The November Third Movement
by Margaret Kimberley, CommonDreams.org
November 2 is Election Day.
Progressives must begin a new movement on November 3rd even if a Kerry victory becomes a reality.
The Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Leadership
Conference will crow that their dubious strategies were in fact
brilliant. Their claims should not go unchallenged.
The
listless Democratic National Convention was a waste of precious time.
An undecided voter was either still undecided or a Bush supporter after
the Democrats used up four days of television time without coherently
and pointedly telling viewers why they shouldn’t vote for Bush. Even if
Kerry manages to overcome this lost opportunity, he should not be
allowed to forget that going on endlessly about swift boats was not
very swift.
In short, progressive Democrats must remain visible and vocal in a Kerry administration. We
cannot fall victim to the argument that our criticism should be muted
because Kerry is better than Bush. The expression “damning with faint
praise” comes to mind. How hard is it to be better than a fascist? That
dubious distinction forces the painful vote for Kerry, but it shouldn’t
keep anyone from speaking up if Kerry forgets who put him in office.
President
Kerry should face thousands of demonstrators if he continues the
disastrous occupation of Iraq and the take over of Haiti. If a Million
Worker March must take place under his administration then so be it. If
President Kerry doesn’t defend affirmative active or the social
security system he should realize that there will be a price for him to
pay when he needs support from his own party.
Kerry
should not think for one moment that he can bring back the days of
slick Willie and his triangulations. Democrats have already seen that
movie and know the bad ending all too well. As the song says, we won’t
get fooled again. On November 3rd, no matter how the headline reads,
there will be a movement for change. The remaking of the Democratic
party will have begun and the change will be for the better.
(Click here to read the rest of the article.)
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