Rock The Vote: To Iowans For Biden, Dodd, Richardson, Kucinich, Paul, and Gore

You read it here first: after Iowa and New Hampshire the pundits will proclaim 2008 The Year Of The Political Independent that will advantage Barack Obama and John McCain, and disadvantage Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney.

The great realignment is at hand, and it is anti-Washington, anti-establishment, and anti-Bush with the potential outcome of the next FDR and JFK-style eras being a progressive centrist alliance between progressive Democrats and political independents electing a reformist President and Congress.

If the last shall be first, Dennis Kucinich has fired the first cannon by urging his supporters in Iowa to vote with Barack Obama and if the supporters of Biden, Dodd, Richardson, Gore and Democrats for Ron Paul take this course and rock the vote for Obama or Edwards in Iowa, the revolution begins.

The proposition in Iowa is simple: the Iowa caucus is now a referendum, yes or no, on whether the Democratic nominating process is declared over, before it begins in earnest, with the insider establishment coronating it's candidate, Hillary Clinton, or whether the real campaign begins with a reformist victory in Iowa that sets loose powerful forces for true change.

January 3 in Iowa will be the Lexington and Concord of our times, and in this year of the political independent the issue will be decided by the most disenfranchised, disrespected and disempowered groups in American politics, who are:

Progressive Democrats who hunger for a leadership of principle and courage in the battle against the worst President in our times, and any times, and political independents, who are fed up with the demeaning negativity corruptions and gridlock of our age, and who are 70% united with progressives against the hallmarks of the Bush years.

To young people especially, do not let the "grown ups" disenfranchise you by deliberately scheduling the caucus on a date they think you will be away on college break. Shame on them, power to you.

Rock the vote: come back by plane, train, bus, or foot. It is your country and your future; you can change the world. You will have a story to tell for a lifetime and historians will write about what you do.

To supporters of Biden, Richardson, Dodd, Kucinich, Gore and Democrats in Iowa for Ron Paul, ignore the insiders, because they are wrong. As Democrats will gather on a cold Iowa night, in a razor thin campaign, you have the votes to light a fire that will change America, and leave the insiders commenting with awe about what you do.

Here is why I urge supporters of Biden, Dodd, Richardson, Kucinich, Gore and Democrats for Ron Paul to walk into the Iowa caucus and cast your votes for either Edwards or Obama which will change American history and keep hope alive for your number one candidate.

If Hillary Clinton is formally handed the crown though achieving only a 30% plurality in Iowa, the election in November will be between a Republican who embodies the reactionary way of Bush 44, versus a Democratic Party that feels vindicated and victorious by a practice of surrendering, positioning, maneuvering and a failure to fight for the dreams we hold dear, even when we stand with 70% of our country.

If Hillary comes in second, there will be an open process that continues and a debate that only then begins in earnest. If Hillary comes in third, our democratic process will break open to the skies with an explosion of energy, vitality, and activism throughout the Democratic Party.

This is not about Hillary; it is about democracy, about what Democrats stand for and fight for, about whether we hear the message of the American people that business as usual in Washington must end.

Make no mistake, the objective fact is this: Hillary has alienated the vast pool of political independents and is the one major Democrat who therefore cannot possibly win a landslide and could hand to Republicans an election victory that would be another inexcusable defeat for Democrats and tragedy for America.

If we rock the vote, Hillary will get her second change in this campaign, and let her fight for it with what she believes in, what she stands for, not sending surrogates out to demean other Democrats or campaigning on the vanities of restoration or inevitability. If she wins after a truly open contest, she will be a better candidate and leader for it.

If we rock the vote let Biden be Biden, let Richardson be Richardson, let Dodd be Dodd, let Kucinich be Kucinich, let Obama be Obama, let Edwards be Edwards, let Gore tell us where he stands, and let them ALL be heard, in a TRUE process of democracy with the REAL debate our country deserves, and demands.

Already the television insiders are planning to ban certain candidates from future debates, beginning with the shameful exclusion of Dennis Kucinich in Iowa and Ron Paul from an upcoming debate.

The debates that were never serious, will be the debates that will soon be silenced, but this will change if the supporters of Biden, Richardson, Dodd, Kucinich, Gore and Democrats for Paul in Iowa rock the vote, open the process and restore democracy to a tired and decayed system.

If Obama and Edwards finish first and second in Iowa, the closed process opens, and the voice of the disenfranchised majority will be heard.

Our democracy will be replenished with the only restoration that matters, the restoration of the Democratic Party as the party of the people, and the restoration of our democratic government being of the people, by the people, and for the people.

To supporters of Biden, Richardson, Dodd, Kucinich, Gore and Democrats for Ron Paul: on January 3 you are the stars, you are the leaders, and you are the Thomas Paines of our time with the power to rock the vote, and change the world.

Comments

[gateley]

Stand strong, Biden caucusers - we're behind you and we won't let you down!

[Jillianw]

I have to disagree with you on this one, Mr Budowsky.

I think the Obama and Edwards supporters should throw their votes over to Biden.

Obama or Edwards will not win the GE. Close your eyes and picture either one of them against the Rovian tactics. Picture them against McCain in a debate. Think about Edwards debating Cheney.
Now think about Biden in the GE. What are they going to throw against him? That he talks too much? That he forgot to mention Kinnock 20 years ago? That he doesn't support the troops. That he will burn their bibles? Nope. There's not much there that will stick. And besides, who else can come up with such zingers as "A noun, a verb, and 9/11"?
Biden is the man!

[Tellmethetruth]

Clinton is "historic" because she is a woman - that would represent "change." Obama is "historic" because his father was from Kenya in Africa, although he was raised by his white grandparents. Either of these two would be a "change" from white male rule. That is all the mantra "change" means, escape from white male dominance.

This symbolism belongs to the office of Vice President, not the president. Voters need to vote for the best qualified person to be President - in this case Joe Biden.

White males who want Obama rather than Clinton, are just saying they want a male and never a female. In actuality Obama is no different than Clinton in terms of keeping the status quo and being financed by Corporate wealth that will guarantee we all remain powerless. If you want a non-white male rule with experience, then go with Richardson who equally would be the candidate of "change" from white male dominance, but who has the experience to be President.

The true candidate of change in a way that affects the lives of 92% of the working class in America is Edwards - who wants to take on the corporations. Edwards lacks the mastery of the system and the experience to bring this about without someone like Biden at his side.

But, if voters wants a "historic" and symbolic candidate who is the "change" from white male dominance, then that candidate would be Clinton, which is why she gets support from women but not from white males who are going to Obama not because he's white, but because he's male. So, let's get over the pretending.

I for one would rather have experience and someone who representes the interests of the worker which is why I like Biden and Edwards, who I could care less if they are indeed white males.

[LizM]

Number one...by any measure you could possibly make, Joe Biden does not belong in this group.

Number two...Biden supporters are not anti-Hillary, per se, they are pro-Biden.

I don't know what you're up to, but it's not good for anyone.

[musselmanm]

Thanks, reading your ideas makes me feel the fire from many years ago. I have the fire still, in my head but my body is too frail to do the hell raising anymore. I hope the young people come out in droves! I can envision Al Gore coming on stage during the Democratic Convention and say the things he needed to say in 2000. I am now a registered Independent in NC but I will be voting for Obama if I have the chance. I do still believe in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We can restore our great America.
I still have my Kennedy for President button from 68. Lets fire one up and meet at the Reflecting pool.

[US55588144]

Why don't the Lower Tier Democrats, as the media has anointed them, get together and win the Democratic nomination. Here is the deal. Biden gets the Presidency because of Seniority. Richardson gets the Secretary of State position. Dodd replaces Harry Reid, a real dud as Senate Majority Leader. Kucinich Gets the Secretary of Labor job. Mike Gravel is named Secretary of the Interior with explicit instructions to save the Polar Bears.

[Chachi]

I would urge Biden supporters to vote for Biden. If I was in Iowa that's what I'd do and I wouldn't settle for throwing my support behind a 2nd choice because then that just plays into this shitty system we have that the press and pundits will tell everyone what will happen, and then everyone falls for it, and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

There are now and always have been more than 2 or 3 choices on the Democratic side. If a Biden supporter falls for going for their 2nd choice then they are just reaffirming that the media was right to only cover the top tier and shove them down our throats. I'd rather vote none of the above just to show that there was a large % of voters that rejected the so called top tier.

[RickO]

It's odd that Ron Paul would be excluded from the debates. He may not show the poll numbers but he's all over the place, and so are his signs and supporters (at least in my town). If you didn't look at the polls, it would be easy to mistake him for the Republican front-runner. As a hard-core progressive, I think he's the most interesting of the GOP field.

[SoonerThought]

Here's what this supporter of Biden is going to do: VOTE FOR BIDEN. www.Joebiden.com

[GuiltyByStander]

Budowsky you did it again!

Iowa caucus voters please remember: you get two chances no matter what.

- Use the first one to see whether your candidate is actually viable -- stranger things have happened.

- And use the second one to make sure that the maximum number of candidates get to NH to keep the debate hot.

Don't just walk into the caucus room and head for the biggest crowd. That would be a sad waste of your vote.

And P.S.: we don't _buy_ politicians.

[2LaneIA]

Great essay, Brent, but I quibble with your premise in one respect: your assumption that Biden will be no more viable than Kucinich, Dodd or Gore. I have no feel for whether Richardson will be viable where I am.

I am a Biden supporter and I am 100% certain he will be viable in my precinct and get at least one delegate. If turnout is only slightly ahead of 2004, he'll get two. I am not going to Obama or Edwards because I am going to stick with Biden.

But we are working on getting some of our independent and GOP friends to come caucus for Biden, because a lot of them are united by their hatred of Hillary Clinton. I do not share the animosity, but whatever floats their boat into the caucus room is OK. The more ABC people there, the fewer delegates she gets.

Go Joe!

[lgillooly]

Biden/Edwards 08'

[peacecandidate]

I do not agree with this person.

Very few people show up to caucus, so rather than toss your votes to an unworthy candidate(that considers universal health care FORCING us to buy insurance) why not wait and see if you can convince the unrepresented to come over to Kucinich to get him 15%. Why not band together for NONE of the above- even that would be better.

Do not give up folks- gather your friends and family and show up to the caucus. Every person makes a difference. Only 10% bother to attend a caucus, so if you are an informed citizen it is your DUTY to show up and FIGHT for Kucinich! He is the only one with the credibility and intelligence to turn the country around.

And when the presidential election is all decided, no matter who will be president- WE NEED A NEW CONGRESS! Please consider running yourself- you need only to look at the morons currently in office to know YOU ARE Qualified!
www.peacecandidates.com

[drkazmd65]

A third-place finish for Hillary In Iowa should be the goal of all real Democrats.

I am not a strong supporter of Obama.

I am not a strong supporter of Edwards - but at least find him more in line with mainline Democrat/P­rogressive interests.

Hillary has got to go - we don't need another 4-8 years of Bush-Clint­on-Bush-Cl­inton. We Need Change.

The only way that the ideas of any of the 2nd-tier candidates ever gets heard is if Hillary is gone as the frontrunner. The longer the nomination remains open - the longer the ideas of Kucinich, Dodd, Biden, Richardson cannot be completly ignored by the MSM.

Go anybody but Hillary!

[Pdubya]

Thanks for this piece! BRILLIANT!

However, your plea to Paul supporters will not work...you will not get ONE changed vote from Paul to another.

peace