat. Our enemies have donated a huge amount of money to his opponents to try to knock him out and silence his voice in Congress. We can’t let that happen!
gavingourley… any suggestions? Your rather hollow critique sounds like you’ve been spending too much time wallowing in the false premise that our corporate media menu of candidates and rigged debates are a legitimate process of democracy.
Perhaps the reason Kucinich ran is because no other candidate was bringing up the rape of the constitution and the necessity for impeachment. What so called “progressives” like you don’t seem to comprehend is that it is a public servant’s duty to call for impeachment… not some glamor game to pad an ego.
To fill you in, since you seem to be out of the loop, Kucinich won every debate that our corporate masters allowed him to participate in. What else do you want from a candidate? He won over or made a significant impression on a huge amount of people that were undecided and a lot of people who didn’t even know who he was.
He’s not a perfect progressive candidate but he’s pro-constitution and was the best option on the table… perhaps you could enlighten us as to who you think would have presented a better campaign.
“He’s a laughing stock and has tarred the Progressive movement with the same brush.”… what the hell are you talking about. Go back to your ingestion of CNN pal. Or better yet, go read the Huffingtonpost/Enquirer and then pat yourself on the back for being “progressive”… schmuck.
This is a very sad time, without Kucinich..there is no one in the race that even remotely represents people, not corporations. There is no candidate to end the wars, end NAFTA, end WTO, end the Patriot Act, and to bring health care to the 47 million Americans that will die because they dont have it.
Paul/Gravel Green Party 2008!?
Let me put it this way, Gavin.
Today, the Toronto star reported that a puppy adopted from a large animal shelter had rabies. They immediately put the news out that anyone who may have had contact with this animal, or others from the shelter, report to the local health department for consideration for the rabies vaccine. Rabies is 100.0% fatal once symptoms appear, so rabies vaccines were offered for anyone who thought they may be at risk. Of course, it went without mentioning that in Canada, the vaccine series was absolutely free to everyone.
Now, I once got bitten by a stray cat that had a big wound from a fight from some kind a animal (racoon?) in my urban neighborhood, a couple weeks after a rabid cat had been reported in a nearby neighborhood. The bite was on a forearm, so I had a little time. After the recommended a 10-day wait for the cat to reappear, (a rabid cat would be dead by that time - so if it re-appeared it wasn’t rabid - it didn’t appear) I played it safe and went to my emergency room (the only place that administers it) and got the 10CC Immune globulin at the bite site, followed by the 5-shot vaccene series over the next month. I has insurance, so it “only” cost me about $650.00. If I hadn’t had had insurance, the bill would have approached $10,000, and I would have had to gambled with my life on the cat not being rabid.
This same situation happens every day with poor USAn working class women when they discover a breast lump.
Now, the only candidate that supports a healthcare program might someday save a poor USAn from the latter situation was Kucinich, through his bill HR676 - Medicare for All Act. HR 676 is the only proposed measure that move the US to the minimum healthcare standards of the rest of the civilized world. The rest only give lip service and vague promises, while kissing big insurance ass. So, if “sound strategies” mean giving up hope that the USA can EVER enjoy the minimal standards of personal security that Canadians, and French, and everyone else in the fucking civilized world takes for granted, then you can TAKE YOUR “SOUND STRATEGIES” AND SHOVE THEM UP YOUR ASS!
ZERO POINT FIELD: As a professional astrologer I welcome the subject in the forum but I must correct you. First of all, Saturn spends two years (or more) in any give sign to fulfill its orbit of 29 years. It will be in Virgo until late October of 2009! (not 2008)
Second, while it’s true this nation has elected its share of Cancers and Aquarians, it is naive to make assumptions on the basis of a sun sign designation alone. For anyone with a serious interest in this subject, Dell Horoscope Magazine (December 2007 issue) did an excellent analysis of the FULL chart portraits of Edwards, Obama & Hillary. (Not my work, but very well done.) I happen to HOPE the prediction was incorrect, but only time will tell. I was hoping for a long shot to enter the race to perhaps alter the predictions. This is still possible.
exeflyer,
Ron Paul is a dog eat dog capitalist forget about him!
First, I’m sorry to see Dennis Kucinich exit the Presidential race, but can understand and totally support his facing reality and concentrating on maintaining his presence in Congress. I hope his constituents see the importance of his continuing to champion the causes that he represents.
Second, I can’t understand the need for some people to insult each other and call each other names - or to cast aspersions on someone’s motivations for running for office. It’s a given that running for President requires a big ego and certain amount of vanity - it’s not everyone who can look in the mirror and say to themselves, with all seriousness, “I can be the next President of the United States.” Sadly, for all too many such individuals, the “vision” and “policy” reasons for this are all too obscure (see Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani - or our current President - as cases in point). Dennis, at least, had both a clear vision and substantive policy reasons for running.
Third, the MSM definitely marginalized Dennis’ candidacy, and this is unconscionable. But the “progressives” were just as guilty. How many people who read CommonDreams were allowing themselves - like the Nation - to ignore Dennis Kucinich’s vision, thinking that John Edwards or Barack Obama are “good enough”? How many labor unions are supporting candidates who don’t really represent their core values, when they could have been supporting an actual card-carrying union member? A few months ago, as in 2004, I would hear many people justify their support of John Edwards (or Howard Dean then), even if he wasn’t as “progressive” as Dennis Kucinich, that at least his rhetoric sounded right and he was “electable”. Now that Edwards has demonstrated that he is as electable as Fred Thompson, these same people are clinging to the same arguments that those who supported Kucinich were making: even if it’s virtually impossible for him to get the nomination, it’s important to support him because we want his views to continue to be heard, and if he has enough delegates, he could shape the national Democratic Party Platform.
I find it ironic that many “progressives” find themselves championing an unelectable candidate who supports universal health care that isn’t universal and that keeps for-profit health care in place, when they could have been supporting single-payer, not-for-profit health care; that they are championing withdrawal from Iraq that keeps a U.S. presence there, when they could have been supporting an immediate withdrawal, establishment of a reconciliation forum, and a Department of Peace; that they are championing trade policies that keep the race to the bottom in place, when they could have supported the cancelling of NAFTA and the WTO and the establishment of trade policies that recognize worker’s right, human rights, and environmental quality principles.
Thus, we are left with three Democratic candidates who, while all substantially better than any of the Republican candidates, are largely similar on policy grounds.
If we look at the Iraq War as just one central example, we are left with one candidate who voted for the Iraq War resolution, and now repudiates that vote but has had no substantive forum in which to demonstrate his new views beyond the campaign trail; another candidate who was opposed to the Iraq War resolution but voted for continued funding time and again; and a third candidate for voted for the Iraq War resolution and continued funding and has never apologized for or repudiated those votes, but who criticizes the other candidates for not being consistent in their opposition to the Iraq War. And all three candidates continue to support unprovoked military incursion into other countries if it is “in the national interest” - a continuation of the Bush foreign policy doctrine. This is truly a fools’ choice.
Finally, thanks to Dennis Kucinich for continuing to raise these and many other important viewpoints and issues that are barely mentioned in the Presidential campaign. Best wishes to him in his Congressional campaign and his continued work in Congress and elsewhere.
How to fight fascism? Keep your money out of Wall Street Mart. If it contributes to the death of the planet, don’t buy it. Some interesting things here: www.solari.com
I think the best strategy for all of us is to make sure no one wins these primary elections so that when the convention starts it will be an open convention and the delegates promised to individual candidates after the first vote can vote for anyone including Dennis Kuchinich or Al Gore or Robert Kennedy Jr. etc.
There are some people in this world who are compelled to stand up for truth and justice even if they stand alone. It is not ego, it is a calling. There is and never has been any ego-feeding glory in Kucinich’s stands or his presidential campaigns. In fact, it has been quite a lot of sacrifice, subjecting himself and now his wife to intense public criticism and bullying, lies, and intentional attempts to publicly humiliate him down to using the most immature, morally devoid tactics like criticizing his appearance, his height, even his name. Campaigning is exhausting, gruelling work — honestly, a strange sort of torture. When I spent an evening in Las Vegas with him last November, he was running on about 3 hours sleep, still going well after midnight. He did it for us, and today we all feel a bit more hopeless.
He has committed the ultimate “deadly sin” - he dared to call for the impeachment of both Cheney and Bush, and to accuse his own party leadership of complicity in the lies. They will not let him survive this. And don’t kid yourselves about the power of those who run this country. Why do you think no one else is putting their careers on the line like Kucinich even in the face of such blatant and obvious corruption and deception?
And it is a misnomer to call our media “the media”. Our “media” are the most powerful corporate interests on earth in control of the most powerful opinion- shaping, mind-controlling, brainwashing tools available to mankind. We have allowed this monster to come into being and we are now paying the price. We have given them the political and economic equivalents of nuclear weapons — there is no standing up to them now. They convinced us that what was good for them was good for us, and now they have everything. They are so powerful, they don’t even try to conceal their attempts to control everything anymore (as in excluding candidates from the debates). We all know it is completely futile to attempt to change the status quo. Even the whole rest of the world COMBINED feels powerless to stop them.
alexnosal FDR was no different than the politicians today. He robbed American citizens of their gold bullion and began the process of funneling it into the hands of private bankers. His “bank reform” bill was written by the bankers to strengthen their hold over the money supply and they replied by putting more money into the economy to lift the depression. FDR made a made a point of saying he hadn’t read the bill he was signing and no one would claim to have written it.
Jan Steinman I’m sorry to point this out, but Bill Moyers is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. I watch his show every week and find it enlightening but you have to keep he will avoid the true issue of monetary reform.
Kucinich never outright said that elimination of the federal reserve (our central bank) would be cutting the cancer that plauges our society. I agreed with every one of his domestic policies and thought he could have been more aggresive on reducing our empire. Given that he is now out, I think that progressives should unite around Paul, despite his shortcomings, because ending the influence of banks and our imperial ambitions would set the foundation to set up a truly robust economy, a sustainable economy, that would benefit everyone willing to work and provide a solid safety net we could actually afford.
Also, those who are scared Paul will tear apart the last fabrics of regulation must keep in mind he has to deal with a congress that is still stuck in the rut of a two party system. Paul, like Kucinich, are one of the few honest politicians. Paul has talked about creating a transition for his view of a libertarian utopia. Personally, I think that utopia doesn’t exist, but Paul knows he can’t elminate everything in the first 3 months and expect everything to function perfectly. He will eliminate the most worthless junk (the depts of energy, trans, and education), close our bases around and cut the “defense” complex, and immediately save the country by eliminating the federal reserve banking system which creates debt everytime a new dollar is created. That means just by issuing money we are indebted, therefore controlled, by the shareholders of the federal reserve, who’s identity is secret.
I used to this the guys who said bankers controlled the world were pyschos. Well, turns out they actually have a point.
Paul is your best choice at this point. And for you Obama and Edwards lovers out there, must I remind you that BOTH are a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Keep that in mind while you buy their bull$hit.
Personally, I think Paul would be assassinated if he were ever elected. It would be tradgic, but I’d love to see what kind of bull$hit the black ops guys would come up with… and if the american sheep would buy.
If we had an open conventio with nobody winning then we could have a real debat about what’s needed in our country.
So, if we all feel so badly about how they the Democratic party specificly and the mainstream media in general treated DK ,then boycott the elections.
As for the Nation it nothing more then a elitist leftwing propaganda, one of lefts gate keepers.
And for those of you who are thankful for Common Dreams, should also check out
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/
to gavingourley : you predict the future based on “sin” of vanity . I,in my humility, can only tell you of the results of the “sin” of vanity.
Florence Nightingale thought so highly of herself that she challenged the authority of the British-military-medical establishment to design and make operational the general- hospital concept that we see in almost country.
William Wilberforce ( possessing the same stature of Dennis Kucinich ) had the vanity and affrontery to single-handedly lobby British Parliament for Abolition of Slavery for thirty years and won.At the time(circa 1830), the British Empire ruled much of the world ; the USA was a baby republic.
Susan B. Anthony spent more years brazenly badgering polititians across the USA than you have been alive ( about 60 )to secure the right for women to vote.
All three of the above personalities were sufficiently vain like Dennis Kucinich to think that no matter how implacable was their respective adversaries , all three would eventually prevail.
Which social condition would you choose to reinstate , patient-care in stables , slavery , or your mother’s , wife’s or daughter’s inelegibility to vote ?
How could I possibly forget the vain Nelson Mandela ?
As your homework assignment , you can add to the list.
Very well stated, lhk and funeocons. Thank you for your cogent thoughts on DK.
The anti-Kucinich forces are pulling out all the stops to defeat him in his bid for re-election to Congress, with the primary just five weeks away. He has no money, and whatever money he has left from his presidential bid (if any) cannot be used for his congressional race because he opted to receive matching federal funds. So please contribute what you can so that we have at least one person in Congress who continues to fight for our rights: www.kucinich.us.
Also, for those who want to continue the fight that Dennis has waged, please sign up at www.integritynow.org, a new website that Dennis referenced today in his speech announcing his withdrawal from the Presidential race.
Will somebody please explain to me why Mike Gravel can’t be the darling of the one’s who put their hope in someone who can’t win? He is even better than Kucinich as far as I’m concerned. Yet, he is totally ignored. Why? Because he can’t win? Neither could Kucinich.
Kucinich’s forced departure from the presidential race underscores the tragic failure of our electoral process. It edges out the best candidates with the most to offer, hence leaving this vital position open to those with the least to offer and most connections to special interests.
Our early primary & caucus carnival events are the major contributor to this sad condition and must be done away with.
its time to coronate the Clinton family…the juan and eva peron of America. We are following the lead of Argentina. Now she wants to have the Michigan and Florida primaries count after the DNC said they would not. more trickery and more to come. Maybe she can save the economy. Remember when she turned a $10,000 stock purchase into almost $100,000 overnight. I guess they can also rent out the Lincoln bedroom again to the highest contributor to help defer costs. Oh, America, it just goes on and on and on.
Unfortunately, the media (and the Republicans for that matter), didn’t have to do anything to sink Dennis. They knew the Dems would do it for them. Although Dems will agree that it’s great to say the things Kucinich says, don’t try to actually impliment it.
Once again a man that really could have made a difference - was passed up.
This article reads like an apology. Is the author really so naive as to believe that television is “free media”? You can’t pretend to be progresssive, that’s what the CIA, NSA and SA do so they can try to dilute the real progressive movement.
cpotts you’re right about FDR… he was no saint. However his introduction of major social reforms like social security are acts that have paled in comparison with any other administration before or since FDR. I even believe that Hillary and Bill had good intentions when they entered the White House but quickly discovered that the MIC is too well entrenched. Rather than continuing the fight of the underdog though, they both felt it was politically and economically easier to join the establishment.
ihk… I agree with everything you wrote.
Lizard…Mike Gravel seems to be the Dem to support after Kucinich, but alas the MSM will ‘Kucinich’ him as well. The problenm with Gravel is his call to eliminate the IRS and income taxes which are the most effective way of curbing runaway corporate avarice. At no time either does he call for a dismantling of the MIC.
Having said that, his position on health care, decriminalization of pot, attention to unnaturally high prison populations, his call for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, his sensible approach to the Israeli-Palestinian and other Middle Eastern issues, nuclear disarmament (limited though), same-sex marriage and abortion are all positions of a real liberal. I wish him the best of luck.
By the way… anyone can win if you just VOTE FOR THEM!!
Many posters have already done a great job of kicking the living sh*t out of gavingourley (5:55 pm).
Nonetheless, Gourley’s post deserves careful study, as it epitomizes a widespread thinking disorder. The disease is very common among Democratic voters.
Gourley clearly considers himself a “progressive” who’s angry with the Kuciniches & Naders for persisting in running when they had no chance to win. He claims they made the “progressive movement” laughingstocks, & that what is needed is a “progressive voice” who can build “coalitions of power.”
There are 2 things that are sadly hilarious about this empty formulation. First, Gourley illustrates his idea of a “coalition of power” by saying it would contain “labor unions, corporations, parties, etc.” Apparently Gourley hasn’t yet figured out that “corporations” are the enemy, and that both parties are controlled by the enemy. The whole idea of “progressive politics” is to figure out how to oppose the power of corporations, under conditions where the corporations dominate both parties. So here’s someone calling himself a progressive who wants to include corporations and big-business parties in his coalition. This is like saying you want to build a “progressive coalition” with Bush, Cheney, Rice, Wolfowitz & Rumsfeld.
The second hilarious thing is that in Gourley’s view, principles play no role in the “progressive movement.” Only candidates who have a realistic chance to win can play a role. However, in today’s USA, the only candidates who have a “realistic chance to win” are those who toe the corporate line, & therefore receive flattering media coverage. Therefore, Gourley’s concept of what’s needed for the “progressive movement” is a candidate who toes the corporate line.
It is precisely because of people who think like gavingourley, that we are where we are today.
Dennis Kucinich presidential campaign 2008, R.I.P.
An honest candidate who was not bought off and who spoke the truth.
We, the people are all the poorer as the result of the success of the powerful elite in driving DK from the race. And incidentally, if you want to know what is happening to Dennis’s House seat challenge, see the film American Blackout which shows exactly how Cynthia McKinney was driven out of office. In her case it was a Rethug operative, but in this case, I wouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t the DNC. He makes the Dems look like the complicit creeps they are!
It is so disheartening that every patriot left standing in DC gets eliminated one way or other. We are in some very dark times and I hope the people wake up before it’s too late, if it isn’t already.
Now I get to choose the lesser of three evils that accept the Imperialist U.S. Empire doctrine and of course Israel’s right to massacre Palestinians.
In November voting Green out of anger is tempting, and probably safe here in California. Bottom line: Veto Power and Supreme Court Appointments would better serve the interests of more Americans done by a Democrat than a Republican.
I place more weight on past voting records and speeches than I do any rhetoric (or votes) during an election cycle.
When it mattered most what good is Hillary’s experience if she could not even take the time to look at the intelligence report before voting for a U.S. invasion of Iraq. Before announcing her run for president she was still saying at DLC conferences: “We need to win in Iraq,” and “we have strategic interests in Iraq.”
All of the populist rhetoric by John Edwards sounds wonderful, but it seems like I remember in 2004 this same “Two Americas” theme during the PRIMARY season and then at the Convention with John Kerry it was “We will kill the terrorists!” while anti-war buttons and signs were confiscated in the auditorium. Edwards was on the wrong side of the two biggest votes of his life: Most Favored Trade Status with China in 1999 and authorizing the U.S. Invasion of Iraq in 2002-in which Edwards was one of six Senate Sponsors!
Yes, Obama voted to fund the Occupation like most of the Democrats once in the Senate, but he spoke out against the Invasion like Dennis Kucinich did when it mattered most. He clearly was not admiring Reagan’s politics, only his ability to be a uniter (”the great communicator.”) I had planned to vote for Kucinich, but faced with who is left I’m voting for Obama.
starofthesea - oh, no. Of course, we should have seen this coming… hopefully he still wears his bullet proof vest. I think it is amazing that he always talks about how he stood up to the banks to save electric company, but he almost never mentions that there was a hit out on him and that he probably would have been assassinated had he not fell ill and went to the hospital instead of making a scheduled public appearance.
Thank you Ronald White and funeocons for succinct direct analogies and explainations.
I am up all night alot doing many things to oust the Traitors on the Hill. I saw the video on a site a few hours after the House went home. I knew by the way he presented, not allowed in the House done in the manner he did, Dennis has been at this a loooong time he knew he was breaking protocol, he was fearless, determined and decided if ever a time the time is NOW. He represented not just his District, he represented all Citizens. I think Dennis seriously wants to concentrate on Impeachment, he is doing this because not a single one of those asses would give up their political aspirations for us, Congressman Kucinich does.
That day Rep. Kucinich REFUSED, he denied the idea that this should be tolerated, he loves this country as only a true Patriot can. When he formally presents to the House from the floor on Monday to begin Impeachment proceedings against bush I will scream it aloud, Dennis I love you for fighting our fight on the very day of bush last(yippie yahoo)State of the Union address. Which he will begin by telling us that the fight on Terra(bushese)or we risk our very way of life, F$$KHEAD. If I never hear NUC-U-LAR again, I shall live better for that.
Yet, we are in Pakistan, he is demanding a wider role, as in, WE will run YOUR government, in Iraq and intentionally provoking Iran. We know what he is up to.
Why people bring up Paul thinking he in any way is akin to Kucinich is beyond me. When they start with the DR RON PAUL, I am outta here. That is when you recognize a Paulite. Don’t know ’bout you but I do not particularly take kindly to White Supremacist groups being his groupies, his Misogynist viewpoint nor his Zealotry.
will still write in Congressman Kucinich, it will be…
What about Kucinich’s republican counterpart, Ron Paul? Both were excluded from some of the debates for political reasons. Yet Paul has caught on in some of the primaries and caucuses.
There’s an effort to take Kucinich down in the primaries on March 4th. His leading challenger is against an immediate withdrawal from Iraq and holds the Arabs solely responsible for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If Kucinich is defeated in the primary, he has nothing to lose by going Green.
www.gp.org
Let’s face it folks, we live in a high-tech bananna republic, most of whose “citizens” are ignoramuses hypnotized by trash TV and whose elites are greed-driven yahoos. As we slide down the greased plank of history, we will never see any change until this corrupted house of cards in which we live collapses of its own irreversable stupidity and greed.
Predictions:
Dims’ “left of center” (the center having drifted into fascist territory) primary votes will split between Edwards and Obama, leaving Clinton the winner. Repugs’ religious fascists will split between Romney and Huckabee, leaving McCain the winner.
McCain will win the presidency when the progressive vote is divided between the Clinton chickenshits and the McKinney supporters. I will be proud to vote for McKinney.
Dims will continue for the next couple decades to accept corporate bribes and target “moderate” voters. The result will be status quo ad infinitum until progressives force a transformation. When the Dims feel enough pain to allow instant runoff elections and/or proportional representation, we will have the beginnings of democracy.
Dennis helped draw John more left, even as the so-called center is a lot more left than the corporatist mainstream media admits, and deserves credit, thanks and SUPPORT in his congressional campaign. I echo the advice of several above who urge us to visit and donate $$$$ at at www.kucinich.us —
Now this John Edwards supporter is going to follow my own advice.
So here’s someone calling himself a progressive who wants to include corporations and big-business parties in his coalition. This is like saying you want to build a “progressive coalition” with Bush, Cheney, Rice, Wolfowitz & Rumsfeld
_____________________________________
Which makes a nice reductio ad absurdum to Obama’s concept of post-partisanship. And speaking of Obama, he’s not only as much of an Amerikan exceptionalist of any presidential candidate– he’s also a Zionist exceptionalist:
Dear Ambassador Khalilzad,
I understand that today the UN Security Council met regarding the situation in Gaza, and that a resolution or statement could be forthcoming from the Council in short order.
I urge you to ensure that the Security Council issue no statement and pass no resolution on this matter that does not fully condenm the rocket assault Hamas has been conducting on civilians in southern Israel…
All of us are concerned about the impact of closed border crossings on Palestinian families. However, we have to understand why Israel is forced to do this… Israel has the right to respond while seeking to minimize any impact on civilians.
The Security Council should clearly and unequivocally condemn the rocket attacks… If it cannot bring itself to make these common sense points, I urge you to ensure that it does not speak at all.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
I agree with all those who recognize our predicament as hopeless. With total control of television and money, the big corporations have paralyzed the political system. The interests of the people cannot be recognized or discussed.
My question is not about how to unseat the established order. I want to know to where ever increasing corporate power over our lives will ultimately delver us.
The more I think about it the more depressing our future seems: the death of science, the burial of politics ( it’s already dead ); total social control and 24/7 monitoring of everyone’s activities, friends, diet, purchases; an ever expanding prison population that is forced to labor for corporations at 8 cents per hour; reduction of the U.S. to an economic underclass; denial of health care to all but government or corporate employees ( program nearly complete ); ever increasing empowerment of the police who are already unofficially but legally able to execute you at their own discretion; employment opportunities based 100% on the applicant’s political correctness and physical appearance; the reduction of Americans to renters rather than home owners as domestic and foreign corporations buy U.S. homes; food prices that allow only the wealthy to eat decent meals - the list goes on and on and it’s too sickening to continue. It ends with a vast American genocide that will kill above 100,000,000. The targets of genocide: anyone not directly contributing to the enrichment of corporations, and all intellectuals. The dark age will probably last for hundreds of years. And that’s the way it is! Many people will enjoy it, many will be unable to imagine any other way.
Personally I think you all should get ready for survival mode. Stock up food stocks, take self defense classes, learn how to garden and farm, stock up on some weapons to defend yourself, get yourself in shape, try to stockpile as much gold as possible, and brainstorm other things you might need in a world where the dollar is worth less than a piece of blank paper of the same size.
They’ve effectively disarmed the enlightened. We can only let them fall over themselves and come out when its time to rebuild to make sure its done right.
I totally agree with cpotts - time to hunker down, stock up, become as self-sufficient as possible, protect yourself, because the s–t is gonna hit the fan, and probably sooner than you think. Only then will we see “change,” but it’s going to be very scary gettin’ there.
And I can’t even afford a gun!
Hi gavin,
Nice to see a real progressive on this board, someone who knows what a waste of time it is to pay attention to a man who actually dares to tell the truth. Man! I’ve been getting sick of Kucinich too! All that wretched truth-telling, all that foolish bravery in the face of those nice big corporations that you’d like to see at the table with the labor unions and the unemployed and just poor folk in general. It’s been making me sick to my stomach. Yeah! How DARE Kucinich dare try to tell all of us the truth? How DARE he risk assassination trying to let us know what’s going on? How DARE he refuse to agree to endorse whichever Democratic candidate won in Texas?
Oh, and that goes for Ralph Nader, too. How DARE he work for decades to tell us what’s going on? How DARE anyone run for President unless they’re a sure-fired winner?
And, besides, Dennis Kucinich is a lunatic. He claimed to have seen something in the sky that he couldn’t identify, which makes him as crazy as those thousands of other crazy people who’ve seen something in the sky that they couldn’t identify. And his wife is gorgeous! He must be crazy! No sane man would marry a gorgeous woman unless he couldn’t get out of it somehow.
But I have a question for you: With Kucinich gone, is there anyone out there who’s actually worth voting for?
I know that Dennis is on our Feb 5 ballot and that is not going to change between then and now. I still plan to vote for him. I think if no candidate goes into the convention with a majority (and if Dennis has some delegates) we will have an opportunity to influence the platform more.
Regarding the headline, with Kucinich’s exit, the Democratic discourse is NON-EXISTENT.