Introducing This Election's Swing Vote
It's rare that everyday Americans take center stage in the presidential election. News pundits and political consultants are more concerned with the sex lives of the candidates than the real stories and real issues of voters. But this election, everything will change. Real people and real issues will be front and center. And if the candidates listen closely, they'll hear a new story of hope and possibility for the future of America.
The American people are tired of the politics of division and isolation. For too many years, politicians on both sides of the aisle have told us we're on our own, that we have to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, that it's an us-against-them world and selfishness and greed are our best defense. But the politics of isolation have only led to a broken economy and a broken social safety net, division between nations and division between communities. We, the people, have had enough. It's time for a new politics in America.
This past Saturday December 1, in Des Moines, Iowa, more than 3,600 people packed a crowded hall in Des Moines, Iowa, to hear everyday Americans tell their stories to five of the top presidential candidates. At the Heartland Presidential Forum, Senators John Edwards, Barack Obama, Chris Dodd and Hillary Clinton and Representative Dennis Kucinich did more listening than talking as real people finally took center stage in this election.
The regular people on the stage shared stories with the candidates about immigrant rights and health care reform and clean elections -- but no matter the issues, the theme was clear: Americans know we're all in it together and want a president who will put people over profits, communities over corporations, inclusion over division.
Mayte Rodriguez, an undocumented Mexican immigrant from the Southwest, told Senator Hillary Clinton of being a hardworking student, getting great grades, but fearing a dead-end future as undocumented immigrant with no path to citizenship and no means of employment. Then Larry Ginter, a white farmer from Iowa, talked about trade policies that have hurt family farmers like him and farmers in Mexico, too, forcing migration.
Ahmed Rehab, an Arab American immigrant from Chicago, talked about the discrimination facing Arab and Middle Eastern men in the United States today. Then Malik Whitaker, an African American man from the South, connected Ahmed's story to his own experience of racial profiling in the criminal justice system.
Community value voters know these issues and communities are connected, that we don't have to pit one group against another to get ahead. Community values voters know that, in our nation and in the world, we all do better when we all do better. The American story has been written by each of us looking out for each other and lifting each other up -- not keeping each other down and divided. Our hyper-corporate, hyper-consumption society hasn't changed a thing. As human beings, we still need each other. As a nation, we value all human beings equally. The 3,600 people at the Heartland Presidential Forum and the millions more they represent in communities back home across America know that the story of our future is a story of hope and possibility where we're all in it together. This election, community values voters are leading the way.
Community values voters are single moms who know that the economy should work for all families. Community values voters are factory workers who want good jobs and wages in America and in China, too. Community values voters are doctors and nurses who know that public programs can ensure high quality health care for all of us. Community values voters are homeowners who want the dream of homeownership but not the nightmare of exploited debt. Community values voters are teachers and parents who want public schools that work for all children. Community values voters are all of us who know that our nation can work for everyone, not just a privileged few. Community values are all of us who know that alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.
Community values voters are already the lifeblood of our nation. This election, they will be the pulse of our politics as well.
Sally Kohn is the Director of the Movement Vision Lab. You can watch video from the Heartland Presidential Forum href="http://www.movementvisionlab.org/blog">here.
Follow Sally Kohn on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sallykohn
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Sally does an amazing job of pointing out WHY so many folks are disenfanchised and disinterested. Even some of the previous posts reflect how conditioned we have become to politics of division.
After seeing the video from the forum, this to me is what all of our candidates should be doing. Listening to real people about the issues impacting them every day, and figuring out how to be bringing people together to work towards the solutions.
But it isn't just the candidates that need to change- we as constituents and voters must demand that the candidates listen to us. We hold the power by joining together and sharing our stories, and realizing that our stories are the same, whether I am from Iowa or you are from Chicago, or someone else is from California or Mississippi. The problems we are facing are each others problems, and to address them effectively we have to begin framing the debate that way. We won't really have a better nation until we are all working to address each others problems, because they are indeed our own problems, and we need to make that clear to all candidates. We hold the power, and should be using it as effectively as possible.
This article explains why if you watch the Repug and Dem debates you think the two parties are running for to be president in different worlds.
It takes a village is popular on the Dem side. On the Repug side however domestic issues of division and exclusion like immigration get most of the attention.
The real question is will enough people vote for waht is good for them or will they vote to screw the other guy.
Gee, I'd like to believe that a forum like this would make a difference, but I've become a cynic. The Dems and Republicans are like two sides of the same coin,and that coin wants to be in the hands of wealthy corporations. There are, however, a few noteworthy exceptions.
The one exception in this race is Dennis Kucinich. He is truly one of us. He's not rich, he's grew up a poor city kid with few opportunities. But most importantly, he puts people before politics and the evidence of that is clear. He sacrificed his political career for the people of Cleveland when he was mayor in the 1970s. If you want the full story, google Kucinich and Muny Light. But the bottom line is that Dennis Kucinich is a servant of the people. Check him out and you'll see.
What a concept!
The "candidates" actually listening to the audience?
No "talking heads" to direct the show??
Am I dreaming?
Can you imagine a stage full of "Americans" and the candidates sitting in the audience, just listening??
(How "profitable" is that?)
Isn't it curious that Americans have become so 'jaded', so 'entitled', so 'apathetical' and so 'reactionary' that we have failed to see
the TRUE VALUE OF
OUR CONSTITUTIONAL LEGACY,
OUR HISTORIC INGENUITY,
OUR COMMON DECENCY and
OUR UNIQUE DEMOCRATIC ABILITY
to CHANGE OUR NATION BACK TO THE VISION, IDEALS AND HOPES THAT OUR FOUNDERS ENVISIONED
from the fascist, elitist, corporate dictated
policies that REAGAN, BUSH and the Republican
'SHILLS' have commandeered in the last 25 years.....
If we are a ;government of the people, by the people and for the people' then WHY ARE WE ALLOWING THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AND THE FASCIST CORPORATE ELITE DICTATE OUR NATIONAL AND FOREIGN POLICY?!!!?
The only way to stop the practice of profit over people in America is to elect the Democrats. It's that simple.
If I had been at that forum, I would have talked about the fact that for 30 years, I was paid an average of 35 percent less than the men who did the same job that I did. Why, because I'm a woman. I also would have pointed out that today, women earn only 26 percent less than a man in the same job, on average. Sure, that's progress, but it's still a thorn in my side.
If I had been at that forum, I would have asked Hillary why it's so inappropriate for her to use the gender card? Seems the gender card has been used against women since the beginning of time. Right?
Is is wrong for obama to use the fact that his dad was Muslim in order to get Muslim votes?
Is is wrong for Edwards to use the fact that he was only elected once to public office in order to prove that he is the most experienced? No, afterall, that has nothing to do with gender.
If I had been at that forum, I would have talked about the fact that America has the highest incident of rape than any other country in the world and every 15 seconds, a woman is beaten here in the great US of A.
And I would have asked them all, do you care about the assualt against women in this country and what will you do to stop it?
Yes, I'm sure you have guessed by now, I want Hillary to win.
And I'm not, for one minute, ashamed of that. She's a warrior for ALL people in this country. And no matter what the chauvenist pigs say about her on both sides of the isle, she's a winner. A candidate who does not support profit over people or discrimination or OIL. Go Hillary.
Wow "researcher," that was quite a tirade. I have a simple question -- what has that pessimism gotten you?
I agree that most of what you're saying seems true on face value, but I don't want to live in that world anymore and it was really heartening to watch footage from this event online.
Even if it seems like a fairy tale now, at least they're proposing an alternative. Things will never change if we stay as pessimistic as you are, that'll just let the capitalist elitists win. Of course, you may be one of those capitalist elitists, in which case stay as pessimistic as you want. Others will change things without you.
Sally is right. The voters she describes this way are right and real. We are living in a new reality few know how to admit or acknowledge. The US is ripe to take advantage of the greatest gift humanity has ever known.
Read the following two pages in order.
http://eluene.net/PDFs/GroganLetter.pdf
http://www.eluene.net/PDFs/West%20Goshen%20Framework.pdf
Accomplishing the reality will be by means of what will come to be called One Polite Demand, because the face of reality is too plain to allow the fear of loss to continue to rule our every step.
The US CAN do what's called for to make this world the great place we all know it can be.
Love IS real.
Each of us ~ in the middle to lower income communities ~ hold the power of the vote. (That is, unless that vote is manipulated by evil-doers who will do ANYTHING to win the White House!)
All we need now is a candidate that really knows what it takes to survive in the shark-infested waters of greed, control, power, racism and 32% of their paycheck going to Uncle Sam, and 40% of whatever's left going for health insurance.
no matter the issues, the theme was clear: Americans know we're all in it together and want a president who will put people over profits, communities over corporations, inclusion over division.
DRUGWAR INTO ITS 4TH DECADE AND ITS NOT PRODUCED ANY BUT THE PREDICTED NEGATIVES.
LETS BE HONEST! PEOPLE OVER PROFITS?
"As a nation, we value all human beings equally. "
what fanasty book have you been reading. 47 million americans without health care and most americans dont blink an eye.
wars are fought now by the lower and middle classes of americans.
tax breaks for the rich. this is a nation ran by the haves and have mores.
we talk about american deaths in iraq and seldom about iraqi deaths due to this illegal war.
we pay little attention the the so called war heros that come home wounded. bush jr offered to buy one of these war heros a new set of legs and a beer.
do you think these neo cons lose any sleep over the dead and wounded or their families?
this is a capitalist nation that cares for one thing. profits and wealth generation for the few.
this is a country of elitists that controls our politics and corporations.
we use people for their cheap labor and then call them criminals for coming here wanting a job that their elitist country does not have for them.
you must live in a fairy tale world or you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth.
Thank you for this article Sally and I hope that what you are saying about mainstream Americans turning out in force in Iowa is a national movement as well - because that mean the middle class - lower middle class person who actually does the labor to make this country run, are turning out in force???? I hope so very, very much. It also means that the Iowa voters are not listening to the media but are seeing for themselves who the candidates are, including Biden, Richardson, Dodd and Kucinich. What a relief.
Wishful thinking, if you ask me. Far too many are quite content to get their opinions habded to them by their favorite pundit or chosen "news" source. It's downright scary that people will base their votes on pure propaganda, as long as it is what they want to hear.
I wish I were wrong and long to be proven so.
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