Dennis Kucinich: Forever And Always

Imagine a Congress with no voice for impeachment. Imagine Congress with no questions about Iraqi civilian casualties. Imagine a Congress without Kucinich when Bush decides on his pretext for war against Iran. Imagine the worst, because that is what we will have if Kucinich is defeated.

As if I wasn't depressed enough about Kucinich's lack of a chance in the presidential election, now this?

No one should feel this disheartened in the political system at 21 years old. I've researched Kucinich and, everywhere I look, his name is attached to ideas that I whole-heartedly agree with, though they maybe radical ideas for anyone who actually wants to be in (or remain in) office. As I've written previously, in my observations, it seems like major party candidates make careers out of catering to whatever audience is listening. Though I will vote for Obama if nominated, my vote is in full acknowledgement of his guilt in this; a guilt I don't think can be avoided in today's political climate.

It's a symptom, though, of a sick political system as a whole. The ways in which politicians are elected: it's not about experience, but about name recognition (which is closely associated with funding). Even candidates who desperately want to do something good and change the landscape of government face enormous challenges in even being recognized as serious candidates without support of big business or influential lobbies. So, unless you are ridiculously rich and can, somehow, run an entire campaign on your own money, you wind up having to cozy up next to people you may have wanted to avoid, just to stay in the game.

Though the founders obviously did not think very highly of common folk (as evident by their decision to create the Electoral College to help decide election outcomes), I don't think they ever quite envisioned a political system that was so married to corporations and money. Just because a man is rich does not make him worthy of running a country.

The idea of "democracy" is not the type on government by which we claim to live today. Democracy is government for the people, by the people. This is PoliSci101. In a democracy - literally - EVERYONE has a say. Rather, what we have is a rather loose form of a republic; we have a representative government. There's nothing wrong with that except that we're kidding ourselves if we think there's anything about OUR form of republic that is true to its name.

This is something for which I don't even completely blame our government. WE don't vote. WE don't allow our government to hear our voices. WE say nothing more than we should. And then, when we actually do vote, many of us are not informed enough to vote for the candidates which best represent who we are and who are most qualified to defend our priorities and values. But, this is a rant better writers have gone on and - if you're interested in knowing more about how voters become bamboozled and vote for candidates that do not serve their interests at all - you should check out What's The Matter With Kansas? by Thomas Frank.

However, in picking up where I left off last blog (and in picking back up my Kucinich point), honesty in government is something I've learned to believe doesn't exist and I think that's horribly unfair. It appears that Kucinich is what he says he is and he'll tell you what he really stands for, regardless of who you may be. He stands by his principles and, while it's cost him elections, it's saved him his soul and - at least in my case - has won him respect.

For whatever it's worth, though, I intend to follow his work until they either throw him out of government or elect him into a position where he can clean up the mess of the decades of insanity that have existed thus far. I sincerely hope Kucinich win his re-election bid in Ohio's 10th district. There needs to be at least one voice of reason in government (though I know he is not our only hope). He makes noise, but - unfortunately - he doesn't have the money for a bigger megaphone on a bigger stage.