Tomorrow, I am going to deliver two to three times the number of signatures I need to qualify as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in New York. And, beginning tomorrow, New Yorkers will finally have a real political choice: a chance to choose between a Democratic Party with spine and principle versus a political charade based on spin, polls, triangulation and the pursuit of power.
In the past six weeks, I've shaken the hands of thousands of New Yorkers. Our petition drive was powered primarily by grassroots volunteers, unlike most campaigns that rely on paid people to fill their petitions. Throughout the state, we were successful (and we would have racked up far more signatures if not for the wacky, persistent rainfall) because people are hungry for a Democratic Party that they can believe in again.
People came from everywhere to talk to me. One woman got on the subway in Brooklyn, came into Manhattan just to sign the petition and, then, got back on the subway and went home. People crossed parks and streets when they saw our signs, desperate to put their name to a piece of paper that they felt might mean an immediate end to the Iraq War, the stopping of abusive corporate power and achieving real health care by extending Medicare For All--the central pieces of my platform. I drove my campaign staff crazy, wearing them out every day (the 20-somethings couldn't keep up with the old man) because I wanted to be out there every hour, standing in the streets and engaging voters because that is the path to invigorating grassroots democracy.
But, some of the most fascinating dialogue took place with people--surprisingly, a relatively small number--who said that they supported the incumbent. I asked each one, "are you for the war?" They all said no. Well, I pointed out, your candidate voted for the war and, as Bob Herbert pointed out recently in The New York Times, you need a magnifying glass to find any difference between her position and the position of the Bush Administration.
Moving on from that "single-issue" pesky war and occupation, I asked: "Do you believe in the death penalty or discriminating against same-sex couples or criminalizing flag-burning," all positions that Hillary Clinton supports. Again, almost uniformly, the answer was "no." Well, "would you support Medicare For All," I asked. Absolutely, they answered. Sorry, I said, the incumbent opposes a single-payer, Medicare For All system. A bit of uncomfortable silence usually followed. And, then, we would wish each other a pleasant day.
Almost to a person, my opponent's supporters could not point to any POLICY issue they agreed with her on. Most of those people walked away from the conversation looking deeply confused. Cognitive dissonance--the psychological phenomena of a person struggling with the contradiction between facts and what they would like to believe--bursts out in full display when it comes to my opponent. A few people, after walking down the street, perhaps wrestling with their conscience or simply believing that there needed to be a democratic debate, not a coronation, in the election, turned around and walked back to sign our petitions.
It became quite clear that many supporters of Hillary Clinton have no idea what she actually believes in or what she has actually done. Her support is the prime political example of celebrity culture in America: we know nothing about what someone believes or who they really are; the media helps spin an image, carefully managed and orchestrated by our celebrity's handlers; and, then, we are shocked, shocked when we find that JenLo or Brittany or Hillary aren't what we expected. I suppose we can have a bit of tolerance for fiction when it comes to actors and athletes. But, when we are talking about war and peace, our economic future and basic principles like the First Amendment, the celebrity charade must be challenged.
So, over the next few days, as we move from petitioning into a full-fledged campaign, our movement will try to shine a little light on the political charade taking place in New York. I hope it will help invigorate our party so that, if it actually takes power again, our leaders can say they actually stand for something beyond "we're not the other guys." Let the debate begin.