It’s interesting that I have been reading various commentaries and heard a number of commentators on television state that although they are fed up with the American political system, the hypocrisy of the “Rethuglicans” and the “Dumbocrats”, they will vote for Barack Obama because among the establishment candidates, he is the best choice. They cannot vote for McCain because he has become too close to Bush lately and seems to have adopted a number of his policies. They cannot vote for Hillary because, although she is a woman, she represents the presumed privilege and entitlement of the “old guard”… plus she has been playing on the fear associated with the “race” issue, in her effort to secure the Democratic presidential nomination.
While Obama, although he is more style than substance, more rhetoric than depth, and has unashamedly made the political choice to keep his association with the Black community at arms length and has bent over backwards to project “white” American values, he is however seen as a “fresh” face… a change that America needs! Plus for many, both Black and “white”, his election to the Presidency of the United States… the first “Black” president… would be historical… and they all want consciously or subconsciously… to be a part of this historical event!
It is not surprising to me why “white” liberals America loves this guy… but for those who really want a change, or at least throw their support behind the potential for a real change from the norm… especially among the Black community… I would have thought that former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, an African-American woman, would at least be given some consideration. In December 2007 she announced that she was seeking the presidential nomination for the Green Party of the United States. She has brought this message to the electorate:
“For far too long Black America has been at the mercy of political pimps and usurpers, particularly of the Democratic Party. It is now the year 2008, and we in Black America, in conjunction with our Brown, Red, Yellow, and White sisters and brothers have a genuine and serious choice in order to build a true people’s movement for real systemic change through the “Power to the People” campaign….”
Mckinney has been a constant thorn in the political establishments’ side since being first elected to the Congress in 1992… to the point where it is believed that the Democratic Party itself worked against her 2006 primary re-election. Interestingly when asked about her views on Obama she stated: “We have to be careful with the black people who are put before us by the media.”
It is understandable why the establishment controlled mainstream media has ignored her candidacy. It is understandable why she has received no support from the “white” liberal establishment. And yes, it is also understandable why she has garnered no support from the Black community! I have not seen, heard or read anything in support for her from the African-American community, especially from the so-called Black progressive blogging community. All the buzz, all the focus, has been on Obama and Clinton! Why is that? Why do I say it’s understandable that McKinney has received no support or consideration from her own community?
Last Sunday I was watching Meet The Press and during a discussion on the Obama and Clinton campaign, it was re-iterated that the majority of Black people only started supporting Obama once he won the Iowa caucus on January 3rd, 2008. Analyzing Obama’s blowout win in South Carolina, they showed that polls in July 2007 had Clinton with 53% of the African-American support to Obama’s 33% in South Carolina. After Iowa, he carried the Black vote 78% to her 19% for his win in the South Carolina primary! His support among the African-American community surged once it became evident that enough “white” liberals and “white” independents were willing to vote for him… and he therefore had a chance to win (at least) the Democratic presidential nomination. Once again… politically… Black America was taking it’s cue from the “white” liberal establishment! In a previous post I made this comment: “There is one thing that the Democratic establishment knows they can depend on: the reaction of African-American community… they know their “negroes”… they have been studied, researched and most importantly conditioned by the Party.”
So there are certainly other choices and candidates for President, that those who are really searching for a “change” can support. No… they are not the establishment candidates and therefore are not likely to win. Another candidate for serious consideration should be Ralph Nader. McKinney (and Nader) do sincerely have the interests of ordinary people, including the Black community, at their core… more so than McCain, Clinton and certainly Obama. They do represent platforms for “real” change and not the “business as usual” mantra. So if the African-American community (at the very least) supported enmass Cynthia McKinney for President… an African-American woman running for a Party other than the two establishment Parties, this would be a true historic event… regardless if she wins or not!
Nevertheless, taking the initiative to research and expand your field of options so you can make the best, informed choice of whom to support for President is important. Voting according to your principles, instead of limiting yourself to the establishment candidates or just “jumping on the Obama bandwagon” in the hopes of having a “black” face in the White House, should be the primary objective to making sure one’s vote count for something.
afrospear.wordpress.com 
Can you clarify … has the Green Party selected a nominee? Or is that decision going to be a vote within the Green Party for either McKinney or Nadar?
peace, Villager
According to the Green Party website (I provided the link in the article above), their national convention to choose the Presidential candidate will be held in Chicago from July 10-13th. There are currently 4 candidates seeking the nomination. 419 delegate votes are needed to win the nomination and McKinney is leading with 243.
Nader announced on February 28th that he would not be seeking the Green Party presidential nomination and would run as an independent. However in subsequent media statements he has said “he hopes to run a parallel progressive campaign with the Green Party nominee, with both campaigning synergistically to bring marginalized issues to the center of the presidential debate.”
Blessings.
I endorsed Cynthia as soon as I found out she was running. If I could be convinced to vote, I would definitely vote for Cynthia. But you have to know that anyone who believes in the current system of American politics and government would never be so forward thinking as to back a candidate who they didn’t believe could win. And unfortunately Cynthia couldn’t win a congressional election in her own backyard, and I worked on her campaign so I know from whence I speak.
“But you have to know that anyone who believes in the current system of American politics and government would never be so forward thinking as to back a candidate who they didn’t believe could win.”
Interesting comment. Sad but true.
Blessings.
For African-Americans, this is not a novel idea, but a nucklehead idea…
For the 1st time in history, collectively, we have an opportunity to achieve something in history that has never been done, before…Our past Queens and Kings have taught, philosophied, mentored little Princes and Princesses that, one day, they could be President of the US…and, if not that, then anything that they wanted to be…
Now, this promise 200 years old, finally has a chance to become a reality, and Ms. McKinney is now going to be a “Pawn” in the “game” and be used against the “King to be” in this Chess Game!
We, colletively, can change the face and the outcome of the Election in November. While we can not control, collectively, we can act as a “Bishop, Knight and or a Rook” to change the landscape, come November.
Remember, while a “Pawn” can’t win the “Chess Game”, used effectively, a “Pawn” can alter and or affect the outcome of the “Game”…if all of the “Black Pawns” (excuse the ‘pun’) came together, as they have, for the most part, in states such as South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama, imagine what the outcome would/will be in November…
If there was not Minority Candidate running, then maybe Ms. McKinney would be a viable option, maybe…but, not when there is already a Minority, specifically an African-American Candidate, running for President of the US…That’s just plain stupid, especially when she can’t win, in any way, shape or form, period.
It’s also ironic, then Ms. McKinney is considering this, when the media has said that Hilary has done something that was a first-the 1st Woman candidate in history…well, the fact of the matter is that she has not made history, as the 1st woman candidate for President.
Shirley Chisolm was the 1st Woman, period, to run for President of the US, in the 1960s…that is US History, but the media has somehow forgot this FACT! The media is usually good at facts, but not this year, as they have been so very biased…amazing…
Lastly, have you noticed that since Barak Obama became the frontrunner, the media has shown, vividly, how biased they really are? Think about this when you watch the news, today, as only CNN has differed in this realistic illustration: when you see the two remaining candidates for the Democratic Nomination, who’s face do you see?
You say, it’s no big deal-wrong! When you deal with a sports event (baseball, football, basketball, tennis or even golf), when do they put the 2nd place contender, first, on your tv screen??? This is a significant and extremely biased and racist action, and as we know, “perception is 50% of reality”, so this is very significant biased intent that has gone undiscussed for four months, in a very important and tenacious political race.
WITHOUT A STRUGGLE, THERE IS NO PROGRESS, SHO’ NUFF, YA’LL DIGG!!!
Special K, a correction is in order: “Victoria Woodhull, born in 1838 in Homer, Ohio, was selected by the Equal Rights Party to be its (presidential) candidate in the 1872 election. (She lost to fellow Ohioan Ulysses S. Grant, who was reelected to a second term.)”
To the substance of this post: I’m down with CMac. She tells the truth. Where has “voting for the lessor of two evils” or “voting for a colored faced” (Marion Barry for example) gotten us?! Where has having people tell us what we want to hear versus what we need to hear gotten us?! And don’t get me wrong – McCain and Clinton are devils that are greater threats to world peace than Obama; problem is, being only marginally better still fuck over the greater part of the planet. We need radical solutions, radical change.
We still have a dependent relationship to politics, as if Santa is going to leave something under our tree. To invest so much in one man when he hasn’t promised to do shit for us seems the height of stupidity, all symbolism aside. And where are the calls for us to do more for ourselves, to have our own constitutional convention, our black political convention, etc? Hmmmm. I’m making one right now I guess.
Sure, its gonna be great for all the children to see a black president and yet if the system remains a racist beast presided over by a black man….what then? It’ll still suck for most brown people as usual….but at least we can take comfort in our black president Obama.
It seems to me at some point we should probably vote values, ideas, ideal for God’s sake – if we’re going to vote at all; perhaps this is a losing proposition, but maybe it will pay dividends down the road. Maybe by voting convictions, maybe by standing for something really and not based on some fantasy of an America that doesn’t exist, instead of focusing on our short term gain which will NEVER be satisfied, maybe this will move this culture, move us toward dealing with reality. When our so-called “black candidates are “scared to kick reality,” or disown reality when other people express it – in order to get a position – it calls into question who they really are and why we should want them.
Sadly, it appears we will continue to be checkmated and used as pawns in someone else’s political drama, a drama that we still have no understanding of. Reality is 100% REALITY for us. We must insist on its propagation at all times. We cannot afford kneeshaking Negroes who do not tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Their verbal tranquilizers put us to sleep, make US unable to tell the difference between the truth and a lie. There is a higher calling – to truth – that we must adhere to and support.
I love Cynthia McKinney, honest to goodness. As you state she has been a consistent thorn in the side of the DLC Republican-lite wing of the Democratic party. Even more to the point she has been one of the few voices of reason countering the wave of insanity that is about to capsize the Congressional Black Caucus. Most importantly, she has represented her constituents well in public office. Her record of service is outstanding. Not surprisingly she was marginalized by her own party and attacked by the other in the classic “I’ll hold her down while you kick her” strategy employed by so-called moderates in both parties.
Here’s my issue though, particularly with the Greens, and thus by extension McKinney in this instance. Why are the Greens so fixated on this political stunt of running a presidential candidate rather than the difficult work of organizing progressive sentiment at the grassroots level into a serious party that can present a real challenge to the Dems? Seriously, why should black voters or any voters take the Greens, McKinney, or Nader seriously when their realpolitik is constructed around an obvious publicity stunt; one that incidentally fails to generate much (any) publicity?
This wouldn’t be so vexing were it the only option available to the Greens as a third party (or would-be progressive factions of Democrats). As the local Greens in St. Louis have shown, for instance, through their involvement with a progressive coalition opposing the mayor’s privatized public education scam, there is much good to be done by elected officials at the grassroots level. The school boards, municipal and county executive offices, state legislative and gubernatorial offices, and Congressional offices can all be won by openly progressive candidates, sometimes even in hardcore conservative communities. Often, it doesn’t take a huge party apparatus. It takes the patient work of going door-to-door and building relationships over time. Ironically, McKinney is living proof that progressive politics can win but that it will be met with hostility and isolation from both major parties. The response to this harsh reality, however, isn’t goofy publicity stunts. Especially not when they come in the almost complete absence of any real efforts to effect change at the grassroots level where you might actually have a chance to do so.
Asa, this is a great post. Most U.S. citizens including, including Black people here do not vote their interest, but they vote for who they think can win. I am also disappointed by the lack of coverage of Cynthia McKinney, especially by Black bloggers. I did in fact post on her back in January and got little response, and the response I got was essentially she wasn’t electable see the link http://ensaynreality.squarespace.com/journal/2008/1/31/there-is-another-black-person-and-woman-running-for-presiden.html#comments
As Senator Obama revels in his accumulating of enough delegates to be nominated he surely got enough delegates while his campaign is heading into a slump. In the last three primaries he lost two, and he was expected to win big in South Dakota but in fact lost.
Respect!
I intend to vote for an independent but I will say this about Obama.
Some folks really take some of his actions and inactions too personally. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. If he doesn’t appear here he’s ignoring the needs and cries of the African American community. I am not Mr. Americana but when you’re running for any office of service, your constituents happen to be the Chinese, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Italian, African, etc.
Projecting “white” American values? That’s kind of vague. While he does have a low voting record, I think saying that he has more rhetoric than depth and style than substance simply ignores his abilities to campaign and the many public statements he has made concerning US policies. He’s also been very blunt about his ties to lobbyist in past statements.
While I do not intend to vote for either Repulican or Democratic parties, I pay attention to the nominees from both major parties. While Hillary may have questionable and desperate campaign tactics dating back when she ran against Rick Lazio for the NY Senate seat, you can not discount her record and passion. In addition to that she already has strong ties (read: Clinton political machine) in the Senate that can effectively get bills passes, but not-so-much with the GOP.
McCain has too many holes in his positions and message for me to consider.
Meet the Press assessment of the Iowa primary influence on the African American community vote may hold water but it fails to ignore that the African American community is not a unified voting bloc.
“We have to be careful with the black people who are put before us by the media.” That statement sound really suspect. I never jumped on the Obama bandwagon but he does have an incredible back story and knows how to play the game. What is she really trying to convey? If she were able to galvanize a number of people and press behind her message and position would we eventually ask the same thing?
I met Cynthia McKinney a few months ago. A friend of mine who worked on the Hilary Campaign said if she was running, he would’ve voted for her. When I found out she was earlier this year, I def sent him an email…..and got no response.
I found it funny that Elaine Brown was also running under the Green Party but dropped out. I would’ve def got down with her.
Here’s the problem I have with this. All these “super progressive” candidates as I call them (the Naders, McKinneys, Pauls, even Kucinichs) sound real good on paper but the truth is, they sound this good because when you don’t have a lot of support and no chance of winning, you can be as progressive as you want. You don’t have to garner support in Congress or from the traditional constituencies. If by some miracle McKinney was to win, what would she do then? Congress is full of the same Democrats and Republicans that she’s trying to change from. They would fight her tooth and nail and nothing would be accomplished. To put it another way, Obama is trying to change the game from within (which has a better chance of success even if it’s just marginal) while she would be trying to change it from the outside. If McKinney was in Obama’s position (nominee of a major party with a real chance at winning), you can’t tell me that she wouldn’t be making some of the same sacrifices he is. If you don’t think she would, then you seriously misunderstand politics in this country. Is it right? No…of course not. But it’s reality.
If you truly want to change the system and break out of the 2 party monopoly, then what the Green party and all the other third-party groups need to do is run legitimate campaigns at the local levels first and build up some kind of base. Running for President without a legitimate political base is like tossing your 1 year old in a pool and shouting “SWIM!!!” This is nothing more than a publicity stunt.
From the Matrix: “What good is a phone call when you are unable to speak?”
Rhetorical question: What good is a vote if it discharged by people whose ability to see what’s happening is compromised; and within a Matrix that doesn’t offer what it claims to offer: “life” nor “liberty?”
I think Kriss is on to something here. We need grassroots community education, need to have grassroots propaganda organs that counters the brainwashing of the local dailies and Big Media.
The Panthers had their newspaper and it was invaluable in framing – for the people – what was happening to the community from the Party’s perspective.
We are at the mercy of interests that care nothing about human, animal or planetary life. These people will do ANYTHING for a dollar including spread blatant, distorted falsehoods, images that control the masses.
Now more than ever, the lies of the gov/corporate rulers must be countered, re-interpreted and delivered to arid minds in order to reverse the brainwashing. That effort supercedes politics; if folks can’t think they certainly can’t vote intelligently.
Thank God for the AfroSphere!!
Cynthia McKinney stated at all her campaign stops why she is running. It’s about real change and power to the people. It’s a FIVE PERCENT CAMPAIGN
Below is what she said:
“Which brings us to why I’m running. And our charge must be to help voters understand that we’re running to fundamentally change the structure of our country’s politics. Five percent of the national vote puts the Green Party at the table of public policy making. When I first ran for Congress, it was dubbed the Year of the Woman, and we would say “We want our seat at the table.” And when I got to Washington, I saw that it really is a table. And public policy is made at that table. Only thing is, because someone slipped the corporate lobbyists the keys to the room where the table is located, the lobbyists are inside the process and the public–in whose name and with whose resources the policy is made–are locked out. Achieving that 5% with the Green Party, will add another seat at that table of public policy making and the people who occupy that third seat (Green Party members like me!) will remove the doors from the rooms and invite the public to come in and see public policy made in the Sunshine.
Then we won’t get these anomalies like politicians telling us they are against the war, but then vote to fund the war because they think no one is watching.
5% is not only victory for the Green Party, it represents a true victory for our country. And could be the beginning of the movement that our country so desperately needs. However, with ballot access being difficult for parties other than the major parties, it becomes increasingly difficult to get that 5%. And I’ll tell you, I suspect that the majors like it just fine and dandy this way. Which is why I’m taking the lead in doing something I’ve never done before in order to have some election integrity for our country and values in public policy making that we’ve rarely had before. We need volunteers and fundraising so we can ensure ballot access that will bring us that 5%. Please visit us at http://www.runcynthiarun.org and inquire about how you can help us and the Party achieve ballot access in your or other targeted states.”
@Kriss, I do agree wth and Freeslave that the green party should build, the grassroots running on local levels creating a base. However, as you say here “If by some miracle McKinney was to win, what would she do then? Congress is full of the same Democrats and Republicans that she’s trying to change from.” Well the same applies to Sen Obama saying he is free from corporated lobbies, yet the vast majority of the congress and senate are bought off by the lobbies. So how then can he make the so called change he is running on? As far as changing something from within has never worked. Change has always come from the people on the outside, working the system not being part of the system screaming change.
Great post, I agree with people needing to step outside the box in order to understand what the issues are and who really addresses people in this country’s needs. I hope you don’t mind that I will be linking to this post on my blog.
Ensayn,
That’s the thing about Obama running that most people overlook. It’s really not about him, but the grassroots operation that he’s started. I’m not foolish enough to think that Obama himself is going to make drastic changes. He’s trying to be President and for the most part the President can’t do that. But what he has done is energize the disenfranchised. Those millions of energized voters that are no longer apathetic and are now involved in politics. That’s what the “change” is. Those politicians in Congress will feel pressure not from Obama…but his millions of supporters. Why? Because they need his voters to stay in office. It’s leverage and right now the Green Party doesn’t have it.
Obama got his exposure by playing the game on the inside. The Green party doesn’t want to do that (I can respect that) but they don’t have the exposure or leverage yet. So how do they get it? Imagine if the Green party took that 5% idea and focused it on a few battleground states. Ohio, Florida or Michigan. What if they took over the local government. Do you know how much power they would have then? Then they would have the exposure and power. Running for President just has them listed as an “also ran” and doesn’t bring their cause to the spot light like they want.
@Ensayn: I am not at all surprised that you were ahead of most and on point in covering Cynthia McKinney’s presidential bid. The lack of interest in her campaign among Black folks is not surprising.
@Kriss: Your viewpoint(s) are pretty much the normal “American” perspective on the dominance of 2-party politics, based on closemindedness, ignorance and lack of vision. Let me school you a little bit on the wider world.
In most parliamentary and republican based democracies, there are more than 2 political parties (each representing the same interests and looking to maintain the status quo as in USA), dominating the political landscape. Look at Europe, Africa, Asia, Central and South America (and even Israel), and you will see that in most countries where they have some sort of representative form of government, it is usually made up of multi-party coalitions. True in some countries, one party may dominate through force and/or corruption, but there are multi-party or individual centred political movements that offer a challenge to the political status quo. The primary strength and weakness of these multi-party systems is that they bring a variety of interests and voices into the political arena, which can either force a government to be accountable to balancing the needs of a variety of constituents to stay in power; or can lead to continuous instabilty which results in numerous government changes, i.e., Italy and Greece; or can lead to violent conflicts as in Kenya and Zimbabwe.
A little closer to home. I live in Canada. We have 4 main national political parties. The 2 main political parties here that have dominated government are the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. The primary reason we have national health care, a national pension plan, national employment insurance and other national (and provincial) based social safety programmes is not because of these 2 parties that have dominated national party politics in this country. It is because of a third party, the New Democratic Party and it’s founder, Tommy Douglas. You can “google” them to get a more indepth history but I will share a couple of facts. The NDP has never formed the national government. They have never even been apart of a national coalition government. They usually receive about 10%-15% of the vote during a national election. However, with this 10%-15% support, they have been very influential in forcing Liberal and Conservative governments to enact policies to the benefit of ordinary Canadians.
Now comes the issue of vision. If McKinney and the Green Party, or Ralph Nader for that matter, were able to garner at least 5% of the vote that they are seeking, and with this a significant amount of support from the African-American community (which could increase the number beyond 5%), do you not think that the interests of those in the Black community, as well as other ordinary people, would have a better chance of being addressed than through Obama and the Democrats or McCain and the Republicans!?
Finally, in regards to grassroots movements…. they are the other side of the same coin. National attention with grassroots involvement is vital! McKinney and the Green Party, from what I have read from their website (have you read their website?), understand this and have well developed programmes, policies and initiatives to address this. In fact they discuss the importance of community involvement and being active in local governments, as the foundation of their party and movement.
The stranglehold the 2 main political parties have in the USA is not based on coercion or even propaganda… as much as it is based on the majority of people… like you… surrendering their essence and intelligence to being satisfied with consuming “bread”, being entertained by “circuses” and being hypnotised by a “black” faced minstrel.
From the Autobiography of Malcolm X:
“The Black man in North America was sickest of all politically. He let the White man divide him into…a Black ‘Democrat,’ a Black ‘Republican,’…when a ten-million Black vote bloc could be the deciding balance of power in American politics…”
asabagna,
I understand what you are saying and I’m well aware of the multi-party systems in other countries. My point was that running for President isn’t the most effective way they should go about it. Getting 10% of the vote in a Presidential election isn’t going to get them anything because then Democrats and Republicans will just fight over the other 90% and ignore that 10%. 2 – 3 Green party senators and they could tip the balance in the government. Even holding 10 – 15% of the support in a battle ground state would mean more than 10 – 15% nationally.
Ms. McKinney is one of the most impressive politicians that I’ve ever had the pleasure to speak with. When it comes time, I’m voting my interest and voting Cynthia McKinney or president.