Read GPoWS Vice Chair Mike Gillis' analysis of why Greens should avoid the temptation to throw away 18 months on a doomed candidacy.
Why Greens and Progressives Should Ignore Its Call in 2008by Mike Gillis
On December 11, progressive Congressman Dennis Kucinich announced that he would again seek the Democratic nomination for President in 2008.
Having previously run for the nomination in 2004 on a platform of opposition to the war in Iraq, repealing the USA PATRIOT Act and promoting universal healthcare, and considering that I spent months fighting for him then, you might think I would be happy to welcome the Congressman from Ohio into the race for the White House. I'm not.
And you shouldn’t either.
I’m not going to pretend to be a mind-reader or that I have any special insight into Kucinich’s motivations for this second tilt at the Democratic windmill. I can’t say with 100% certainty what he hopes to accomplish with this primary challenge. But I can tell you what the result will be, regardless of his motivations.
It will be a distraction to progressive voters, most of whom are too smart to believe that Kucinich has any real shot at winning the Democratic nomination, and will serve to run interference against them organizing a true progressive, anti-war opposition to the same old vanilla neoliberal, pro-war, factory model that the Democrats will undoubtedly hand their nomination to.
The end result is that progressives will waste their time, money and enthusiasm on a campaign that will never be on the November ballot, save in one of two instances: (1) The Democratic Leadership Council and the party bosses in the DNC implode -- not likely -- or (2) Kucinich abandons progressivism altogether and reassures the bosses that he’ll play ball and back their agenda.
Waiting until Kucinich’s inevitable loss and then jumping ship to a third party alternative like the Greens leaves less than six months to build an effective campaign to build our party, energize voters and push a progressive agenda, all the while Kucinich will be campaigning for a nominee that stands against everything he ran on during his primary run and encouraging his supporters to do the same.
Looking into my crystal ball, I see him following his 2004 formula:
(1) Stake out principled and progressive positions on healthcare, Iraq, civil rights, workers rights and the environment and telling the unvarnished truth about his Diet Republican opponents.
(2) Turn his underdog status into an endearing trait, jokingly referencing it, while stoking the “it could happen” flame and using his progressive credentials to energize people who’d never bothered voting before and get them involved. During this time, he’ll be totally ignored by the Democratic leadership and the media.
(3) As the primary season evolves, he’ll start downplaying his definition of “success” for the campaign until, eventually, it’s no longer about winning the nomination, but fighting pointless and losing battles over the national party platform, with the stated long term goal of “taking the party back”, but deciding to hold his criticism until after the election.
(4) In the lead up to the convention, he begins toning down his criticism of the presumptive nominee and begins employing “big tent” rhetoric. He tells us that there’s a place for people like us in the Democratic Party (albeit at the kiddie table) and calls upon his supporters to circle the wagons around the nominee and resist the desire to support a progressive third party candidate like a Ralph Nader and tries to convince what few delegates he has not to actually vote for him at the DNC Convention.
(5) He loses the nomination and then campaigns full-time for the corporate nominee, trying to bring what organization and volunteers he has to bear on the task of fighting for the very things he went into the race opposing.
And during this 18 month primary battle, what is the real cost?
Those progressives who supported his bid will have wasted their talents and their hopes on a wild goose chase that demoralizes them, lowers their expectations and will leave them believing more and more the long-taught, but largely unspoken Democratic mantra: What you really believe in can never win, so why even bother?
is your daddy Kevin? They are starting to get really scaired. This little punk ass spits up some phlegm on command the same day another loser tries to get funny about the UFO's. Well, Keveena, you can stay on your knees, we the people are uniting around the one true, FEARLESS, Champion of the People!!
What's really wrong sweetie? U work for an HMO? or any health insurance blood suckers? Well, that industry will soon be toast.
Dennis will be our next President. On Tuesday he will start the impeachment ball rolling against Cheney, as 54% of Americans want. Then, watch as people realize he is a politician who actually speakes the truth and honestly has their concerns as his own.
We are talking about not just a majority of Dems, no but also many R.'s and indys, greens, reds, blacks. When you look at the issues one by one, the vast majority agree w/Dennis........and on the other side is Hillary, Guiliani and the rest of those slimy tools of the oligarchy.
Dennis is the only real person running. We all must come togehter and fight for him. Take it to the street. Angry mobs should descend on every local station in the land tomorrow when they don't say a word about Kucinich making a motion to impeach Cheney.
We own the airwaves. Lets take back what is ours. Lets not meekly accept the "candidates" they tell us we must. Not when none of them will change a damn thing about war, torture, evesdropping, HMO's running medicine, unions being crushed.................EXCEPT DENNIS KUCINICH
by
CamusRebel (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 79 comments)
on Monday, November 5, 2007 at 7:13:33 PM
And because you think I am against Dennis Kucinich.
Read my articles. Nobody here preaches the word of Dennis like I do.
I'm just posting this to get this viewpoint some exposure. I support a multi party system so that's also why in addition to posting this I will be posting on Nader's suing of the Democratic Leadership for conspiring to keep him off the ballot.
Look Dennis is as much of a "spoiler" as Greens or Independents like Nader are. And nobody is entitled to votes.
Strength Through Peace in 2008.
by
Kevin Gosztola (231 articles, 127 quicklinks, 72 diaries, 895 comments)
on Monday, November 5, 2007 at 7:58:53 PM
Kucinich, like Gravel and Paul and other "minor" candidates provide cover to the corrupt two-party system and YES they do siphon off genuine dissidents that should NOT be supporting ANY Democrat or Republican. Yes, in the end, all these sure-losers will tell their supporters to vote for one of their primary opponents, because in the end they are more loyal to their party than to the urgent goal to reform the corrupt two-party SYSTEM.
by
Joel S. Hirschhorn (131 articles, 34 quicklinks, 60 diaries, 526 comments)
on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 8:01:12 AM
Dennis should switch to the Independent party now, while the iron is hot. He could have a real chance at the white house away from the corporate media hype and bull. he could still use the Internet as his venue to convey his plans and get his message out. He could ask Steven Colbert to be his TV campaign manager and or VP or cabinet member. He makes more sense as a running mate than any of the other jokers running in either party right now. This is just my idea. LOL HUMMM??? KATT
by
Kattmanduu (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments)
on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 4:00:21 PM
I disagree with the post. Voting for Kucinich is not a wasted vote. Kucinich has a legitimate chance to win. Kucinich had no chance in 2004 because he ran a poor campaign that year and was overshadowed by Howard Dean who fooled the Democrats into thinking he was a progressive. In 2004 after Dean's campaign folded Democrats foolishly supported John Kerry as they were looking to vote for the Democrat who was the most electable against Bush. This year there's no clear frontrunner among the Democrats and Dennis's campaign continues to gather momentum. Dennis has clearly distinguished himself from the other Democratic candidates. The only thing that could hurt Kucinich campaign is if Al Gore enters the race and people jump over to Gore because he's electable and his celebrity status.
by
Ty (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 868 comments)
on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 10:53:38 PM
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