If I Were An Iowan

Courage in politics is rarely the spontaneous type John McCain described as "that rare moment of unity between conscience, fear, and action, when something deep within us strikes the flint of love, of honor, of duty, to make the spark that fires our resolve."

In political elections, courage is more considered, even calculated. It happens when a candidate decides to honestly convey, despite significant risk, what he or she will do if elected. That's the candidate I'd be looking for if I lived in Iowa or any of the upcoming primary states. Who is willing to risk losing in order to be honest? It's a tall order, I know. But it's the only way out of the mess we've been in for 7 long years.

This isn't an argument against political savvy. I'm not suggesting we look for a purist. Even honesty requires astute delivery at times just as accomplishing goals can call for connections. Politicians need to know how to line up the ducks, develop and use favor banks, accrue and manage power, be in the loop -- and that's just for starters. In highly political environments, it pays to have the capacity to be a street fighter when needed. But none of these political skills requires deception. And none of them precludes candidness.

In short, it's possible to be politically sophisticated and still the kind of person who says what he/she means. Somewhere along the line with all the charlatan advisors, candidates have lost what some call souls and others a sense of center. Advisors are great until they start advising you to be someone other than who you are.

The truth lies in specifics -- getting beyond generalities. The devil can indeed be found in the details. That's why so few candidates want to go that route. But honesty resides there as well. If I were an Iowan, I'd want to know precisely what will be required of insurance and pharmaceutical companies in the effort to provide universal healthcare? If they don't find out in Iowa, they should be on it in New Hampshire.

When we start hearing candidates tell us when and how powerful influence peddlers are going to have to change their ways, then we'll be hearing something akin to political courage. Edwards has promised to rid the White House of lobbyists. How about driving them out of Congress too? Then lobbyists with worthy causes will be on an equal playing field where they all rely on persuasion rather than on pay-offs. Also, how about this: If you've served in the Senate or House, you NEVER get to be a lobbyist?

If we hear a few bold statements like these instead of vague generalities about change, who brings hope, who experience and who pulls all-nighters, then perhaps Iowans and the rest of us will be able to differentiate between those who talk about change and those who have what it takes to make it happen.

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Comments

[Janelynne]

If Democrats do not begin to congeal together, we may see a denoument next November and beyond. We, as a party, need to sharpen our skills and temper our loyalty. We have been behaving like the party that we are not. If we do it long enough, we will become them.
From a great field, we are looking for the best candidate who can do the people's work.

Hillary is my choice. She has worked her entire life working to better the lives of women and children. She showed great courage and intellect when she pioneered to get universal health care in the 80's when it was a third rail issue. I have no doubt that as President she will on day one, courageously battle to do the job of the people.

Edwards is a fierce warrior, who tells it like it is. He is fearless to talk about all the third rail topics without blinking. He has been to hell and back in his own life, and there is no doubt in my mind that as President he will fight every day for the little guy, for fairness. I am certain that he would make a wonderful President.

Obama is filled with the hope and love for his country that we saw in the 1960's. I think he has the intellect to handle the job, and the potential to grow into it. I don't think he is there yet, but if he wins, I will support him.

I hope that we rise to the occasion of electing a Democratic President. I hope we pick the right person and get solidly behind her/him. The years ahead will be harsh economically, politically, environmentally, and internationally. The President will need our solid support. The job will be no piece of cake and will be more burden than prize. It is going to be very lonely at the top.

If we Democrats keep infighting lke a bunch of 11 year olds we are going to lose far more than simply our own way. There is so terribly much at stake.

[evangelicalatheist]

What I haven't heard in Iowa (or anywhere else for that matter): Regulation vs. DE(ad)regulation.

Clamp down on the credit card industry? Reinstate the usury laws. In a recent congressional hearing on abuses in the industry the word USURY wasn't uttered.

The oil industry? REALLY regulate mergers (the FTC & SEC are embarassments) Instead of all the talk of price GOUGING a few pennies at the pump lets talk about price FIXING by the industry, using refining capacity.

Election fraud? Instead of Voter ID cards, lets talk about RED-LINING on election day using voting machines. I live in a suburb of Cincinnati - there were no lines for me to wait in - it took us 10 minutes to vote. Voters in our inner city waited four (4) hours in line - in the rain. Time for state and county election boards to be run by professionals, NOT political parties!

Ethics, campaign finance, lobbying, the pharmaceutical industry, insurance, the banking industry, healthcare, etc., etc., etc., Solutions are simple in most cases. Roll back the Reagan "legacy" - REGULATE!!! They won't regulate themselves.

Time for a little more SPIRIT of the law, and a great deal less LETTER of the law.

[Silknspark]

Dear Kathleen,
I agree that ones who've served in senate or house should NEVER get to be a lobbiest!
Dear Bloggers,
If you're given to denegration of anyone, beating dead horses, shooting first before getting the facts, perpetuating coarse words and hatred, please stop.
As adults, we have a duty to lift our youngsters into a culture of honest, law abiding, cheerful, role models.
You can bring our country into light and back on terra-firma by using impeccable manners.
Your aura of influence is nothing more than a reflection of you. If what you see appalls, then busy yourself with actions that do no harm to you...or your neighbor.
Thank you.

[steveballmer]

My disdain for Hellary has nothing to do with her supposedly being a woman! I love women and would vote for one for president readily. But, let's not vote for Klinton just because of gender: think back to that administration, all of the spies, lies, corruption, deaths, smears, immorality, backstabbing, laws broken, drugs, bribes, Chinese spies, payoffs, character assinations, assasinations, investigations, using dead people, theft, obfescations, stealing china, destruction of public property, threats to bimbos, assaults, rape accusations, sex not sex, asprin factory murders, tyrant coddling, Whtewatering, Rose law firming, missing files, DNA disapearance, Foster bodies, Lies in diaries, lawyers commiting suicide, hidden agendas, payoffs, Luewinskiing, coverups, mismanagements, bodies in the parks, bodies in the cell, bodies in the water, nuclear secrets being sold, FBI files stolen, blackmailings, ..... all with Hellary right smack dab in the middle either orchestrating or covering up!
Use your memories people!

Other than that I have nothing against her.
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

[Bluedanube]

American politics is nothing more than image over substance. The myth of American democracy is alive and well. Nothing will change in America until the electorate rouses from it's hypnotic trance and self-delusion and realizes they are more than mindless sheep.

[ranchobob]

Iowa SCHMIOWA! - the mouse that bored.
We might as well have Punxsutawney Phil anoint the front runners.
What a farce - there are less people in the entire state than there are in the SF Bay Area. They represent nothing. It is statistically irrelevant. The cable news droids have puffed this circus up to new heights of delirium.
The process discourages voting by disallowing people the right to cast their vote in private. Republicans can re-register as democrats on the spot and try to elect the candidate least likely to win as the opponent for the Repub they actually want to be president.
it stinks to high heaven, it is antiquated, foolish, solipsistic, and I am screamingly tired of hearing about it.

[jackpinesavage]

Honesty in American politics died when Jimmy Carter put on a cardigan in front of the American people. (This is not to say that before that moment honesty was widespread.) He was honest about our situation then and where it would lead if we didn't take action. Ronald Reagen rolled into office by promising the moon and suggesting that it would require nothing of us.

Unfortunately, honesty will not return any time soon. The myth of America is too strong. An honest candidate would necessarily need to tell the public all sorts of things that We do not want to hear, much less believe.

Only when We find the strength to be honest with ourselves can we expect to find honest political candidates. I fear that we are some ways from such a state of being. We, as a nation, are much like Narcissus; many people have never read the actual myth, but at the end, Narcissus sees his reflection and does, in fact, learn to love himself. The moral is about the difference between loving your own created self-image and truly loving yourself.

We have no use for true self love. That requires recognizing our flaws and foibles; that requires setting our wrongs right. We want to be told that everything will be all right...don't worry, be happy, all you have to do is elect me. Every candidate plays that tune, it is the only one that we'll get up and dance to.

[thepainter57]

Iowans are typically conservatives - republicans whatever you want to call them including old, fat, religious right, farmers.

Who needs Iowa.

We only need corn.

[maryec]

mccain was courageous when he was in prison in viet nam. now he's a politician. 'nuff said.

[audaciousman]

Ms. Reardon, how are we to take seriously your blog when you claim to be looking for a particular type of candidate, but then deliberately ignore the only person who fits your description? Dennis Kucinich is the only electable Democrat running. This is obvious from the fact that the congress, whose actions are represented now by Obama, Biden, Clinton, Edwards, etc., is polling lower than the President, himself, who nobody likes. The solution is to pick someone who goes against the Edwards/Obama/Clinton rut. Kucinich is the only candidate who can make that claim.

[BlueBoomer]

If I was an IOWAN, at this time tomorrow night, I would be safely tucked in bed, thanking god that life could get back to normal... that all the parking lots/meters weren't full of journalists' rental cars, and my phone wasn't going to ring incessantly.

BUT, since I am an ardent JOE BIDEN fan, I will probably be up all night glued to MSNBC or whoever will be posting ACTUAL RESULTS, vs. a bizillion contradictory polls.

Then what?... Who knows.
Hopefully (sort of, altho' I'd kind of like to get back to reading books in the evening for pleasure), JOE will not be packing it in, and I will be ever-faithfully extolling his virtues to whoever will listen.

REAL EXPERIENCE = REAL CHANGE.
GO JOE!...We need you.

[longislandlol]

Honesty? try Obama...

[Tellmethetruth]

As to honesty - Joe Biden is second to none. As to not being bought by corporations - Joe Biden is second to none.

But, one thing I genuninely have come to believe after watching Joe Biden receive no media - especially on the fact that Congress passed his plan to End the war in Iraq - this should have been front page news, over and over again - far exceeds Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, or OJ. This should have been cause for dancing in the streets.

Why was there so little media on Joe Biden? I suspect because some of the billionaires that have an oligophy on the media and soon to be monopoly in some areas of the media have all picked their candidates and are backing the top two - Clinton and Obama, and on the Republican side - Guiliani.

This convinces me that having a corrupt media that assisted in getting us into war in Iraq, have kept Americans in darkness for the past 7 years, and are in violation of anti-trust laws, Edwards message is beginning to ring true for me. Edwards is saying we need to break up the monopolies, redistribute the wealth and thus, power in this country.

I hope both Biden and Edwards come out of Iowa and both go on. I don't see the two corporate financed candidates of Obama (slogans with no substanance) or Clinton even willing to break up the media monopolies or any other monopolies for that matter.

[CindyKay]

I Know Just The Candidate You Speak Of!
JOE BIDEN!

Yes Folks Lets Hear It Again!
JOE BIDEN 2008!!!

[ncbluedem]

This is it folks, we have to get it right this time! I admire Obama and believe he is more than qualified to be our Commander in Chief, but I have ABSOLUTELY NO CONFIDENCE IN THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE.
¢ What significant concrete evidence suggests that the entire American electorate will elect an African American or female President?
¢ What about the American voting public leads you to believe that they will check their prejudices at the door come Election Day when there is another suitable candidate on the ballot?
¢ Who gives the greatest probability of winning the Electoral College and popular vote?
¢ Who does the GOP fear the most in this election?

What significant concrete evidence suggests that the AMERICAN ELECTORATE will ignore the following evidence or scenarios?
¢ the number of hate groups in America continued to grow in 2006, rising 5% over the year before to 844 groups. That increase translated into a 40% jump in the number of groups since 2000, when there were 602 hate groups operating in America, according to research by the Intelligence Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=762
¢ the possibility people may come out in droves just to vote *against* Obama and Clinton, perhaps in equal or greater amounts than the numbers who would come out to support them. Having something or someone to "fight against" can be a powerful motivator.
¢ The last time the Democrats took the White House with a candidate that was not a white southerner was JFK. I am not willing to bet the Supreme Court on the progressive conscious of the AMERICAN ELECTORATE. Too much is at stake this time around given the composition of the Court.
¢ Remember, the out of wedlock child rumor used against John McCain 8 years ago, and the "call me Harold Ad." against senatorial candidate Harold Ford in the 06 elections.

THIS ELECTION IS TOO IMPORTANT TO NEGLECT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE!
Edwards is the most electable by the entire American Electorate!