Are we looking for a Political Messiah or a Leader?

Since I have started this blog, first on blogspot and now here, I have started a maturation process regarding politics. By hopefully inspiring others to take an active part in the political process, I have taken the leap of logic realizing my vote is as worthy as the research that goes into it.

Stumbling upon an piece written by Betsy Angert author of Bethink.org introduced me to my candidate Dennis Kucinich. I researched into his voting records, his policies and his vision and placed him upon a pedestal. So much so that when I had the opportunity to speak directly to him in a town hall meeting I became a dumbstruck groupie.

Then came statements made by Kucinich that Ron Paul would make a good running mate, trying to get off the Michigan ballot adhering to the Democratic National Committee’s sanctions on state’s moving their primaries forward on the calender, a cherry picked excerpt from a editorial from the Nation omitting criticism of the Kucinich campaign spread as a press release, and most recently an endorsement of Obama for Iowans also released as a national press release which was explained to me by campaign headquarters as a Michigan strategy since Obama met the deadline to remove his name and Kucinich did not, though the Obama campaign has not confirmed acceptance of such a scheme.

I found myself looking at Kucinich surrounded by a pile of pedestal rubble. My disappointment of the above was deep but I have vowed not to be reactionary in any aspect of my life but to absorb information and situations slowly in order to make a more critical decision.

I have realized that Kucinich is human. A progressive human politician who has made the decision to remain within the constricts of the Democratic Party, especially since he is running for his Congressional seat in 2008 as well as President. That is the reality of this essentially two party race since the Green Party doesn’t have ballot access in all 50 states.

My individual choices are caucus for Kucinich and work to achieve the 15% of the caucus participants in my precinct to achieve viability, be counted as undecided, or throw my developing conscience out the window and chose the so called lesser evil. Since I am late to political awareness, I cannot go with my true second choice Cynthia McKinney [former Representative of Georgia] since at this time the Green Party has lost ballot access in Nevada.

Any form of idealism needs to be tempered with realism in order to produce any lasting results. Any campaign promises need to be tempered with verifiable research of voting records, policy incentives, campaign adviser choices and money trails. Any decision taken seriously cannot be based on reactionary emotions, doing so is a recipe in disaster.

I am not alone in my disapproval of the Kucinich campaign and have read former strong volunteers and supporters jump ship when the pedestal came tumbling down.

Here are some excerpts of comments circulating…

“That’s it. I’m out. I am no longer for Dennis. Ron Paul is against everything I stand for and for Kucinich to say he wants him for a running mate is a betrayal to our progressive cause. “

“I’m not supporting Kucinich anymore either. He doesn’t care about his progressive base one bit, is what I hear in that video. “

There are influential people as well in the Progressive Movement who seem easily swayed as well. I for one will not compromise my integrity due to bumbles from the Kucinich campaign. I won’t. I know too much now to compromise.

The secret the Republicans weld is that they do not compromise, they vote as a block helped by faux democrats, and they stay on message. The message is crafted and parroted through many voices picked up by the media and spread forth. That message is often picked up by Democrats.

Edwards, Clinton and Obama have all parroted Bush’s exact words in regards to Iran: “All options are on the table.” All options means nuclear weapons though we have not used nuclear weapons on a non-nuclear country, well we have used depleted uranium which is radioactive and generationally destructive.

The so called front runners in the Democratic race all say change, change, change. I say it is high time we evolve! Evolution is a lot more lasting than campaign promises spreading hope and change, especially since every non-incumbent pushes change while incumbents want us to stick with them to get the job done.

Kucinich realizes the dangers of genetically modified organisms, the health risks of factory farms, the vulnerability of electronic voting, media propaganda machines, the nature and origins of terrorism, and the connection between not for profit health care and the economy.

Health care should be considered INFRASTRUCTURE.

Education should be considered INFRASTRUCTURE.

Living Wages should be considered INFRASTRUCTURE.

A healthy Earth should be considered INFRASTRUCTURE.

These are the very foundations of a progressive society. If we are to progress, lasting progression, we need to realize this.

We must also realize that the government will not solve all our problems. We must be accountable. I have been struggling with ending my own hypocrisy in certain areas of my life. We must invest through introspection and reflection of ourselves and shake off despair and hopelessness.

Self improvement is not an easy task and takes commitment despite failures so why would Political Improvement be any easier?

Remember if the People Lead, the Leaders will follow.

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