Blog for Iowa is pleased to announce we have our very own columnist. His name is Ira Lacher, he is a professional writer, and he did media work on the Iowa Dean campaign. Not one to mince words, Ira's pieces will be sharp and opinionated – just what we need to spice up Blog for Iowa!
The “N” Word
OK — Ralph Nader did not put George W. Bush in the
White House. Five right-wing judges did. But neither
did Ralph Nader “steal” votes from Al Gore. Al Gore
gave away those votes because he convinced enough
progressives that he was no progressive.
You would think that the Democrats had learned from
that debacle, as well as the disastrous 2002 elections
in which progressives stayed home in hordes rather
than vote for either a Republican conservative or a
Democratic conservative. But no. Not for nothing is the
symbol of our party an ass.
Because we're prepared to do it again. John Kerry
seems to be making it clear that his strategy against
Bush will be the same strategy that dispatched all his
challengers during the primaries: driving his
Hupmobile straight down the clean, safe middle.
So he's not advocating to repeal NAFTA — a sellout of
American workers in favor of corporate profits. Just
retool it. Not repeal No Child Left Behind — a clear
ingredient on the road to privatizing education. Just
fund it. Not denounce involvement in Iraq and get us
the hell out of there — and suggest a way to turn
over the country to an international commission that
can try to undo the doodoo we caused. Just maybe send in MORE troops to quell the “insurgency.”
And waiting in the wings is Nader, saying quietly and
earnestly, that neither Republicans nor Kerry-led
Democrats can install a true progressive government.
And waiting outside voting booths are thousands of
progressives who won't take much to be convinced.
Ira Lacher can be reached here.
Blog For Iowa 
Wow powerful and frightening… it is how I have felt during the nomination process… but now as a county chair I have been somewhat hesitant to speak against our candidate. Can we influence John Kerry to do the right thing when it comes to education, jobs and the war in Iraq?
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Well written piece and exactly the reason that we Dean supporters need to continue to be involved in Democratic politics and continue to speak against Kerry's Bush lite tendancies. Right now the most important thing WE can do to defeat Bush is to call Kerry to task and not be silenced by the “fall in line” Democrats. Perhaps after the convention this summer we will need to unite behind Kerry; but until then I see no need.
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Ira,
Very nice, succinct presentation of one side of a seemingly endless debate in various Deangroups. I especially like the part about the symbol of the Democratic Party! LOL
As an Independent who has mostly voted for Democrats (although recently registered Republican) I had sort of bought into the “a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush” argument in 2000. But after seeing the Democrats in Congress roll over for Bush, especially re: the war, I am far less sympathetic to the idea that any Democrat is automatically entitled to my vote simply by being a Democrat. If the Democrats want progressives to vote for their candidate, it's their responsibility to choose a candidate progressives will want to vote for. It is insulting to tell voters something is wrong with them if they don't like whoever the Democrats try to force down their throats.
That being said, I agree with Howard Dean that we cannot afford to re-elect Bush. I hold John Kerry as much to blame for the war as Bush, and feel he's just as likely to get my 2 kids drafted. But Bush is destroying our country in so many other ways, I'm afraid after 4 more years it may be too late to salvage much out of the wreckage. So for me personally, I'll cast my vote however necessary to make sure Bush loses in Iowa. But no matter what the outcome of the election, if progressives don't vote for Kerry it will be no one's fault but his own.
Just my $.02.
Alta Price
altaprice@mailblocks.com
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