Cynthia McKinney announces campaign for Presidency

[Michael Hogan]

http://www.runcynthiarun.org/

Former Democratic Congressmember Cynthia McKinney has announced she is seeking the presidency as a Green Party hopeful. In a campaign video, McKinney said her former party has become identical to Republicans.

Cynthia McKinney: “The Democrats do not speak for us. They have abdicated their sacred responsibilities to the American people, to the constitution and to the global community. The Democrats—no different than their Republican counterparts—eat out of the hands of corrupt lobbyists and feed at the same corporate trough. I am proud to say that the Green Party is my new political home.”

McKinney was the first African-American woman elected to Congress from Georgia. One of her last measures in office was to introduce a bill for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

(The above was quoted from Democracy Now!)

[John Geraghty]

I know that both Peter and Michael are interested in CYnthia McKinney's career and I share everyones joy in her candidacy.

I worked as an intern for her in congress in 2006 and met her again this summer gone by.

This can't have been an easy decision to have made, given the way the democrats hounded Nader for running in 2000. By hounding I don't just mean complaining, they went after his bank accounts and his whole life.

I'm hoping to get a website together about Cynthia to support her campaign. It is quite an important step to start to bring about the entrance of a viable third party into the American system. I'm sure that the most frequent argument against voting for her will be that people fear handing the presidency to the Republican party. McKinney's aim will be to garner support from new black voters, giving them a more left wing politician that is more in touch with working class issues. You simply can not keep delaying the creation of a real democratic system out of fear of another Republican term. What has the democratic congress been able to achieve over what should be a lame duck president?

I wil be writing a few articles on McKinney in the next while and I will hopefully give people a few reasons to vote for her and a full FAQ.

I may have to start saving my pennies to get on the campaign trail sometime next year.

John

[William Kelly]

After Cynthia lost her last election, I talked it over her prospects with John Judge and advised her to run for the presidency, though as a Democrat rather than as an independent.

As I thought it worthwhile, she could have entered every caucus and primary as a Democrat and won a small but viable percentage of the vote - 10-20 percent would have been respectable, and garnered that percentage of delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

With a percentage block of delegates at the convention, she would have held much power in determining the party plank - which sets policies on issues, and in deciding who the ultimate candidate would be.

Now as an independent, it's a whole nother ball game.

While third parties can be spoilers, and Ron Paul should be the Libertarian Party's candidate, the Green Party could only do what McKinney could have done at the DNC, and that's change attitudes and policies.

When the TV commentators talk - and they usually bring on a Republican strategists and a Democratic strategist, who can only think and talk within their own liberal/conservative world, they chalk off Cynthia McKinney as a radical, fringe ding bat.

That's okay, as such underestimation will only serve her well when the battle begins.

My two cents.

BK

[Charles Drago]

The first step in speaking the truth is ...

... speaking the truth!

Cynthia McKinney on the dias with other Democratic presidential candidates ... simply saying the words.

Screw percentages.

Saying the words.

Speaking the truth.

Which cannot speak for itself.

[John Geraghty]

Cynthia now has a new campaign website, which looks pretty good. http://www.mckinney2008.com

You can register, post blogs and videos and interract with other supporters.

Here is my first blog on the site, arguing that people vote for a third party instead of voting for the Democrats out of fear of the Republicans.

What makes a citizen sell their vote?

The buzz word around the elections these days is ‘change’ , ‘I stand for change’, ‘Hey, Let’s move on, let’s change’, ‘Hey buddy, got any spare change?’. Well, change isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, or rather, change isn’t all the spin masters crack it up to be. What exactly does Barack Obama mean when he says that he represents change, that he can unite the country out of its bitter factionism? Tell me, how does one man unite 260 million others, in fact, how does he possibly think that one person can represent the views of the people he is speaking to in packed auditoriums and school halls? There is spinned change, a tactic by which someone with charisma seeks votes without actually saying anything, and there is actual change, embodied by the declaration of a multitude of citizens that they are unhappy with their representation.

I fail to be convinced that change it embodied by voting for a candidate who’s only criteria for being worthy of election is that they are slightly less conservative than the other guy. Democratic voters have, in the past, been wary of voting for a third party candidate, because they feared they would hand the white house to the Republican party and feel that their vote had been wasted. The people who would like to vote Green or anther third party feel not so much that they would be voting for a party, but that they wouldn’t be voting for the democrats and so, in actuality, their vote was as good as one cast for the Republican party. These citizens would likely not be classed as overwhelmingly supportive of the democratic party, but rather, are sufficiently appeased by them to vote for them due to their fear of a Republican controlled Congress or White House. Change is not voting for the most charismatic liberal that is deemed acceptable for you to vote for, change is voting for the choice that you are democratically entitled to.

Polls indicate that over 30% of Americans would vote for a third party if it was a viable option. This indicates distinct dissatisfaction within both parties, what scares people so badly to use their vote, which they fought so hard to attain, by voting for a party that doesn’t scare them quite as much as the other party? This is the system of control in America that is continually pushing it to the right. The Democrats are free to become more conservative, as the voters have not held them in check by voting for more left wing parties, denying the democrats of their vote.

Voting Democrat when your hearts not in it is like seeing a salivating rottweiler that wants your lunch coming towards you and instead of letting the rottweiler have it you give it to a nearby poodle. I say keep your lunch for yourself!

The only change is lasting change. The only way to accomplish this is by the formation and strengthening of a new political entity that is both accountable and responsive to the people. This change can not just be embodied by one person or by one party, but by a collective vote and action by citizens. Vote for what you believe in, not what you are afraid of.

[John Geraghty]

Here is my second short blog on the McKinney site, advocating advanced used of the internet by the campaign.

Using the net effectively

John Geraghty

In a very realistic sense, it is unlikely that the Green party or Cynthia will get a lot of media attention during her presidential campaign. In another dose of realism, it will be difficult for Cynthia to compete in fundraising, even with people like Chris Dodd and Joe Biden (who are now out of the race). In canvassing and fundraising we must turn to the internet.

Although progressives and radicals may not see him as being on message on a lot of issues, the online presence of Ron Paul can not be denied. There is a lot that can be learned from his net campaigning. While it seems unlikely that this was an orchestrated campaign by the Paul for president crew, we can see what an energized base with a few pc's and an internet connection can do. The fundraising potential of the internet is huge. The following sites should be subjected to ongoing internet canvassing over the comin months,

youtube- we need a lot of videos from Cynthia personally, whether they be direct statements to the camera or coverage of media appearances and speeches that she may give. Supporter videos championing her candidacy would also be useful. Probably the most important internet site for politics en masse.

myspace-One of the premier social networking sites. Some active campaigning will give us easy access to progressive causes and users.

Facebook-This gives easy access to college students, a ready market for canvassers and campaign volunteers. It is also essential to spreading a message.

Meetup-This provides us with ready and willing Green volunteers in cities across the country, There has been a downturn in the number of group on this site due to the introduction of group fees, it has, however, not hit user numbers. Perhaps the campaign should consider paying for the establishment of a few groups in major cities. The campaign should actively participate in liaising with these groups.

Craigslist-Craigslist is a huge resource for progressives around the country, we should be posting appeals to voters and volunteers on the newsgroups.

Other video sites-As well as youtube, we must endeavour to post videos to sites such as metacafe, veoh and others.

Political forums and discussion groups- Membership of political discussion groups is good for spreading campaign messages and the viability of the campaign. I do not mean that we all spend ourtime posting press releases on these forums, rather we discuss in our own words the McKinney campaign and why it is no laughing matter. Posting youtube videos on these forums would also be an effective policy.

The key to winning over the net vote is consistency. The message that should be continually pushed is the need for the creation of a third party, if not now, when? We should be continually reiterating that one should not vote democrat just because they fear the Republicans. Effective change is made through the creation of choice. People know that the Green party is not lkely to win the white house during this election campaign, so we must treat them as people with brains and tell them truthfully what the party hopes to gain from this election, the creation of the party as a viable political entity. In other words, we must enforce the need in voters minds to give their country a effctive, electable lobby party that can grow into something that will really fit their needs.

The Green paries website lists 10 key values, the campaign should identify the policies that Cynthia would enact in order to bring these values to the wider community.

These are but a few of the online methods that we can use. I will post in future blogs on how we can effectively use local media to further the campaign.

[Michael Hogan]

http://www.fogcityjournal.com/news_in_brie...es_080114.shtml

http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/

Green Party debate opening statements:

Edited January 15, 2008 by Michael Hogan

[William Kelly]

Mumia Abu-Jamal Endorses McKinney For President

Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted Philadelphia cop killer, endorses Cynthia McKinney for President. Now if we can get James Files to endorse her, maybe they can form prisoners for Cynthia campaign committee. Those behind bars relinquish their right to vote however. - BK

Headlined on 2/2/08:

The Radical Alternative (Cynthia McKinney)

by Mumia Abu-Jamal

http://www.opednews.com

Tell A Friend

In this age of political discontent, it seems clear that many

Americans who plan to vote are voting for "change".

Just what kind of change is an open question. Will that change

bring the first woman to the Oval Office? Or will it bring a Black man

(or ,to some, a 1/2 Black man?)

Whatever, it is interesting that the nation's punditocracy, the

talking heads who act like verbal sheepdogs of the American fleece,

have almost totally ignored one candidate who can, in her single self,

embody, not just the illusion, but the reality of "change", experience,

a demonstrated stand against the Iraq War, and a life of living female.

I speak, of course, of Cynthia McKinney, the bold, outspoken former

congresswoman from Georgia, who spoke out against the Iraq War when it

wasn't popular.

She is running on the Green Party, according to published reports,

but the media has virtually ignored this fact.

Her record of speaking out against the U.S. war machine, the

military-industrial complex, and other issues of concern is head and

shoulders above any of the other candidates running for office, on

either party.

But, without the paid imprimatur of the corporate powers that be,

it can be little more than an insurgent campaign, one kept safely to the

margins of American politics, off the stage, and off the screen.

This is our loss, for the major candidates (or those supported by

the corporate status quo) are, by their very nature, designed to split

the votes of two significant blocs in the Democratic Party, which can

only leave the loser feeling embittered.

Why not a real Black woman as a candidate?

Wouldn't that be a change?

And although all politics is symbolic, McKinney really is a woman

of substance.

She has been politically courageous in many of her stands, which

has made her persona non grata among both Republicans and Democrats.

That's because she's not a corporate candidate. She's proven in

her career as a member of Congress that she won't be bought off. Of who

else running today can the same be said?

People say they want 'change', but do they really?

Many people are terrified of change. They want the safety of the

routine, the comfort of predictability.

That's because many people fear losing their already tenuous grip

on their lifestyle.

But with millions of people facing foreclosure, and with the rest

of the economy on the brink of free-fall, how much safety is apparent?

That's only an economic concern, what about foreign policy?

Foreign policy, for at least the last decade, has been handled (or

should I say, mishandled?) by an array of incompetents who have

succeeded only in making bad situations far worse.

Do people want change, or are they merely claiming that they do?

Cynthia McKinney would certainly represent that, in a way far more

substantial and meaningful than anybody else out there.

Politicians should be far more than paid agents of the wealthy.

They should be far more than millionaires working on behalf of other

millionaires

Why are we not surprised that the U.S. Senate is a millionaires

club?

How could such people have an appreciation of working people? What

do they really know about the poor?

Wouldn't Cynthia McKinney be a significant change?

--© '08 maj

[Michael Hogan]

McKinney poised to challenge Obama for Left-Wing and Black vote

by Vivian Berryhill:

" ....It's time for people claiming to be progressives who supported Obama, to accept that they were bamboozled by a champion slickster. Actually, that's putting the best face on the situation, since most of Obama's progressive credentials were simply wished into existence by folks who were tired of even pretending to fight. Obama now dares to drop all pretense of progressivism, trusting that there will be no ramifications on the Left, especially among the otherwise most dependable progressive constituency, African Americans."

Full article: http://www.opednews.com/articles/McKinney-...080707-666.html

[William Kelly]

McKinney poised to challenge Obama for Left-Wing and Black vote

by Vivian Berryhill:

<B>

" ....It's time for people claiming to be progressives who supported Obama, to accept that they were bamboozled by a champion slickster. Actually, that's putting the best face on the situation, since most of Obama's progressive credentials were simply wished into existence by folks who were tired of even pretending to fight. Obama now dares to drop all pretense of progressivism, trusting that there will be no ramifications on the Left, especially among the otherwise most dependable progressive constituency, African Americans."

</B>

Full article: http://www.opednews.com/articles/McKinney-...080707-666.html

John Judge is Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney's Press Secretary, and they promised that if she wins the election I can be Secretary of Defense.

I'm already putting together a defense budget that we can live with without compromising security or maintaining civil order in Bagdad.

BK