Finding Hope and Fighting Your Inner Wimp

[Mairead]

(reprinted by permission -- see last paragraph)

I haven't spoken to a progressive, a liberal, yet who has not told me that he or she loves Kucinich, that Dennis is hands down the first democratic candidate choice. But then I hear the story-- "he doesn't have a chance.." "there's no hope..."

My reply is: "That's what they all said about Dean six months ago."

I can live with Dean. He's a good guy. But I am not ready to give up on Dennis Kucinich. On issue after issue, Kucinich has the right policies, the right answers and perhaps most important, the right history.

He'll take the US out of the World Trade Organization as soon as he's elected. He'll cancel the tax breaks Bush handed over to the wealthy. He'll cancel NAFTA. He'll start a department of peace.

Now the right wingers laugh at the idea of a department of peace. But then there's Maslow's widely cited saying,

"If you all you have is a hammer, then everything is a nail."

We've had a military since our country's birth. But we only get a vision that sees war, fighting, weapons and attack as a solution. A department of peace would provide alternative solutions that could keep us not only just as powerful, but also, since we'd be building better alliances, investing in peace, prevention and partnerships, more money in the till. That's not funny. It makes sense. it provides balance. Geez, the US military can't account for over a trillion dollars worth of spent money. We should invest at least a hundred million a year in a serious commitment to a department that attacks opportunities for and challenges to peace.

It's been said that Kucinich's economic policies could produce more jobs than Roosevelt did. Killing the WTO and NAFTA does not mean the end to globalization. It means taking a second look at the failures that we've seen so far and, learning from them, taking a second try that builds on the learning, that prevents the removal of the democratic process that the WTO commits. His position is clearly the best for US manufacturing and for unions. Gephart may have had family who were union, but by supporting the WTO he is basically selling them short. Kucinich's solutions offer the best hope for preventing the total loss of manufacturing as a viable business in the U.S..

It turns out that Kucinich was the only candidate currently in office, besides Graham, who opposed the war, who had the guts to stand up to the democrat stampede of frightened legislators who went with Bush's program. We need a leader who can lead, who can see a vision and make it happen. I don't see visionary leaders on those debate platforms besides Dennis.

Kucinich stood up to the privatization of the energy utilities when he was a mayor. Those same privatized energy companies are the reason for the blackouts. We need a man of vision and principle who is not afraid of a tough fight. Kucinich has a track record. For the record, he lost his mayorship over that fight. But history has proven that he was right. That's the courage we need, and the toughness.

No, he's not pretty like Wesley Clark, the pseudo democrat. He's not rich like Kerry. But he's a thousand miles ahead of all the other candidates (except, perhaps Carol Mosely Braun, who is also a great person) when it comes to positions and issues.

If you feel he's your favorite, then invest some money in him, at least as much as you've spent on your best dinner out in the last few months. Really, if you don't try to support the guy you like the best, then you are letting yourself and the country down. Just ask yourself if any other candidate comes close to Kucinich. If you find yourself saying that he doesn't have a chance, then think of how so many other candidates have come from behind, how Dean has only been in the lead a few months.

If you find yourself acknowledging Kucinich in your heart, then get the word out. Tell your family and friends and neighbors and co-workers about him.

With the end of the fiscal quarter, I contributed to the Kucinich campaign and also gave money to Howard Dean, because, though he's not my favorite, I could also get behind him, and I want to be supportive.

The more I learn about Wesley Clark, the more I feel he's a shill for the DLC or worse, for Republicans. He's smart and pretty but you know the duck rules-- He looks like a Republican, has acted like one, has voted for them, has even recently been supportive of Bush.. So.... either a miracle happened and he converted-- not likely for this hard edged, brilliant Rhodes scholar-- or he's helping the Republicans cover all the bases. Wouldn't it be just peachy if they couldn't lose no matter who was running. Do we really want a Zell Miller or John Breaux running as a Democrat? That's what Clark will deliver.

If the American colonists listened to people who said they could never defeat the King George's redcoats, where would we be? Those courageous pioneers faced daunting odds and made a stand.

The right will attack any candidate the Democratic Party ends up choosing to run against Bush. Kucinich is more progressive and they will attack him as a liberal. But he is also a Catholic, also pro-union, and very smart-- smart enough to run a campaign that can genuinely bring the people of this country back together again.

Some people say that Kucinich is too short, or that he's not charismatic. Give me a break. I hear that there's a full frontal picture of Ahnold Schwarzenegger on the web- and that he's big. Where do we draw the line. I've had a chance to see Kucinich live twice. He's a charismatic dynamo!! His passion is right there-- palpable, powerful. He has what it takes. He has more-- enough to create a future for this country that we will be proud of, that our foreign allies will be able to respect and support.

Be brave, go with your heart and trust that your heart is wiser than your head, which is where the wimp in you resides. Aren't you really sick of settling for less than the best, when it comes to American leadership? You can settle for what your head thinks is best later.

Rob Kall [e-mail] is publisher of progressive news and opinion website www.opednews.com and organizer of cutting edge meetings that bring together world leaders, such as the Winter Brain Meeting and the StoryCon Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story. This article is copyright by Rob Kall, but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog, or web media so long as this entire credit paragraph is attached<.i>

[La_Serpiente]

1. This reminds of what Molly Ivins said

She said during the primaries, vote with your heart, but with the general election, vote with your mind.

[LuminousX]

2. That's the Best Advice

I'm one of the few that harbors no hatred or misgivings about any of our candidates, even Lieberman. So I really believe everyone needs to vote for the person they truly, most ideally, want as President in the primary.

I guarantee that if Kucinich does get the nomination, I would work just as hard for him as I would for Dean, Edwards or Gephardt.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. Why I support Kucinich

and gave him a $57 "birthday present" that I (a free-lancer with a variable income) couldn't really afford this month.

1) He is the first Dem candidate since Robert Kennedy who has a vision of a better America. When I read his platform, "I look at the way things could be and say 'Why not?'"

2) He's been in Congress, and has not been a governor. Why is this important? Well, look at Clinton and Carter, both former governors, and the terrible time they both had with Congress. Who was the last Dem presidents who knew how to handle Congress? LBJ--and he had been a senator.

3) The more I hear people talk, the more I am convinced that the next Democratic president absolutely cannot be a Lieberman-like appeaser and applier of band-aids. If the Dem president is not sharply different from Bush in very obvious ways, he will succeed only in convincing the voters that the Democrats are just kinder and gentler Republicans, and more and more voters will stay home in 2008 and 2012, while the Repiggies marshall their fundie shock troops. If the Democrats cannot prove in dramatic ways that they are different from the Republicans, they will go the way of the Whigs.

[ModerateMiddle]

4. I think the problem is

that the majority of folks in this country do not identify as either "progressive" or "liberal". I am a moderate. Dennis' positions are too radical for me. I love Dennis, just as I loved Paul Wellstone, but I wouldn't want either of them to be President.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. Which positions are "too radical" for you?

:shrug:

[ModerateMiddle]

6. It seems to me

that in everything that Kucinich "business people" are the "bad guys". He wants to tax the hell out of business to pay for everything for everyone else. Kerry made the comment at one of the debates "You can't love jobs and hate the people who create them".

The world has changed and many, many peole depend upon someone else's entrepreneurial (sp?) initiative to create a business that will employ other people. You can't squeeze the life out of business any more than you can squeeze the life out of the middle class.

I do like his "universal health care" as opposed to "universal health insurance" but that is going to take a decades long PR effort to get to, because of the strong forces that stand in the way.

I understand about the "Dept of Peace" and agree with the sentiment, but unfortunately it promotes the idea that (D) = soft on defense.

I do love Dennis in Congress. I loved his "prayer" and I think his voice is very much needed to be a part of the cacophony of voices representing this country. But the majority in this country are NOT progressives. We need a good long run of Dem leadership in the WH that will promote ideas like equality and justice REALLY being for ALL.

Then we'll be ready for a Dennis Kucinich.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. He is not "against business," just against business abuses

of which there are plenty.

There is more anger against heartless, soulless corporations out there than you might think. I've even heard hardcore Republicans complain about not being able to get satisfaction or even information when they have a problem with a product or service.

In fact, Dennis is more supportive than most candidates of small businesses and family farms.