From The American Left History Blog Archives (2006) - On American Political Discourse

 

Markin comment:

In the period 2006-2008 I, in vain, attempted to put some energy into analyzing the blossoming American presidential campaign since it was to be, as advertised at least, a watershed election, for women, blacks, old white anglos, latinos, youth, etc. In the event I had to abandon the efforts in about May of 2008 when it became obvious, in my face obvious, that the election would be a watershed only for those who really believed that it would be a watershed election. The four years of the Obama presidency, the 2012 American presidential election campaign, and world politics have only confirmed in my eyes that that abandonment was essentially the right decision at the right time. In short, let the well- paid bourgeois commentators go on and on with their twitter. I, we, had (have) better things to do like fighting against the permanent wars, the permanent war economies, the struggle for more and better jobs, and for a workers party that fights for a workers government . More than enough to do, right? Still a look back at some of the stuff I wrote then does not a bad feel to it. Read on.

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OF HILLARY “HAWK” CLINTON, BARACK OBAMA AND RALPH NADER (OR A SURROGATE) AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

COMMENTARY

FORGET OBAMA THE ‘CHARMA’, HILLARY “HAWK’ AND RALPH  NADER- FORGET DONKEYS, ELEPHANTS AND GREENS- ORGANIZE  A WRITE-IN WORKERS PARTY PRESIDENTIAL TICKET FOR 2008

Now that over a week has passed since the hoopla over the 2006 midterm elections sufficient time has passed so that a proper political junkie can freely comment on the contours of the upcoming apparently endless presidential elections of 2008.  And it ain’t going to be pretty. As I pointed out in a post-election blog (see the Emperor Has No Clothes, November 2006 archives) any political system that can do no better than provide the perfecta of Bush-Clinton, their families, their near and distant relatives, their pets, etc. every four years deserves all the problems it gets. With that caveat in mind it is a fair time to talk about the prospects of a woman president, a black president and, if he is still up for it, an old white man. In the concrete, that is the prospects or desirability of electing one New York Senator Hillary “Hawk” Clinton, black Illinois Senator Barack Obama or a Green/ Independent Ralph Nader (or his surrogate). And this writer is just the one, as always, to provide a ‘constructive’ alternative to the nastiness of bourgeois choices and politics. Here goes.  

In a previous blog (see VOTE ASSATA SHAKUR/LYNNE STEWART IN 2008, NOVEMBER 2006 ARCHIVES) I proposed a write-in campaign for a presidential ticket of Assata Shakur and Lynne Stewart to run on a working class program. For those not familiar with those candidates both Ms. Shakur and Attorney Stewart are women. Ms. Shakur is also black. Those interested in the motivation for that proposal can read the above-mentioned blog. What I want to discuss here is the more general question of a woman, a black or at least formally non- Democratic/Republican candidate for president.   

Hillary “Hawk”, Assata Shakur and Lynne Stewart are women.  Moreover, Ms. Shakur is a black woman. I did not want to incur the wrath of my feminist friends by proposing a man for president. After all we need women to break down the doors to the historic men’s club atmosphere of the United States Presidency. True enough, but as I have pointed out before in regard to Senator Clinton, she, and in this she is not alone, stands for the proposition that for all the virtues of the fight for the equality of women over the past decades women can have politics just as ugly as men. Some victory.

But, some will argue, Hillary is a progressive and we do not want to divide the progressive forces, etc., etc. Get over it! Yes, Hillary was a “progressive”, or what passed for such at Wellesley when she got uppity in her valedictorian speech. But, hell that was a long, long time ago. Since that time she has adhered to classic Clintonian Democratic Party centrism. Translation- she stays as close as close to the Republicans as possible without wearing an elephant on her lapel. Unfortunately for her the Republican Party these days is to the right of Genghis Khan (although that may be a slander on Mr. Khan because, as recently reported on the occasion of the 800^th anniversary of his birth, the Mongolian nationalists are currently touting his progressive nature for the times-talk about revisionism). But, let’s get to the bottom line- Hillary is operating in the coin of the realm of bourgeois politics- looking out for the main chance. Lynne and Assata have spent their careers on behalf of the voiceless and unrepresented- looking to give people a fighting chance. More, much more on this issue later.

Since the above information was published in an earlier blog Ms. Stewart has received a 28 month sentence. Her co-defendant Mohamed Yoursy has received a sentence of 20 months. Her other co-defendant Ahmed Sattar has received an outrageous sentence of 24 years. For further information contact the PDC, P.O. Box 99, Canal Street Station, New York, NY 10013-0099, The Lynne Stewart Defense Fund or see my blog, dated June 13, 2006. 

Assata Shakur, Tupac’s “Auntie”, is a revolutionary black fighter for justice who was convicted for murder in the 1970’s and later escaped to Cuba where she now resides in political asylum. Over the past year the United States Justice Department has increased its bounty on her up to one million dollars. To this writer’s mind that makes her quality presidential material in these times.