Dear
Iowa, Vote For Dennis
But Don't Listen To Him
By
David Swanson
03 January,
2008
Afterdowningstreet.org
I
love Dennis
Kucinich and think he is far and away the best candidate running for
president. He and I are speaking together on a panel in New Hampshire
this weekend. But asking his supporters in Iowa to vote for Obama as
their second choice makes no sense to me.
First of
all, any Iowan willing to take instructions on whom to vote for would
not be backing Kucinich. Every television in Iowa tells voters every
day not to vote for Dennis. His supporters are not the sort of people
who obey instructions. They should back him aggressively in every caucus,
and if they can't get 15% go home or back the candidate of their choice,
as they will do regardless of what I or Dennis has to say.
Second, 99%
of Kucinich's supporters do not live in Iowa or have much of an idea
how the Iowa caucus system works. They see absolutely no need to make
this sort of announcement, any more than they saw one the last time
around when Kucinich pointed to Edwards as a second choice and the media
all announced that Kucinich had dropped out and endorsed Edwards.
Kucinich
backers see a huge gulf between him and the other candidates on the
issues. They believe him when he says, as he's said on and off for four
years, that if the Democrats nominate a war-candidate, he won't support
them. Kucinich and most of his supporters consider Obama a war candidate,
yet here he is - 11 months early - already endorsing him. It's not much
of a leap to envision a Kucinich endorsement of Clinton if nominated,
and that turns the stomachs of a lot of Kucinich backers.
Third, the
media was guaranteed to do what it did four years ago and announce that
Kucinich had conceded. The corporate and even progressive media are
now doing just that. Here's Michael Moore:
"Personally,
Congressman Kucinich, more than any other candidate, shares the same
positions that I have on the issues (although the UFO that picked ME
up would only take me as far as Kalamazoo). But let’s not waste
time talking about Dennis. Even he is resigned to losing, with statements
like the one he made yesterday to his supporters in Iowa to throw their
support to Senator Obama as their 'second choice.'"
Fourth, while
none of the other candidates comes close to Kucinich, Edwards is more
likely to end illegal occupations, refrain from launching new ones,
and shift power away from the wealthy and the military-industrial complex
than Obama. If Dennis is going to back someone else, the rest of us
can do the same. My distant second choice is the man who just announced
the withdrawal of troops from Iraq over 10 months once he's in office:
John Edwards. My first choice remains voting and caucusing and campaigning
for Kucinich. Vote for him, but don't listen to him.
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