Ron Paul Picks Up Leftist, Liberal Endorsement: Alexander Cockburn

Against Dullness: The Campaigns So Far

Alexander Cockburn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Cockburn

It's time to take stock of the landscape. The American political system, as conditioned by corporate cash, the corporate press and legal obstructions to independent candidacies, is designed to eliminate any threat to business as usual. In the case of the Democrats, the winnowing process is working well. Mike Gravel, by far the most vivacious and radical of the party's candidates on substantive matters of war and empire, was swiftly marginalized. I've seen very few Gravel buttons.

Dennis Kucinich seems to have a lock on those Democrats prepared to stay true to a hopeless outsider. I don't understand this loyalty to the Ohio Congressman. The point of hopeless outsiders is to give us hope. It's a dialectical thing. They convince us that their cause is not hopeless, is worth fighting for. Kucinich gives me no hope. He has barely shouldered his way into single digits. His signs and buttons and stickers already look as though they're collectibles on eBay.

The three major Democratic contenders for the nomination are all unalluring. John Edwards is offering us a populist package, with homilies on fair trade, gaps between rich and poor, corporate greed and so forth. Decent people, including many labor organizers, are working for him. I don't believe a word he says. His record on war and empire is bad. He has poor judgment. Why spend $400 to have a hairdo that makes you look like a slick lawyer with a fancy haircut?

CONTINUED BELOW
Barack Obama? I can't remember a single substantive statement he's made. In terms of political philosophy and pragmatic intention, his platform is like the Anglican clergyman's answer when asked for his conception of God: an oblong blur. When he's pressed, Obama's positions on war and empire are usually very bad. Talk about "moving beyond partisan differences" invariably ends with the Establishment's long-term goal of abolishing Social Security.

Hillary Clinton is the candidate for corporate power at home and empire abroad. She argued passionately in the White House for the NATO bombing of Belgrade. Two days after September 11, 2001, she was calling for a broad war on terror. She voted for the Patriot Act. When it came time for Mrs. Clinton to deliver her speech in support of the attack on Iraq, she reiterated some of the most outlandish claims made by Dick Cheney.

On the Republican side, I've liked Mike Huckabee. He had a decent record as governor of Arkansas and deserves support if only for his moral and political courage in his pardoning or sentence commutations of more than 1,000 convicted criminals. These acts of mercy and faith in rehabilitation have been predictably attacked by some chortling liberals because one of those whose parole he may have prompted subsequently killed someone. This is an unavoidable risk unless you achieve certainty by execution or a sentence of life without the possibility of parole--which will be the trend if states continue to abandon the death penalty. Juries will have less compunction in convicting if the penalty is LWOP rather than death. Of course, these days parole itself is harder and harder to win in all states. The release on New Year's Eve of the 77-year-old Sara Jane Moore after thirty-two years in prison for trying to kill our greatest President since Warren Harding is, alas, scarcely a precedent. This parole, incidentally, was won by two young attorneys from the Bay Area: Scott Fleming and Scott Handleman, the latter a close friend of mine and indeed my former intern here at The Nation. But Huckabee, particularly since he took on board a big-name political strategist, Ed Rollins, has made bad mistakes, flip-flopping on his enlightened position on immigration and invoking the awful John Bolton as a foreign policy counselor. Nonetheless, I have a soft spot for the guy, if only because he has real populist character and has panicked the Establishment into regrouping round John McCain as the Republican match to HRC, as the bipartisan candidate of choice. But my favorite remains Ron Paul, rock-solid against war and empire and the neoliberal corporate state. He's a principled fellow who's won passionate support (and millions in modest cash contributions) from ordinary Americans. I recently drove down I-5 from Washington through Oregon to Northern California, and "Ron Paul" signs were almost the only ones I saw. I like the look of the people behind them.

The case for Paul as a candidate leftists can and should support is powerfully made on our CounterPunch website by Jeff Taylor, a onetime Wellstone enthusiast. I encourage everyone to read the case Taylor makes at www.counterpunch.org/taylor01022008.html. As Taylor writes, "Not only does Ron Paul represent Jeffersonian values usually termed 'conservative' or 'libertarian' today (fidelity to the Constitution, frugal government, states' rights, Second Amendment, national sovereignty), but he is also a leading example of support for Jeffersonian positions nowadays described as 'liberal' or 'leftist' (e.g. opposition not only to the Iraq War but to war in general, anti-imperialism, ending the federal war on drugs, hostility to the Patriot Act and other violations of civil liberties). This accounts for the wide appeal of the Paul campaign. It's precisely the sort of trans-ideological, cross-generational populist-libertarian-moralist coalition that I was hoping to see with a Feingold presidential campaign."

Will there be other candidates? Bloomberg may run, but he certainly doesn't make my pulse beat faster. Ralph Nader? He told me on New Year's Eve that he'd make up his mind in a month. The same day he endorsed Edwards, which presumably helps Ralph's cred with the trial lawyers. So if HRC becomes the certain nominee, Ralph may run. If he does, he should campaign solely in Ohio and Florida. For now I hope Paul makes a break for it and runs as an Independent. That would be exciting. All great seasons in politics begin with excitement. Right now there's none.

Quitter: Bill Richardson. Pressing on: Ron Paul

Bill Richardson, admitting he is a wannabe leader in a field of three powerhouses (John Edwards, Barack Obama, and, of course, Hillary Clinton, sometimes called 'Hillary Rodham Clinton'). Ron Paul, however, is pressing on among the Republicans, undeterred by the challenge in front of him.

Unable to compete with the big girls and boys, Richardson officially is bowing out.

He could not afford to throw donor money in a lost, futile cause. "His impressive credentials" apparently impressed too few, and, realizing he was losing on every front, quit what he could not finish.

Richardson to end 2008 presidential bid
AP - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals' star power.

Margins of Success: New Hampshire

Running numbers in the campaign in New Hampshire:

New Hampshire Pre- and Post-Iowa

Ron Paul Addresses New Republic Article

January 8, 2008

Today, as New Hampshire voters headed to the polls, The New Republic published an article carefully timed to hurt Ron Paul.

This article rehashes an old issue of quotations from newsletters published under Dr. Paul's name, but not edited by him. Dr. Paul takes full responsibility, as he has for over a decade, for failing to adequately monitor the words that went out under his name.

You and I know that Dr. Paul's message of freedom is about individual liberty, and that liberty is the best antidote to racism. If anyone has doubts, I would encourage them to read Dr. Paul's issue page on racism.

Dr. Paul's response to the article is posted here. As you would expect, Congressman Paul denounces racism and embraces instead, the hopeful message of freedom -- the message he has championed for decades.

Sincerely,

Kent Snyder

Chairman, Ron Paul 2008

related press release:
January 8, 2008 5:28 am EST

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – In response to an article published by The New Republic, Ron Paul issued the following statement:

“The quotations in The New Republic article are not mine and do not represent what I believe or have ever believed. I have never uttered such words and denounce such small-minded thoughts.

“In fact, I have always agreed with Martin Luther King, Jr. that we should only be concerned with the content of a person's character, not the color of their skin. As I stated on the floor of the U.S. House on April 20, 1999: ‘I rise in great respect for the courage and high ideals of Rosa Parks who stood steadfastly for the rights of individuals against unjust laws and oppressive governmental policies.’

“This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It's once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary.

“When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publicly taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name.”

###
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/press-releases/125/ron-paul-statement-on-the-new-republic-article-regarding-old-newsletters/

Hillary Clinton wins Democratic primary in New Hampshire. (No Mention About a Cubs World Series)

Ron Paul was beaten by John McCain. No news yet at how close it was.

Unexpected, but that's why it is an upset. As for the Chicago Cubs, another miracle yet undone, Chicago's good citizens still wait.

Clinton and McCain pull off upsets in NH
By DAVID ESPO and PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writers

CONCORD, N.H. - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire's Democratic primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Sen. Barack Obama and resurrecting her bid for the White House. Sen. John McCain powered past his Republican rivals and back into contention for the GOP nomination.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/primary_rdp;_ylt=AuVG.MMX8gDzws4OKN.FVfFh24cA

Seems the bold Barack Obama campaign might regret this:

Ron Paul on Larry King 1-3-08 (Unaired Video)

Ron Paul on Larry King 1-3-08 (UNAIRED). Why unaired? I don't know. I suspect a great conspiracy of pro-Mickey Mouse voters. Seriously, I doubt any evil doing, but here's the video.

Hillary Clinton Cries, Ron Paul Flies

Hillary Clinton playing the tear gambit. Crying shows her sensitive side, but in doing so, she shows she might not be able to stand up emotional to difficult decisions, serious media heat.

Is this good for Hillary Clinton's struggling campaign, or hurt her?

Going the distance is the issue, as well as the right values. Ron Paul seems to be showing no tears.

John Edwards? Joel Osteen? Peas of a Pod?

Speaking styles of two successful Southerners. Ron Paul talks straighter than either. Not putting down Christianity here, just not quite sure Osteen is telling the whole story, and am amazed at how similar Edwards is to him.

Ya'll got thoughts on all this?

JOEL OSTEEN /LAKEWOOD CHURCH


10/14/2007 - Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas


John Edwards' latest campaign ad airing in New Hampshire.


John Edwards fixing his hair before an interview. With appropriate music.

Tiananmen Square: From Tanks Killing Students, to Marathoners Racing for Gold

Tiananmen Square (also spelled 'Tienanmen Square'), as most people recall, is where China mowed down protesters against communism. The Chinese government used tanks in 1989 to murder peaceful promoters of democracy.

This happened in the beginning of George HW Bush's presidency, in a year that also saw the Salman Rushdie's stand for freedom against the Ayatollah. In both cases, Bush could nothing. In the case of China, he would have started WWIII.

What will happen during the marathon? I am concerned. The Chinese people have long wanted freedom, but are blocked from such freedom. With the world watching, I imagine the leaders of the freedom movement will look for an opportunity to speak.

With the marathon this year, there will need to be open doors to communications. Internet portals, fax machines, cell phones will be more freely available, and, by sheer force of need, not as monitored.

The marathon is not the only event, magnifying the possibilities from the Red Curtain to be broken. The window of opportunity is small, but not insignificant.

Olympic marathon to begin at Tiananmen Square: state media
BEIJING (AFP) - The marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will begin from central Tiananmen Square, one of China's most popular tourist spots, state media said Saturday.

Iowa, Ron Paul and Continuing On to NH

Whadja think of last night in Iowa?

As you know, Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton by 8-9 percentage points. She came in third, behind John Edwards.

And Ron Paul took fifth, among Republicans, beating no-show Rudy Giuliani.

Mike Huckabee had a similar win over Mitt Romney. That said, in conservative, largely faith-based Iowa, Huckabee had easy pickings there . This showed two things, though: Repubs are still undecided, and, Add Romney and Huckabee and you've got a lot of morally conservative voters willing to vote Republican.

The Democrats never reached out to evangelical and fundamentalist Christians, despite having some values many hold important.

I think Huckabee will take a hit in NH. Everyone does. Expect him to tweak his message to diminish his faith-focus, and talk about caring for others. Consistent with what he believes, but will help limit the religious phobia that swirls around those afraid of his personal life.

I think Edwards' support is temporary. He is too liberal compared to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and the majority of Democratic voter want someone to build bridges with conservatives. The jury is out whether Hillary/Obama can do this, but few think Edwards can, or intends to.

Still a Hillary/Obama fight. The Clinton campaign is not unorganized, and not hanging their heads low. They know Hillary’s husband lost in Iowa, and then went on to win two White House elections. Expect the Hillary machine to do what it does better than the rest: swing hard, look smart, and handle the PR masterfully.

Rudy never showed up, realizing he had no chance in Iowa. He saved his money, emotions and reality. That reality is that he will not president. He's running for speaking jobs in 2009.

Which Republican is wining their side? I’m unsure. Huckabee’s victory may not withstand then upcoming East Coast liberal onslaught. However, he could thrive. Just like during Super Bowl Sunday, alternatives are still needed. He might be seen as the one credible conservative option, and, as we see, other than Romney, candidates among Republicans are more mid-road moralists or have no reasonable chance (no one, from what I hear, ever took Alan Keyes seriously).

Iowa Caucus: Clinton Loses to Obama, Ties With Edwards

1. Edwards and Clinton both have 31%
2. Huckabee has won Iowa with 35%
3. Obama has won Iowa with 36%

Ideas for Helping Ron Paul Take Down Hillary and Barack

1. Write a letter to the editor.
2. Give money to the Ron Paul campaign
3. Encourage others to write letters
4. Write letters to your local Republican representative
5. Visit your local Republican representative at his or her office
6. Post on every blog you can logical, and intelligent remarks (remember, "I hate Bush" is useless, and essentially was all the John Kerry campaign was seen as).

What Next? Ron Paul in a New Year

2008. Ron Paul needs numbers - volunteers, money, publicity, and, ultimately, votes.

2007 saw some victories, but the Hillary Clinton campaign is hardly sitting around, and Barack Obama is starting to make credible noise. Clinton's a machine, and appeals to the very liberal crowd. Barack Obama attracts the anti-war crowd very well.

What can we learn?

What can we do?

What will you do?

Post your ideas. I'll highlight the better ones, and keep a running list.

Barack Obama Campaign Gear

In a desire to be an equal opportunity blogger, after posting a lot of pro-Ron Paul campaign materials, I though posting some Barack Obama campaign t-shirts might be in order.

Apparel

Barack Obama Black Clothing Women's Long Sleeve Dark$24.09
Barack Obama Black Clothing Women's V-Neck Dark T-$20.09
Barack Obama Black Clothing Maternity Dark T-Shirt$24.09
Barack Obama Black Clothing Women's Plus Size V-Neck$25.09
Barack Obama Black Clothing Dark T-Shirt$19.09
Barack Obama Black Clothing Women's Plus Size Scoo$25.09
Barack Obama Black Clothing Long Sleeve Dark T-Shi$24.09
Barack Obama Black Clothing Women's Dark T-Shirt$20.09