Published on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
There's Nothing to Say
by Bill C. Davis
When asked about an affair on the locker room radio show hosted by the "insightful" political pundit Imus John Kerry responded by saying "There's nothing to say." Aside from being a somewhat evasive answer he stumbled into a motto for political success in modern day America - "There's nothing to say."
When the Congressional Black Caucus looked for one senator to stand with them in contesting the Florida electoral votes in 2000 there was nothing to say - from either of the Johns - Kerry or Edwards. Interestingly, Sharpton, who has emerged as hitman for the Democratic Leadership Council, was more interested in Dean's cabinet than he was in this important moment in American democracy. Why didn't one senator stand up for the disenfranchised African American voters? As both senators are going for those votes why didn't they fight for their rights to vote at a time when it would have been monumental? There was nothing to say.
When hundreds of thousands of protesters marched against the war and Bush referred to them as a focus group, there was still nothing to say. In the face of those protests and questions from the UN and our allies the only thing Kerry had to say was, Yes, to the war. He complains now that he didn't know Bush would "F' it up. So an efficient war was in his mind when he voted? A nice organized clean war was the image that informed his vote of yes? Is there something to say about that?
Most of what Kerry does have to say now is what Dean has been saying. Plagiarist parrot more than statesman he intones the organic rhetoric of a visionary mind. Even now I can hear the Democratic leadership hissing - Shhhh - you'll blow our chance to get rid of Bush. But more needs to be said. Bush is like a wound that needs to be replaced by healthy tissue. Just pulling the scab off is not enough. What are the initiatives that will produce healthy tissue and where are those initiatives coming from? Mostly they're coming from the Dean camp and mostly they're being lip synched by Kerry.
A passionless consent to the perceived reality of an electable but unoriginal candidate is not brilliant for democracy. The grand illusion is that the will of the people runs the country. The stupefied, agitated democrats may be stampeded into a hollow spasm of support for an inflated figure based on a war story and a glamorous wife but what will it mean ultimately? Kerry saved a man's life in Vietnam - the story was told by Chris Matthews with great theatricality. As a doctor Dean studied and worked daily to save lives - his passionate intention and mission is to save and improve lives. Theatrical? Perhaps not. But its meaning is profound and it says a great deal.
Perpetuating this profile and mechanism of the American electorate will backfire on the Democratic Leadership Council. Different tales will push different results. The philandering husband tale - the gold digger tale - or whatever tale Republicans will sell with their 200 million dollars - or Bush with his foot on the chest of a captured Osama - these will be like pellets used to bypass policy consideration and will be aimed at the visceral base. The irony of this is that the passion Dean inspires in his core supporters is rooted in the elegant logic of his policies and less by a manufactured mythology. Does a candidate have something real to say about the American experience? Answer that question and then vote. Vote for someone who stands behind the shield of, there is nothing to say - and, as always, we'll get what we deserve.
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I was chastised yesterday for posting a Rush Limbaugh article which stated:
"Dean is the guy that made Kerry who he is! He's the only legitimate liberal in this race, the only guy that didn't lie about what he and liberals believe."
Funny, that from the far right to the far left they seem to agree that Dean was the strongest candidate. You would think that somewhere in between Al From would have found his "Elusive Swing Voter (ESV)"?
OR was the problem that Al and Bill worried that they would be out of a job?