Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

How To Vote In Primaries And Not Be An Idiot

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From How To Vote In Primaries And Not Be An Idiot by David Swanson:

The following are majority positions among Americans, and overwhelmingly majority positions among Democrats: end the occupation of Iraq, impeach the vice president, create single-payer not-for-profit universal health coverage, withdraw from corporate trade agreements like NAFTA, and slash the Pentagon budget in order to invest in diplomacy, foreign aid, education, jobs, and green energy. Only one candidate supports this platform. He came in third in MoveOn.org’s poll, and then second in Democrats.com’s, then first in Democracy for America’s, and most recently first in Progressive Democrats of America’s poll. These are polls done outside the corporate media, polls of progressive activists. His campaign is where the energy is, but it is energy that must resist the influence of the corporate media. Our country and our planet are in peril, and we have no viable alternative. Nobody else comes close. His name is Dennis Kucinich.

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Comments

  1. I’m probably closer to Kucinich policy-wise, but he looks like Smeagol and admits to watching UFOs with Shirley Maclaine.

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    p>Sometimes it isn’t the message, but the messenger.  

    • The million dollar haircut ‘Oh, I voted for Iraq war and I’m so sorry about it’ Edwards?
      The ‘I voted for Iraq war and I stand by that vote’ Clinton?
      The ‘I have no substance so I’ll smile and talk about hope’ Obama?
      Don’t forget the Democratic party leadership almost brought us the Joe ‘I endorse McCain (R)’ Lieberman as a VP 7 years ago.
      Change is desperately needed.

  2. If these are majority positions of the Democratic base

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    impeach the vice president, create single-payer not-for-profit universal health coverage, withdraw from corporate trade agreements like NAFTA, and slash the Pentagon budget in order to invest in diplomacy, foreign aid, education, jobs, and green energy.

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    p>Then I think the base is way off the political center and will get its ass kicked in the next election.

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    p>I support impeachment for the President and Vice President, but thats not something for the next President to worry about, he (or she) needs to rebuild this country from the mess of Dubya and focusing on prosecuting those guys would be a needless distraction.

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    p>Single payer universal healthcare is not only a pipe dream but it has failed in every country it has been implemented in. A Dutch or French style system that combines market incentives with government coverage for most people seems like the ideal alternative both as policy and politically.

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    p>Lastly we need more not less trade agreements. Withdrawing from any trade agreements would be a step in the wrong direction. Globalization is the best hope we have for world peace, not a do nothing Department of Peace, but real peace between nations. When all nations depend on one another not just to profit but to live then I think most nations will stop fighting. The EU is a perfect example of why economic integration coupled with political liberalization can lead to peace. There will never be another European continental war and has not been for over a half century which is unheard of in European history. Similarly NAFTA, the WTO, and other international organizations are our best hope for global economic integration.

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    p>And sure there are losers, we will lose union jobs, manufacturing jobs, etc. but we lost carriage makers when we invented the automobile and we lost accounting houses when we invented the computer, thats part of progress people.

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    p>Oh and on slashing the Pentagon budget I am more concerned with beating Al Qaeda and keeping China at bay than ever before, we just need to spend the money on people power rather than on platforms like the F-22 that do little to protect us but make contractors and pilots happy.  

  3. If those are all positions favored by the Democratic base, then I suppose that I am quite a bit more removed from the Democratic party than I had supposed.

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    p>Here is your problem:  The Democratic base won’t elect a president; the independents will, and that list is just too much.

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    p>Independents are fed up with Republicans who have caused everything to be FUBAR, and would like someone to simply un-fuck everything up, without necessarily going all Clement Atlee on us.  A compent president without grand designs to reshape all sorts of things in a dramatic way, please.  Got one of those now, and don’t need another, thanks.

      • ideologies, I think.  When that 100% came up, it thought I’d at least get some fanfare with spinning lemons, cherries, etc., for the match made in heaven, but alas, no.  My next match was Gravel at 91 and Edwards at 85.  Who knew?  

        • I think the entire spectrum is kind of fascinating.  Forget Kucinich, because America may be ready for a Mormon, woman, or African-American, but we’re not ready for a UFO gazer.

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          p>Forget Gravel, he makes Kucinich look positively mainstream.

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          p>I’m with Edwards, but find the rest of the Democrats acceptable.

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          p>I do like Ron Paul and John McCain better than the rest of the Republicans (no surprise).

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          p>Can someone please explain how (flip) someone (flop) came up with (flip) a stable score (flop) for Romney?

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          p>And how did Giuliani reach rock bottom?  I don’t remember a Donna Hanover question in there.

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          p>86% Kucinich
          79% Gravel
          76% Edwards
          75% Clinton
          75% Obama
          74% Richardson
          70% Dodd
          70% Biden
          58% Paul
          54% McCain
          53% Romney
          46% Thompson
          46% Huckabee
          45% Hunter
          45% Tancredo
          43% Giuliani

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          p>  

          • I liked your commentary, but this is a pet peeve of mine:

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            Forget Kucinich, because America may be ready for a Mormon, woman, or African-American, but we’re not ready for a UFO gazer.

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            p>they are plenty of reasonable reasons to not support Kucinich, but the “UFO” thing is silly and irrelevant. I think Carter and Reagan both claimed to have seen UFOs, so he wouldn’t be the first anyway.

            • or is it a UFO??  

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              p>I’d want to know what the substantive difference would be between a candidate who acknowledges an interest in UFOs and the candidate who believes that god resides near the planet/star named Kolob.  One of these behaviors makes one candidate more/less viable than the other?  Sadly, ’tis the case in this nation.  

            • I think the bulk of the American people see Kucinich as silly and irrelevant as well.  An interesting character, an entertaining and passionate member of Congress, but certainly not presidential.

      • I answered the death penalty question backwards..

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        p>87% Kucinich
        85% Gravel
        82% Obama
        80% Edwards, Biden, Clinton
        79% Richardson, Dodd
        etc…

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        p>I don’t buy the Gravel one as they have him “somewhat supporting” increased taxes on the wealthy – his tax plan is as regressive as Huckabee’s!

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