To: Rosalio_munoz@sbcglobal.net
From: "Rosalio Munoz"
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 19:05:16 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [NetworkAztlan_News] The People Won The Debate. Lets Win the Election
The People Won The Democratic Debate
After last nights Los Angeles Democratic “debate”, while the pundits pontificated on who scored more points on this or that question as if they were judging a boxing match, my grin grew into a smile, to chuckles, then hearty laughter capped by a grito or two. They didn’t get it. It was clear to me that among the biggest losers were George Bush, Dick Cheney, John McCain, Mitt Romney and yes the media monopolists. The American people won this debate.
The candidates Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama focused their fire on the tragedy of the past 7 years dominance of the reactionary right and their
articulateness on how their polices would move in a different direction. Their points were well made, not so progressive as many positions of Edwards,
Richardson, and of course Dennis Kucinich, all of whose influence was “presente” in the united resolve to get to concrete ways to begin the change. The questions on the war in Iraq, health care and immigration were answered with more concretes than rhetoric and both candidates declined to take the media bait of divisiveness.
Personally I was overjoyed at their denunciations of the Republican scapegoating and bashing of immigrants and strong affirmations of legalization and a path to citizenship, and I heard no mention guest worker
programs. This is the kind of leadership needed to rebuff the fostering of bigotry by the Republican right to build a fascist like following. Much, much
more is needed, but this is a beginning. Their positions are clearer in contrast to the reactionaries and there is opportunity to work on improving them.
While I had anxiously and a bit angrily waited and worked for such denunciation of the immigrant bashing I felt proud that it did take place here in Los Angeles in California where the struggle for immigrants rights has centered for half a century and the super oppression of Latino and Asian immigrants has continued for a century and a half. Proud that the historical immigrant rights struggles of people I have worked with like Bert Corona, Ernesto Galarza, Rose Chernin, Karl Yoneda, Don Wheeldin, Bishop Juan
Arzube, Soledad Alatorre, have led to the building of a political constituency with enough political punch to put the slogan Hoy Marchamos Manana Votamos in the presidential correlation of forces. Ya era tiempo, quantitave change leads to qualitative change.
On immigration, the war, health care, and most critical issues we are at a key moment, a turning point where quantity can start growing into qualitative change, right now the foremost task is breaking down major obstacles to progress to get things moving . The more progressive content there is
in pushing for the breakthrough the sooner and the better the breakthrough can be. Right now it’s a time to jump in and get into the swim of things, the water may not be as warm as we like, a bit muddy here and there with some crosscurrents, not all the company so friendly but things are moving in the correct direction, now. The bigger the vote in the Democratic primary the bigger the rejection of the reactionary right, the better the opportunity for future change.
Though winning in November is the main mission, in the primary it is important to underscore the better positions to improve the platform of the eventual nominee. For me Obama has the better positions on immigration and the war and how he approached them were clearly ahead of Clinton from a progressive perspective. When asked about the impact of immigrants on African American employment Obama chose to focus on the employment side of the question indicating that immigration was not a key cause of
African American unemployment, he spoke of working as a community organizer with laid off steelworkers whose plants had closed. Later he spoke about the importance of comprehensive reform
Clinton focused first on the immigration side of the question speaking compellingly about comprehensive reform, but then stated that undocumented immigration does have some impact on job loss as a reason for denying the undocumented drivers licenses. Clinton needs more education on the issue. Until there is just legalization drivers licenses for the undocumented is practical and fair.. Denying licenses to immigrants
does not provide jobs for African Americans; it does cut jobs in the motor vehicles department. In fact denying the licenses drives immigrants more
underground, makes them more vulnerable, and gives the employers more advantage to choose more powerless workers..
On the war Obama stressed condemning the whole concept of the war, which he opposed from the start, he called for setting a definite date to complete withdrawal. Clinton would not set a date nor admit the original
vote to give Bush authority to use force was wrong, but she was clear she wanted the war to end. .
Though their positions on big issues are close, the differences are important and Obama's perspective is more open ended in a progressive way, Clinton’s tends to be more conditional.
In terms of leadership Obama’s experience in community organizing and his historical perspective are impressive, he is more attentive to grass roots
experience and the processes of change. Clintons work as an advocate is seen in her articulateness, she sure can take it to the Republicans, but she stresses what she can do for the people, not as much on what we can do.
I also don’t think being the most ready on day 1 is most important. There are 1460 some days in a presidential term. What about day 2, day 30, day 365…
The two best US presidents were Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt who grew in office, on day 1 Lincoln was far from emancipating African Americans and Roosevelt far from the Wagner Labor Act or Social Security, but they
struggled for a united country and came to progressive solutions in tough situations. Obama’s historical perspective and open-ended vision for hope are attractive to me in this regard.
What impressed me most about both of them is that they got the clue, millions of people were dismayed at the nasty campaign tone coming across on the media. This time they did not tell the media what they wanted to
hear and spoke to the issues. They responded to the people. They did not back off the issue of immigration. I certainly do not agree with many of
their positions but I felt much better about them and the future of the country after the debate. Though influenced by many pressures they do take the people into account. They are ready and able to take on the Republican reactionaries; they are attuned to visions of the common good. They both can be responsive to mass movements. We need to build the mass movements to elect one of them to replace the reactionaries and continue the struggles from there. The ball is in our court. There are four days to get out the vote. Lets do it. Si Se Puede!
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