The following collection of articles is published online in partnership with The Nation and HuffPost's OffTheBus.
With the national media focused squarely on the superficial (polls, pile-ons, UFOs, cleavage, etc.), The Nation Magazine this week focused on the substantive: An affirmative look at each of the eight Democratic presidential contenders.
The Nation invited eight progressive commentators to make their best case for their chosen candidate. From an introduction by the editors:
These comments do not represent the magazine's views; rather, each reflects a complex and personal calculus that weighs varying measures of ideology, integrity, competence, experience and electability. Some of these essays are outright endorsements, while others are more cautious assessments of the strengths of particular candidates. But all serve as reminders that this remains an open and exciting race, even as the window for considering the qualities of the candidates is rapidly closing.
It is the hope of The Nation, and the HuffPost's OffTheBus project, that these commentaries are a chance to view each candidate with fresh eyes. It's far too early to close off debate about a contest in which the stakes are so great for the Democratic Party, the country - and the world.
Below is an excerpt and the main point from each of the eight, along with a link to the full commentary.
Joe Biden: The best fighter, the most quick-witted. "No Democrat with an eye on the 2008 prize failed to thrill when Biden used an otherwise forgettable October debate to kneecap the GOP front-runner. While the other Democrats poked one another to uninspired effect, Biden ridiculed Rudy Giuliani for waging a campaign based on 'a noun, a verb and 9/11.' This was Biden at his best: fast on his feet, muscularly partisan, devastatingly effective at tossing barbs." -- John Nichols, Washington Correspondent for The Nation.
Hillary Clinton: A progressive who can win -- and govern. "Democrats must win in 2008. We must take back the White House with a candidate who adheres to core progressive principles but is also able to build coalitions and sustain majorities across ideological and partisan divides--first to win and then to govern successfully. Hillary Clinton is that candidate." -- Ellen Chesler, author and distinguished lecturer, Hunter College.
Chris Dodd: Strongest on human rights and civil liberties. "Dodd--like Clinton, Edwards and Biden--failed the great political leadership test of the Bush era, voting for the Iraq War. But in ways far more specific and uncompromising than his rivals, and without a breath of Clintonian equivocation, Dodd has been fighting to redeem himself and undo the damage of the 'war on terror.' On human rights, war crimes and civil liberties issues, Dodd has been laying down all the markers. " -- Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor to The Nation, and executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.
John Edwards: Like FDR, he's the real deal. "For my money, there is no other candidate who will work as hard as Edwards for the nation's low-income families, the working poor, struggling students and the 47 million Americans who desperately need health insurance. Organized labor sees him the same way, which is why he has garnered [SEIU's] seal of approval and the boots on the ground that it represents--even in the face of the Clinton juggernaut." -- Katherine Newman, co-author of The Missing Class: Portraits of the Near Poor in America.
Mike Gravel: An inconvenient truth-teller. "Today, even as the nation experiences an eerie déjà vu, it seems to have forgotten the most crucial lessons of Vietnam. Mike Gravel has not. He is every bit as resolute in his resistance to war now as he was then, and of all the presidential candidates he is the most steadfast critic of the principle of American imperialism, which spawned both catastrophes." -- Richard Kim, Associate Editor for The Nation.
Dennis Kucinich: A farsighted populist and pacifist. "Ever eager as I am to shed light, I sometimes drop the name of the least publicized applicant to the creaky throne of the West: Dennis Kucinich. It takes a moment for the name to sink in. Then genuine applause begins. He is very much a favorite out there in the amber fields of grain, and I work him into the text." -- Gore Vidal, a longtime contributing editor to The Nation, and author, most recently, of Point to Point Navigation: A Memoir.
Barack Obama: A visionary candidate for a new America. "For a clue to what makes Obama stick and tick, one need look no further than his training in the trenches of community organizing. As Ronald Reagan practiced what Vice President George Bush would call 'voodoo economics' --supply-side theories wrapped in tax cuts for the wealthy--Obama exited the Ivy League corridors of Columbia University in 1983 and, after a brief and unsatisfying stint on Wall Street, headed straight for the 'hood. ." -- Michael Eric Dyson, Georgetown University scholar and author, most recently, of Know What I Mean?
Bill Richardson: The Broadest experience, smart on Iraq. "If ending the tragic, self-destructive occupation of Iraq is indeed a line-in-the-sand issue, only Bill Richardson stands out among the leading candidates as the choice for President." -- Rocky Anderson, human rights activist and mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah.
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If Dennis Kucincih looked like John Edwards, wasn't a vegan and had a wife his own age, he'd be nominated by acclimation. Democrats, please vote for who you want and not who you think is most electable.
Sorry, forgot to add YEEEEE-HAAAAAA!
After the shameful absence of Clinton, Dodd, Obama, and Biden at the Mukasey vote, I can only say that I may vote for Rudy. If this country is goin' down, we might as well go down in a nuclear holocaust.
I really do think that Obama is the candidate we should be rallying around. I am a contributor to his campaign and I do not agree that he is "a babe in the woods" when it comes to american politics or world issues. One of his greatest strengths is an open mind and intelligence. He has earned everything he has accomplished and isnt afraid to ask the real questions and formulate real answers. I would hope however that he squelch the impulse to pander to the religious but approach everyone with the honesty and integrity he possesses....that IS refreshing!!!!!!
Too many candidates with good to excellent qualifications -- a strong field that utterly dwarfs the GOP field. But I maintain, we Democrats should look to those with the lowest "negative" rating -- as I read the polls, that's Edwards and Obama. I urgently wish Hillary Clinton would put aside her ambition and settle for becoming, one day soon, Senate Majority Leader.
Dennis Kucinich gets no traction in the media. He gets ridicule from the likes of BugEyes Russert.
This is becuase he has not been bought off by crony corporations with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo and the mainstream media receives its revenue from advertising paid for by large corporations, therefore they can hardly do otherwise. Rupert Murdoch is cosying up to Hillary because she is, well, a Republican. Democrat in name only.
If you conduct a poll and ask Americans what they want from government they will likey tell you:
1.End the war in Iraq and the drain on the Treasury.
2 Single payer not for profit healthcare.
3.Good well paying jobs.
4. An end to the assault on the Constitution.
5. Representatives with integrity who look after ALL Americans, not just the wealthy.
Then figure out who most closely fits these agendas.
You're like a schoolteacher saying, "They're all above average."
To call Hillary Clinton a progressive is an outrage. She has consistenly supported Bush's efforts to dismantle american democracy and she has made a pact with the devil supporting the Kyle-Lieberman resolution which was hatched in Dick Cheney's office. She also takes big money from Indian companies ready to take american jobs away. Please stop abusing the language.
As I am a Biden supporter, I urge you all to click through the links in this piece and read the full commentaries from which the quotes above are drawn.
While John Nichols, of The Nation, points out that Biden is a fighter who attacks the Republicans rather than rivals in his own party, it's also true that Biden has had the most success getting Republicans to vote for his amendments and bills.
This alone puts Ellen Chesler's assessment of Clinton in serious doubt.
Gore Vidal actually mentioned Dennis Kucinich - wow! That means the major corporate media won't do it too often. Afte all that establishment just sees Vidal as a crank, hence what insight could he possibly have? The frequent misrepresenting references to Kucinich as a pacifist isn't accurate. He certainly is not likely to pull the wool over the public's eyes to facilitate an inner circles desire to have war. But should we be attacked he would take appropriate measures to facilitate American security. If the media is so inclined to be dismissively simplistic toward Kucinich with the label "pacifist," why isn't it so inclined to readily call Bush a "warmonger?"
Think outside the box, why choose? Why don't the eight all agree that the needs of the nation are greater than their personal quest for power-- they will all be in the administration, and delegates will be shared to achieve the goal of who is best able to beat the Republican when the convention roles around. Like the cheetah watching the herd of gazelle, the Republican media is salivating for one candidate to be singled out so that they can pile on. Too many progressives forget to be progressive when they run up against old political traditions-- aren't you tired of the excuse that the Senate can't act because they don't have 60 votes? Who besides big money benefits from this crazed premature primary schedule? All of the Democrats have something valuable to contribute to an administration, so lets keep the suspense cooking and tell the Swift-boaters to wait until the convention to focus their sleaze on one candidate.
LOL, well NOT really...but we "ordinaries" really, REALLY have very little to REALLY say in who gets "selected" to be "our" prime candidate and uh, like most of us do realize it !!! THe media has up to now, handed that to HC...but as some "disgruntlement WAS noted, not sure if for real or just marketing strategy playing where they giving her and Bill some "hits' to appease the preceptions/etc...Yeah, TRUE CYNIC , but most of are indeed these days and such IS warranted !!! Biden actaully IS the most "credible" and experienced and etc...but not lokely to get THE nod to move to the positon as selected candidate any more than say Dennis, who actaully does speak what resides in a goodly majority of hearts and minds but same hearts and minds just figure pragmatically but a DREAM as to being actionable or "attainable" !!! Looks most likely we'll be stuck with HC and she'll bring along Bill and we keep being told how thrilled we all are over him when , mmm, not as much as they all claim for sure but then if any using Bushler for comparison, there are even other lesser choices that would be OK just to get a change of face/pace/etc and figure would do OK if not great in comparison to George and his brigade with all their incessant bumbling, bunglings and blunderings !!!
I am a Biden fan, too. I have long thought he would make a fine president. But...how do we convince the rest of the Democrats? It would be nice to have one good candidate to get behind early in the game, since this thing is starting so early anyway.
Hey, Hillary Clinton is no progressive.
She is a Compassionate Conservative.
Compared to what we have now---ALL LOOK PRETTY DARN GOOD TO ME.
Who will be best---we shall never really know til they are actually performing in office.
We should vote for who we think is best qualified---best experience --and best ability to communicate here and overseas
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Posted November 8, 2007 | 05:18 PM (EST)