There was no doubt about it. The message from Iowa last night was simple, but deafening:
If you're a candidate for President, and you voted for the war, you lose. And if you voted and voted and voted for the war -- and never once showed any remorse -- you really lose.
In short, if you had something to do with keeping us in this war for four-plus years, you are not allowed to be the next president of the United States.
Over 70% of Iowan Democrats voted for candidates who either never voted for the invasion of Iraq (Obama, Richardson, Kucinich) or who have since admitted their mistake (Edwards, Biden, Dodd). I can't tell you how bad I feel for Senator Clinton. I don't believe she was ever really for this war. But she did -- and continued to do -- what she thought was the politically expedient thing to eventually get elected. And she was wrong. And last night she must have gone to sleep wondering what would have happened if she had voted her conscience instead of her calculator.
John Edwards was supposed to have come in third. He had been written off. He was outspent by the other front-runners six to one. But somewhere along the road he threw off the old politico hack jacket and turned into a real person, a fighter for the poor, for the uninsured, for peace. And for that, he came in a surprise second, ending up with just one less delegate than the man who was against the war from the beginning. But, as Joshua Holland of AlterNet pointed out earlier today, Edwards is still the only front-runner who will pull out all the troops and do it as quickly as possible. His speech last night was brilliant and moving.
What an amazing night, not just for Barack Obama, but for America. I know that Senator Obama is so much more than simply the color of his skin, but all of us must acknowledge -- and celebrate -- the fact that one of the whitest states in the U.S. just voted for a black man to be our next president. Thank you, Iowa, for this historic moment. Thank you for at least letting us believe that we are better than what we often seem to be. And to have so many young people come out and vote -- and vote for Obama -- this is a proud moment. It all began with the record youth turnout in 2004 -- the ONLY age group that Kerry won -- and they came back out last night en force. Good on every single one of you!
As the only top candidate who was anti-war before the war began, Barack Obama became the vessel through which the people of this Midwestern state were able to say loud and clear: "Bring 'Em Home!" Most pundits won't read the election this way because, well, most pundits merrily led us down the path to war. For them to call this vote a repudiation of the war -- and of Senator Clinton's four years' worth of votes for it -- might require the pundit class to remind their viewers and readers that they share some culpability in starting this war. And, like Hillary, damn few of them have offered us an apology.
With all due respect to Senator Obama's victory, the most important news out of the caucus this evening was the whopping, room-busting turnout of Democrats. 239,000 people showed up to vote Democratic last night (93% more than in '04, which was a record year), while only 115,000 showed up to vote Republican. And this is a red state! The Republican caucuses looked anemic. The looks on their faces were glum, tired. As the camera followed some of them into their caucus sites, they held their heads down or turned away, sorta like criminals on a perp walk. They know their days of power are over. They know their guy blew it. Their only hope was to vote for a man who has a direct line to heaven. Huckabee is their Hail Mary pass. But don't rule him out. He's got a sense of humor, he's downhome, and he said that if elected, he'd put me on a boat to Cuba. Hey, a free Caribbean vacation!
Bottom line: People have had it. Iowa will go blue (Happy Blue Year, Hawkeyes!). Whomever your candidate is on the Dem side, this was a good night. Get some sleep. The Republicans won't go down without a fight. Look what happened when Kerry tried to play nice. So Barack, you can talk all you want about "let's put the partisanship aside, let's all get along," but the other side has no intention of being anything but the bullies they are. Get your game face on now. And, if you can, tell me why you are now the second largest recipient of health industry payola after Hillary. You now take more money from the people committed to stopping universal health care than any of the Republican candidates.
Despite what your answer may be, I was proud to sit in my living room last night and see you and your family up on that stage. We became a bit better, and on that I will close by saying, sweet dreams -- and on to that other totally white state of New Hampshire!
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
Lieberman, BushCo staunchest Ally to commit the Iraqi War Crime and occupation.
Obama, supported Lieberman for senate as an independent after the democratic voters choose Lamont. Lieberman votes BushCo on the war. Thanks Obama.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060424/cockburn
What does Obama ever say?
It's just mom and apple pie.
Remember how insurance companies quit, refused to honor their customers' policies in the Katrina disaster? They cut and ran. They wanted to keep their profits, all 100%, and not give one penny for insurance claims.
It is past time for a national healthcare system that is NOT PRIVATIZED and guarantees citizens and families coverage no matter what.
We want NONE of this private insurance BULLSHIT.
Israel has gaven Bush their demands to attack Iran now, because he is taking to long.
They told him if he doesn't attack Iran, that the next president most likely never will.
"And, if you can, tell me why you are now the second largest recipient of health industry payola after Hillary. You now take more money from the people committed to stopping universal health care than any of the Republican candidates."
If Obama is accepting large sums of money from the very corporations he has vowed to reform, then, he is no different than Hillary is on the issue. Why are so many willing to give Obama a pass? I want change as desperately as the next person does, but I am not willing to sacrifice commonsense and curiosity.
I like many of you want change; however, I am not willing to follow blindly. The past seven years has taught me that not being critical could have serious consequences.
As a black man, I decided long ago that black people share more commonalities with whites than differences. As such, a black president could be as corrupt as a white politician could be. Obama seems to willing to get in bed with big business. He has voted for policy that makes it difficult, in many cases impossible, for citizens who have legitimate claims to sue corporations, and he voted against restricting the interest rate to 30 percent. Now he is cozying up to insurance companies while telling us he has our best interest in mind.
I think Hillary is too conservative and Obama lacks conviction on sensitive and controversial issues. I do not care what he says or has said—most is vague legal talk that allows wiggle room. He needs to state unequivocally his positions and vote on them. Then, he can be taken seriously.
Voters were willing to vote Bush into office for a second term, without being critical, and we are paying for it now. Rosy rhetoric is nice, but look beyond the rhetoric and be critical of ALL candidates.
Please consider foll health care plan Michael:
Ins. Cos. send to IRS list of social sec numbers which have bona fide health insurance plans. IRS ensures that all others have paid a certain per cent of their income as premium and in return they receive medicare.
In practice, if you are Warren Buffet it wouldn't make sense to pay, say, 15% of your income to have health insurance because that would come to millions per year. So Warren Buffet would choose to buy a private plan. On the other hand, a McDonalds worker making $16,000 per year would have health insurance for $2400 per year.
Think about it. I think it is a politically viable plan and I would hope it could be combined with a quasi flat tax plan, like Reagan was working for, that will tax all income the same so that capital gains, interest and dividends are brought into the pool for tax/premium purposes.
Unfortunately the present pool of republican candidates have betrayed their godfather, RR, and have imposed a horribly oppressive burden on the people in the USA.
You are dead right that the war is a factor and dead wrong to imply that it is the ONLY factor at work here. Otherwise the IA results would have read this way (Kucinich, Obama, Richardson). Per your analysis, Kucinich would come in first because he's the only candidate the Democrats have that voted against the War Resolution.
There are many other factors, even transcending the issues, that go into why Americans pick their President. Leadership qualities and an ability to get things done are part of it. So is running a decent campaign. (And, thus far, HRC has run a terrible campaign. For example, Mark Penn should have been fired last month right after the Cocaine silliness.)
In short, there are many reasons HRC is hitting a rough patch right now and the war is only one of them. I wouldn't count her out just yet, even if she loses this Tuesday. Just to be clear--$100 million bucks is a lotta money!
Oh, one more thing. You've just GOTTA do something about that sign-off. It sounds kinda creepy. Are you too busy to add a "Truly" to it?
Otherwise, great stuff.
Oh, and one more thing, Mike, thanks for being the finest documentary filmmaker this side of Errol Morris and Frederick Wiseman.
Yours Truly,
realrick
Thank you for speaking out and taking the heat from those that wanted you silenced.
Like you, I am also from the Midwestern (Ohio) factory wasteland. I cannot forget the contibution former President Clinton made to this wasteland by promoting NAFTA. Twenty years ago it was obvious this would not produce the public relations declared effect of a "better life for citizens of the USA."
Today there is hope. There is hope because a candidate has stepped forward that understands how corporations lace their pocketbooks at the expense of blue collar workers. Unsatisfied with just factory labor savings many have moved on to technical workers. I am completly frustrated when I hear a heavy accent on a technical support line. Not because of their speech pattern, but because I know there is at least one family here that suffers. It is my belief that Edwards understands corporate motives and processes and has the best chance of not only stopping the trend that began with NAFTA but to reverse it.
We have forgotton that a "corporation" is nothing more than a fiction created by law. It has no feeling and no measureable accountability. I heard the arguments last night from the Republican candidates for more lazzie fair policies hailing the "free market." The world of Adam Smith does not exist in this century it is a fiction. It is fiction supported by the "fictional" body known as the corporation.
So many of the other disturbing issues confronting our nation today are being controlled or guided by corporate interest, from Halliburton to an obsecure corpororation processing "no child left behind"in Pennsylvania. We are at thier mercy and they are not accountable to us. It is time for someone to change this and I believe John Edwards is motivated and capeable.
The worst thing about liberal arrogance, as displayed here; is that it generally does in liberals. John McCain has been an unflinching supporter of the war, and is still it's greatest promoter. Think the Dems are in for an easy time beating him? You better think again.
Like trained seals, Moore and other progressives have been taught to repeat "She voted for the war." Actually, the truth is a lot more complicated, and Clintons comments on the Invasion, AT THE TIME OF THE INVASION, drew stinging retorts from the right. You must really hate the mainstream media, Micheal, but when it suits you have no problem reciting their propaganda.
One Moore starts telling you that taking a primary by a little over a third from one state is the will of ALL Americans, he's playing the same cheap game Republicans play. His view is that of the TRUE American, the real American. It's cheap stuff from the right, and no better when gamed from the left.
I could qubble on a point or two in this post, but all-in-all I'm sure Mike and I agree.....the tide of "new voters" or the "youth vote" bodes VERY well for the party and our country, WHOEVER the nominee is.
When people vote in a primary, they almost NEVER skip the general....good news for OUR side.
Many years ago, RFK, and a few years later George McGovern inspired millions of young people (myself and Michael Moore included) to become engaged in the Democratic process.
Even though "our guys" never made it to the white house, that ENGAGEMENT, once begun, has persisted over the course of a lifetime.
Similarly, whether Sen. Obama becomes president or not those active, committed young people that he inspired to participate in the process wil still be around. Good for the Democratic party......good for America! regards.................................tm
If you vote Ron Paul.