>Well, as I've already explained, an "extremist" like Kucinich
>doesn't stand a chance in hell of even getting much notice in the
>primary season, much less get nominated. So, by relying on the
>Democratic Party _organization_, there will not be any progressive
>voice or presence when it matters, in the run up to the general
>elections in November, when (some of) the masses are paying
>attention. Only a Presidential campaign mounted by an
>_organizationally_ independent progresive left party, like the
>Greens/Nader in 2000, will get even marginal attention in the
>present political climate (very reactionary) and therefore be an
>objective progressive left presence on the political scene.
Well stated:
>The conclusion is that no matter what shade of left politics you
>espouse, (for the record, I espouse _no_ fronts with future
>Democratic Party Leon Blums, but that is another discussion) there
>is no way around the fact that the only viable strategy is to build
>an _organizationally_ independent movement that struggles in every
>way to project an objective presence in whatever political
>environment.
I'd like to see socialists and those who are open to working with socialists coming together on this premise, so we can make concerted efforts.
>With respect to this strategy, the Kucinichs only siphon off
>precious activist energies away from building such an effort in 2004
>and into a worthless void. Which is no doubt why the Dems tolerate
>him.
Kucinich supporters do show up at demonstrations and the like against the occupations of Iraq and Palestine. Worth talking to some of them about why voting for Kucinich doesn't help end the occupations and why an alternative to the Democratic Party is necessary. -- Yoshie
* Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>