If you are disgusted with the Democratic Congress, here is one thing you can do

[Lydia Leftcoast]

Take part in your primary or caucus, and vote for one of the allegedly "minor" candidates, one whose name isn't constantly being tossed around on this page by the posters who act like horse race handicappers instead of like thinking voters.

Pretend that Hillary, Obama, and Edwards don't exist. Take a close look at Kucinich, Richardson, Dodd, and Gravel. Figure out which one fits your views most closely, and then cast your vote for him.

"But those guys can't win!" I hear the conventional thinkers whine.

That's not the point.

Your primary or caucus is the only part of the electroal process in which you get to state exactly what you want. It's not to vote the same way all your friends vote. It's not to rubber-stamp the coronation of the media darlings. (I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the 2004 caucus, where a local party bigwig tried to tell us that it was "a waste" to vote for anyone but Kerry) It's not to guess the winner of the nomination so that you can collect bets from the folks at the office. It's to express your sincere preference about the future direction of this country.

If you like business as usual and think that the Dems in Congress are doing just fine and that the corporate media are doing a great job of choosing our candidates for us, fine, vote for one of the media-designated "front runners."

And why is anyone considered a frontrunner at this point? Remember that the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary are still months away. Not one vote has been cast. So where is all this "frontrunner" hype coming from?

The fact is, Hillary, Obama and Edwards are considered front runners only because they have succeeded in raising the most money from the wealthy and powerful.

And why do they get all that money from the wealthy and powerful? Do you seriously think that the people who really run this country are going to support anyone who would actually make more than cosmetic changes to the system?

So we have three "top-tier" candidates whose major qualification, in the eyes of the corporate media, is that they don't threaten other corporate types, so the corporate media play them up, which then leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy, in which one of the three people who receives all the publicity is nominated.

Don't fall for it. It is extremely disappointing to see all the "horse race" posts on a website that is supposedly for political junkies.

We need to take serious looks at the "bottom tier" candidates and when the time comes, to vote for one of them.

That is the only way to send a message to the Democrats that we're tired of business as usual.

[sailor65]

1. Good point n/t

[Just-plain-Kathy]

2. Excellent post.

He comes with no strings attached. He's not beholding to any organization, corporation or millionaire.
He got my vote.

[regnaD kciN]

3. I'm not sure that does much good...

I live in a caucus state (we may have even had ours on the same day as yours) and, in 2004, the caucus organizers were likewise trying to turn it into a Kerry rally. At the table for our precinct, that didn't sit too well, and we wound up splitting our vote about 60% Dean, 40% Edwards.

And what of it? Even though there were a lot more Dean, etc. votes than expected statewide, all it meant was that Kerry had a narrower margin of victory than projected. And what was the media's coverage of this? A virtual yawn: "And, here in Washington, John Kerry won the Democratic vote, while President Bush cruised to an easy win among Republicans." Nothing to see -- move along.

Now, the main benefit of the caucus system is that each precinct could elect delegates to the county caucus, which could in turn elect delegates to the state and finally the national conventions. These delegates could take with them resolutions proposed by their precinct and put them to a vote as a possible part of the state and even national platform. In our precinct, I was elected one of the delegates, and we passed a number of resolutions for county convention. And then...nothing. I never got (as I had in the past) a packet for the county event, which would include my delegate badge among other things. The next thing I knew, the county convention had already been held. I checked with the Party to find out what had happened, and was told that some of the voting lists, delegate selections, and resolutions had been lost somewhere in the process (apparently, some time after they had all been collected by the Kerry-backers running the caucus event). In any event, I was told, it didn't really matter -- John Kerry had already sewn up the required number of national delegates, so what we did was irrelevant; what was needed now was to forget about all that and Get Behind Our Nominee.

If you really want to see a change from the current rubber-stamp Democrats, protest votes at caucuses won't do a thing. Instead, progressives in BlueDog/DLC districts need to find one of their own to provide a primary challenge to their local DINO, and people have to look at switching their contributions from official Democratic fundraising bodies to progressive PACs that fund Democrats -- along with a polite letter to Reid, Pelosi, and Dean, letting them know that accommodation with those whose actions our Party vowed to change is no way to success in 2008 or beyond.

[eridani]

4. This tactic is ESPECIALLY important in caucus states

I can understand "electability" concerns in states with regular primaries, though.

[IndianaGreen]

5. It is unfortunate that we will repeat the same mistake we made in 2004

and end up rubber-stamping the "coronation of the media darlings." In fact, 2008 will be worst than 2004, because at least we know that John Kerry did stand up against Bush, the war, the Alito nomination, and the warrantless searches. We can't say the same about the media's darling du jour, Hillary Clinton.

I fully agree with what you are proposing, and in this season of increasingly hopelessness and despair, throwing a monkey wrench on the ruling class plans to keep power merits consideration. We should all take a close look at the "lower tier" candidates, for they are not indebteded to Wall Street. Candidates like Kucinich, Richardson, Dodd, and Gravel deserve more than a glance. Candidates like Hillary, Obama, and Edwards require more than just a rubber stamp of approval.

As I did in 2004, I support Dennis Kucinich, for he alone was right about the war, PATRIOT, and Bush's rush to tyranny.

I am utterly disgusted and disillusioned with the defeatist and appeaser Democratic Congress. It is no longer possible to ignore that there are Democratic fingerprints behind all of Bush's crimes and abuses of power.

I used to speak lightly about moving to Canada to escape this monstrosity that America is becoming. I no longer speak so casually about it.

[autorank]

6. I agree with you both.

Indiana Green, I understand fully and I like your after the fact analysis of Kerry. He's been excellent. And we let the filthy corporate media do another tear down of him on that joke.

Kucinich has been, is, and will be right. I heard him live at the "We Count" conference in
Cleveland. He announced the paper ballot proposal for federal elections. He may get a chance.

Check out what happens in the Fall before you bolt. I think that the 25% approval is about 5 points
too high. When these folks get back in September and DO NOTHING then the you know what will hit the
fan. There is no reason to blame the public, they know. It's the "representatives" who don't get it.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Let's not forget that Hillary joined the GOP in blasting Kerry for that joke

Even though she knew exactly what Kerry meant to say, Hillary found it expedient to exploit the situation to tear down a potential rival.

[hibiscus]

8. I agree with you

Hillary would never be presidential in my eyes for what she did to Kerry. Kerry has a lot more class than she could ever have.

[autorank]

16. I think that the public is totally ignoring the primaries...

...with a lot more intention than ever before. They just don't care, the candidates are still in 2003 and not coming up with the requests the public has. Hillary is not going to get it or if she does, there will be a third party or an insurgent Democratic party. Obama will be a wet rag, fading quickly. Neither has any real appeal, other than Obama's very real charm which he's losing the more he tries to sound like a gun slinger. Oye vey;)

[Senator]

9. I'd Say Only Kucinich and Gravel

The fact is that Richardson and Dodd are just as big Beltway-Bucks creatures as the others.

They're just bad at it.

---

[superkia]

10. I second Kucinich and Gravel!

[quiet.american]

11. Yep -- Kucinich has long had my vote for the primaries. n/t

[mopinko]

12. draft al gore

eom

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. I'm not much of a Gore fan, but you can't draft someone during the

primaries or caucuses.

In any case, don't vote for someone just because their candidacy is made to feel "inevitable."

That's an old kindergarten teacher's trick, by the way, getting kids to do something (e.g. wash their hands, put the toys away at the end of the day) by acting as if there's no alternative.

[rosesaylavee]

15. You mean

I washed my hands and put my toys away for nuttin? :)

Hopefully, we will hear from Gore after Labor Day as to what he will finally decide. Will he throw his hat in or not. I am hoping he will. No one tonight addressed global warming - other than we will get more jobs stateside if we push for alternative energy.

[bvar22]

14. K&R

How can someone who studies the issues and calls themselves "Liberal" or "Progressive" not support Kucinich?

I don't believe that Kucinich can overcome the Media Megaphones and the entrenched Corporate Owned Democratic Party power brokers, but I will send him money, votes and all the support I can give to keep him in the running. I WANT Kucinich delegates at the convention! Someone needs to keep telling the TRUTH to America and the World.

If DK is eliminated from the campaign, who will tell America that:

*Single Payer Universal HealthCare is not only possible, but cheaper.

*that "For Profit" HealthCare is obscene

*that Mandatory Health Insurance is NOT REALLY Universal HealthCare

*that the Democratic Party and American taxpayers should NOT be forced to subsidize some of the richest CEOs in history by subsidizing the HealthCare Insurance Corps and HMOs.

*that the USA SHOULD give the Imperial Palace (Green Zone) back to the Iraqis, close the permanent bases, expel all Corporate Consultants, withdraw ALL US Troops, and begin paying reparations NOW.

*that redeploying some troops at some future date is a PRO-WAR position.

*that the "Oil Law Benchmark" supported by the Democratic Party is a War Crime.

*That we can have election accountability with "Paper Ballots publicly hand counted at the precinct".

*that we CAN cut $Billions$ from the Defense Budget.

*that the RICHEST Corporations in history do NOT need $Billions$ in welfare subsidies.

*that NAFTA (Free Trade) has not been a good thing for Americans who have to work for a living.

*That giving MORE Media Control to FEWER rich white men is a bad thing.

Dennis Kucinich is the ONLY candidate who has a CLEAR & CONSISTENT record on ALL the above issues. He is not a campaign season jail-house convert. When Kucinich is forced out of the Presidential race, most of these issues will also be forced out.


The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.