To the Editor:
I deeply disagree with your premise in today’s editorial endorsing Alan Khazei for Senate, namely that what we need is new ideas.
There is no shortage of good ideas on how to cure our nation of what ails it. Most of these ideas, in fact, are not new. They are old, tried and true, and have had long decades of success both in this country and in others. The only thing that keeps them from being implemented is the well financed opposition of small but powerful interests who would be hurt. We know from European countries that single payer health care is the best way to provide quality affordable health care to everyone; this idea is off the table because of opposition from the health insurance industry. We know that regulating the financial industry prevents ruinous bubbles like the one we’ve just endured; the Glass-Steagall act worked beautifully in this country for well over half a century. This idea is off the table because of opposition from Wall Street who can make a killing and, when things go wrong, get bailed out by taxpayer dollars. We learned from Vietnam that getting bogged down in wars of choice is immoral, wasteful and harmful to our national security. But the idea of declaring victory in Afghanistan (Al Quaeda isn’t there any more) and pulling out is off the table because of opposition from the military-industrial complex.
What we need are not new ideas, but someone with the vision and courage to fight for the old proven good ideas and build coalitions to see them through. In these circumstances, my money is on the candidate who voted against the Iraq war, against the Patriot Act, who was one of the “health care heroes” who pledged not to vote for any Health Care Reform bill that did not contain a robust public option, and who wants to declare victory in Afghanistan and leave. That is why I support Mike Capuano for Senate.
Susan Offner
none of the 12 neighbors I talked to today knew about the Globe editorial– until I told them. These are neighborhood activists mostly involved in nitty gritty city politics, and the responses were remarkably alike.
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p>Don’t get Sunday Globe.since it went up to 3 and a half bucks, never did, hate the Globe’s snotty coverage of the city, read the Herald, too busy, read it on line but not the editorial pages, blah blah) I was really surprised to tell the truth.
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p>Who’s Khazi again? They have seen some ads.
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p>Capuano’s our Congressman right? They remember that at least.
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p>When’s election day again? They know it’s coming up.
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p>Would you mind calling me next Monday night? Of course.
I wish there was a way to “6” a diary.
Even if it’s already on the Recommended list or even promoted to front page you can still to this to show your approval. (Though I’ve been known to recommend diaries I don’t completely agree with or don’t have a fully formed opinion about in order to generate more discussion.)
I’d like the ability to offer different levels of enthusiasm in my recommendation, analogous to the comment rating scale — something like “worth reading”, “recommend”, and “strongly recommend.”
Sue,
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p>I most profoundly disagree with you. No need to go into a lot of detail, which I’ve done elsewhere.
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p>And, Judy, sorry, but I guess we can’t agree on everything!
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p>Most (if not all) of the Democrats I know and respect are supporting either Khazei or Capuano, with a few (very few) Coakley supporters thrown in.
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p>My hope is that Alan will be our next Senator, and I have been working hard on his campaign.
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p>I posted a link to the Globe endorsement and a way to sign up for campaign information on my website.
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p>Out here in the Progressive West, a huge majority of the Democrats I know are supporting Alan. Quite frankly, this Globe endorsement has given Alan the gravitas he needs to win over the few undecided people out here. The one reservation I hear most commonly is about Alan’s “experience” — as if not being a professional politician is somehow a detriment to our democracy. In fact, in my view, he has more relevant experience for the Senate job than does any of his opponents. Again, so as not to repeat myself, I’ve outlined some of my reasoning in a post to my website.
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p>My guess is that the vast majority of people who are reading this site have already decided whom to support. Still, no harm done to cast the lure.
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p>I predict that Khazei will handily carry Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampshire Counties. I’m not so sure about Hampden (greater Springfield), where Capuano seems to be doing well. Nowhere out here do I see much enthusiasm for Coakley (except in her hometown of North Adams).
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p>As always, in Special Elections, it will be the GOTV effort that will carry the day. The grassroots organization that has formed around Alan Khazei is truly impressive. Time will tell if it is enough to overcome the obvious advantages that accrue to the other candidates, who are better known on the political scene.
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p>What fun!
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p>Best wishes from the Democratic Berkshires!
are valid. I stated before that it is my observation that Capuano and Khazei split the liberal/progressive vote thereby helping Coakley. David cited a UNH poll that indicated the exact opposite — that Khazei takes votes from Coakley. Everyone that I know who is not fully committed is vacillating between Khazei and Capuano. I do know several people at work that vote totally in line with Emily’s list and will be voting for Coakley — none of the other candidates would be able to cleave off their vote.
This is not productive. A fresh face in high profile electoral politics did well getting a Globe endorsement.
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p>Good for him.
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p>We need new ideas and proven ideas but mostly we need effective ideas and the skills to turn them into actions.
I would not characterize Sue’s comment as tearing down Alan. I see it more as a valid disagreement with the Globe and the decision that they came to as to whom they see as the best suited to serve in the Senate. I’d characterize her as disagreeing with their premise that new ideas are what we need in the Senate.
Susan, — this is a thoughtful, well-written letter, but it paradoxically misrepresents ideas Khazei promotes while agreeing with the very premise of his candidacy.
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p>Two unique if not entirely novel ideas Khazei has promoted are citizen-service in the AmeriCorps/City Year vein as a way to address urgent needs, and organized citizen activism to support legislative progress.
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p>Khazei has explained the latter, as I interpret him, to mean a Senator cultivating and directing grass-roots movements to pass legislation such as Health Care reform (BTW – there was an interesting account yesterday of Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC, doing some of this).
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p>One can debate the merits of these ideas, their actual “newness,” etc., but Khazei’s advocacy of grass-roots citizen involvement addresses head-on your critique of powerful special interests corrupting Washington. Not only is Khazei the only candidate who seems to embrace your exact argument as a defining purpose of his candidacy, but he’s the only one trying to walk-the-walk by refusing PAC and Lobbyist money.
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p>The latter isn’t entirely “new” either, but it is rare and refreshing. Special interest money has such a lock on elections that few candidates beyond the mega-rich can afford to run without them.
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p>Despite flaws in The Globe endorsement (such as their reprehensible anti-Capuano spin), your choice between either “New Ideas” or “Courage to fight for progressive ideas” is a false one. Among all of the candidates’ many virtues, Khazei indeed looks to be the only one working to become a US Senator free of the powerful special interests we all dislike.
Grass roots citizen involvement is not going to be led by politicians. Occasionally a charismatic candidate, such as Obama, can excite people to get involved, but candidates and politicians don’t develop movements.
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p>For that you need grass roots organizations. These are often based on interests such as civil rights, gay rights, feminism, class based interests, the environment, etc.
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p>Interest groups like these should influence politics. The role of the politician is to translate these interests into legislation and policy.
I don’t see why politicians shouldn’t have a role in leading citizen involvement in politics. By and large, most of the political involvement comes from a small group of people who read, go to events, and call their representatives, while the majority of people have opinions but don’t make themselves heard. Every 4 years we have some celebrities who try to make voting “cool”.
I think that overall, we could use some people in high places encouraging us over and over to be a part of the democratic process in between election years. As Glen Beck and quite a few politicians on the right are finding out, ordinary people have some pretty strong views. I would love to see Khazei as a senator, for that very reason. I think he is most likely to continually call on people from MA to get involved in some of the citizens movements that will make the difference in the national conversation.