January 2, 2008

The membership of Progressive Democrats of America voted against John Edwards by a wide margin.  Approximately 3 out of every 4 PDA members voted against John Edwards.   Instead of promoting first place finisher Dennis Kucinich, certain PDA leaders went against their membership and suggested Iowa caucus members vote for the candidate who lost in their poll.  If PDA had had the guts to stand behind its membership, there would be less fear that Kucinich supporters might be excluded from voting for Kucinich in Iowa.  Kucinich won 46 states including Iowa, in the PDA poll.  Why won't PDA stand behind its Iowa members?

In the Democracy for America poll, Edwards lost 49 states and only got Washington.  Kucinich was the clear winner of that poll winning 47 out of 50 states, including Iowa, against all declared candidates.  Both the membership of PDA and DFA agree that Kucinich is the best candidate.  PDA and DFA Iowa members and the vast majority of progressives from both groups voted in opposition to John Edwards. 

Progressives in the Independentprimary.com poll picked Kucinich by 77%, leaving Edwards in the dust.  Isn't it time that the Democratic Party selected a candidate who is respected by the voters?

In Iowa, voters have to come to the caucuses with a second choice and third choice - in case they are not allowed to vote for their first or second choices. Listening to concerns about the possibility that Kucinich supporters might not be able to vote for Kucinich in Iowa, Kucinich made a decision that, if the choice were limited to the exclusion of true anti-war candidates,  it would be best if the Democratic Iowa caucus delegates went to the least pro-war and the least pro-corporate.  Of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, this person was Obama.  Democrats are not allowed to pick third party candidates for their second choice in Iowa and are limited in their selection to certain Democrats.  Kucinich supporters also weighed in and let it be known that they considered Edwards to be the least progressive candidate running this year.  From coast to coast, progressives applaud Kucinich's decision on the second choice of Obama for Iowa.  What this means is that Kucinich supporters will need to work hard to get the required percentage to allow the Kucinich votes to count in Iowa and to keep him from being excluded.  If the caucus system in Iowa precludes anti-war candidates like Kucinich and Gravel from getting Iowa delegates, they are not at a complete loss.  The total delegates from Iowa are only 56 out of thousands who will attend the convention, and not all of those 56 will be selected in the caucuses.  Bill Clinton lost Iowa.  He didn't win New Hampshire, either.  However, he did become the Democratic nominee and President of the United States. 

One thing is clear.  Progressives do not want John Edwards. Iowa has not experienced the civil rights, civil liberties and war problems incurred by the rest of America.  The question is whether the caucus-goers can relate enough to the rest of America to allow a real progressive to receive that state's delegates.  If Iowa goes for a rich, white candidate who claims a black cannot be elected, then it may have have pounded the last nail in the coffin of the current nomination system and America will see a national primary in 2012,

Copyright ©2008 by the Creative Youth News Team.  All rights reserved.

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