Freedom Socialist • Vol. 29, No. 1 • February-March 2008

Top 12 reasons to vote socialist in '08

Wheel of Misfortune Credit: S. Hoffman, G. Frazier / FS

Thanks to immigration, the United States is remarkably diverse in culture, religion, ethnicity, politics. You name it, we got it.

And, in the current race to the White House, there are some historic breakthroughs in representing that diversity. The path-blazing candidacies of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Bill Richardson are engendering reactions from many voters that range from mildly hopeful to ecstatic. And the buzz is all about "change."

If only the candidates who are generating such enthusiasm were worthy of it! But, where it counts - in political program and which side of the class line they stand on - this season's bumper crop of presidential wannabes offers nothing new.

Heading into the Iowa primary, 12 aspirants were on the stump. Religious rapturist, liberal with no chance of success, Rambo tough guy, town sheriff or flip-flopper: all are Democrats or Republicans, which means they carry Corporate America's water. Only two are not millionaires, Mike Huckabee and Dennis Kucinich.

Anyone inclined toward meaningful improvement should not look to these guys-and-a-gal for leadership. The best choice is still to vote socialist as a protest against this lousy system! In a later issue this year, the FS will survey anti-capitalist candidates and make recommendations, so stay tuned.

This review of the candidates is arranged alphabetically.

Reason 1. Hillary Clinton (D)

Hillary Clinton, like hubby Bill, is a heavyweight in the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), the think tank that is leading the Democratic Party's march ever rightward. Its agenda (and hers) is pro-big business, pro-profit, pro-war.

A darling of Wall Street, Clinton is scooping up the contributions from big bankers. She's also a favorite of the drug and healthcare companies - hardly a good sign for the millions without medical coverage. Clinton is a steadfast booster for the U.S. empire and its neoliberal "free trade" policies. About the Iraq war, she is positively wiggly. She backs the Patriot Act and the death penalty.

Despite the fact that she's an honorary member of the old boys' club, her viable presence in the race is a feminist milestone. And her candidacy has become target practice for every sexist Neanderthal who believes a woman's place is in the home, ironing their brown shirts! On this score, Clinton deserves defense from feminists - but not their votes.

Reason 2. Chris Dodd (D)

Dodd voted for the war but now, of course, he's against it. His campaign is heavily funded by the financial services industry. And who happens to chair Senate committees that regulate that industry? Gosh, golly - it's Dodd!

Reason 3. John Edwards (D)

Remember when Edwards was a senator? As a well-informed member of the Select Intelligence Committee, he voted to invade Iraq and support the Patriot Act. He says he's seen the light now. (Sense a Democratic Party theme?)

Edwards shakes workers' hands and spins a good pro-labor line. He sells himself as the struggling person's best friend. But talk is cheap, and this multimillionaire lawyer, "free enterprise" cheerleader and tax-loophole opportunist doesn't walk his talk.

Reason 4. Rudy Giuliani (R)

When it suits him, Rudy the chameleon can sound downright liberal on issues such as gay rights and abortion. But his tirade about how "Peddlers, panhandlers and prostitutes, all need to be cleaned out" shows his true colors. During his stint as Big Apple mayor, police brutality soared - and civil rights for poor people and communities of color took a nose dive.

His "leadership" around the 9/11 tragedy is shameless, baseless hype. And like other former public officeholders, Hizzoner owns a "consulting" firm that thrives off his political connections to get lucrative government contracts for clients.

On foreign policy? Giuliani's motto is Wars 'R' Us!

Reason 5. Mike Huckabee (R)

Pundits call Huckabee a "conservative populist." This only proves how far right the major parties have traveled. A Bible-thumping Christian fundamentalist and Baptist preacher, he is loved by home-schooling Evangelicals. He is anti-gay, anti-abortion, and really believes that Eve came from Adam's rib.

On immigration, he flipped from a relatively tolerant stance while governor of Arkansas. Now he calls for mass deportation of undocumented workers. This opportunistic switcharoo earned him kudos from Jim Gilchrist, the xenophobe who organized gun-toting border vigilantes into the Minuteman Project.

Evidently, Huckabee's god is a real hawk. Iraq is a war "we cannot afford to lose" and Iran looks good for military intervention too.

Reason 6. Dennis Kucinich (D)

Kucinich is the only Democrat listed here who isn't a millionaire. He's against the Iraq war (but voted to put us in Afghanistan) and was one of the lonely six who voted no to the new "anti-terror" crackdown against domestic radicals in the House (see cover story). His voting record is mostly progressive. No wonder the powers-that-be exclude him from the debates!

So why on earth is he in the Democratic Party? Whatever he may say, his function with the Dems is to keep potential rebels adhering to a capitalist party by providing progressive cover for the "other" party of greed and war-making. Surely Kucinich knows better.

He also must know who Ron Paul really is. Yet in November Kucinich actually said he'd consider having Paul as his running mate if he got the nomination. Maybe he was joking. And maybe not.

Reason 7. John McCain (R)

Despite the reputation as a maverick that earns him repeat appearances on Jon Stewart's show, Navy career man and ex-POW McCain is a loyal Republican conservative. He loves war, charter schools, chain-link fences along the border, and the anti-Cuba embargo. He hates teachers' unions, Castro, and immigrants without papers. Of Iraq, he says, "Only the most deluded of us could doubt the necessity of this war." Well, excuse us.

Reason 8. Barack Obama (D)

Given the significance of past and present racism in the U.S., Obama's candidacy is another groundbreaking event. KKKers in suits like Rush Limbaugh are foaming at the prospect of a Black president, while large numbers of race liberationists are excited about seeing an African American make the long journey to the front door of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Imagine Obama wielding his presidential power to aid workingclass Blacks in New Orleans, or to go after pharmaceutical profits and predatory lenders. It's a nice dream, but only that - because it would mean making a fundamental break with the corporate structure. And that's not on Obama's agenda.

Another top recipient of Wall Street donations, Obama voted for the Patriot Act and is gung-ho to fight the "war on terror." He wants to pull troops from Iraq - and send them to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and maybe Iran.

Heck, yes, it would be great to see a woman or an African American (or both!) win the White House - but let them be challengers rather than defenders of the same old racist, sexist status quo.

Reason 9. Ron Paul (R)

Paul follows in that slimy, sleazy tradition of consummate pols who appear to be all things to all people: he's a rightwinger, but he's against the Iraq war. He's also a bigot: "Only about 5 percent of blacks have sensible political opinions, i.e. support the free market, individual liberty, and the end of welfare and affirmative action."

A zealous libertarian, Paul thinks "liberty means free-market capitalism." Oh, sorry, his libertarianism doesn't extend to women who want abortions. Also scorned are poor families, veterans, and anyone who favors Social Security or good public education. As for those tempest-tost huddled masses yearning to breathe free? Paul just may team up with Giuliani and whisk that pesky Statue of Liberty away, right along with the prostitutes and panhandlers.

Reason 10. Bill Richardson (D)

The Latino governor of New Mexico (yet another millionaire - yawn) is anti-abortion, tight with the DLC, and staunch in "securing the border" with National Guard troops.

Here's an interesting tidbit you won't see in his publicity: 43 percent of New Mexico's prisoners languish in privatized prisons, and GEO Group runs most of them. In 2006, Richardson got more money from GEO than any other state politician running.

Reason 11. Mitt Romney (R)

Mirror, mirror, on the wall: who's the richest of them all? Senator Mitt, who is so anti-immigrant he actually sent out a mailer with a chain-link fence on the cover! He's also pro-war, anti-abortion, and endorsed by Tom Tancredo, hero to white supremacists everywhere.

Reason 12. Fred Thompson (R)

Shades of Ronald Reagan! A former attorney turned actor turned pundit turned politician, Law and Order vet Thompson plays a grouchy reactionary on screen and off. He lobbied for decades for gigantic companies including General Electric and Westinghouse. He favors misery-inducing "free trade" agreements and backs any foreign policy that's good for business.

Long story short, Thompson is like all the other "viable" candidates: rich, well-connected, ready to stay the course, and a darn good reason to vote socialist.