Commentary
Oregon Daily Emerald
Friday, October 1, 2004
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■ In my opinion
Voted out with the garbage
During the Democratic Na
tional Convention, almost
president Albert Gore dis
cussed life lessons learned
from the 2000 election.
“The first lesson is this,” he
said: "Take it from me — every
vote counts. In our democracy,
every vote has power. ... Don’t
let anyone take it away or talk
you into throwing it away. And
let's make sure that this time,
every vote is counted.”
Funny, Al, but I learned the op
posite lesson in 2000. Every vote
doesn’t count in America. Ask the
tens of thousands of African
Americans in Florida, whose
votes still have absolutely no
power. Ask the millions in regions
where gerrymandering has prede
termined most races. Ask the ma
jority of Americans who voted for
you, Al, whose votes didn’t make
a lick of difference.
There is one place where every
vote still has power: The U.S.
Senate. When a joint session of
the House and Senate met to for
mally award Florida’s electoral
votes to Bush, members of the
Congressional Black Caucus
raised an objection. According to
an 1887 law, the objection had to
be signed by at least one senator.
Any senator.
But not even one member of
the Senate would sign.
DAVID JAGERNAUTH
CRITICAL MASS
Representative after representa
tive came forward to call the
election what it was — a fraud
— and not a single senator
would sign.
“I don't care that it is not signed
by a senator,” Rep. Maxine Wa
ters said during the joint hearing.
“The chair would advise that
the rules do care,” Gore an
swered, followed by laughter
and applause. Nice job making
sure every vote is counted. Do
the rules care about election
fraud, Al?
This sad episode epitomizes
why real progressives hate the
Democratic Party. For Democ
rats, the crime in Florida was the
result: Gore lost the election. He
was the victim. And Bush and
his Republican cronies were the
evildoers.
For progressives, the crime had
nothing to do with the result. The
crime was the illegal disenfran
chisement of tens of thousands of
innocent black citizens. Bush and
his cronies are guilty, sure, but
Gore is just as guilty for turning
his back on the black communi
ty. All white politicians in the all
white U.S. Senate — including
Sens. John Kerry and John Ed
wards — are guilty for refusing to
support the Congressional Black
Caucus and their attempt to stop
the election.
Likewise, I partially blame the
democrats in Congress for the
war in Iraq, the USA PATRIOT
Act, No Child Left Behind, the
tax cuts and John Ashcroft’s
confirmation.
If the Democrats aren’t willing
JAGERNAUTH, page 3A
■ Guest commentary
Green Party: Kerry must win
During the upcoming presidential election you will have
the opportunity to shake up our broken political system —
not by ignoring its realities and casting a protest vote for a
candidate who cannot win, but by helping to choose the ulti
mate victor.
Oregon’s students live in a swing state and will have the
opportunity to vote in an unusually close election. On your
campus alone, the votes cast by students — or the votes stu
dents fail to cast — could tip the balance.
As members of the Green Party, we recognize that John
Kerry and the Democratic Party have tremendous failings.
Former consumer advocate Ralph Nader sheds light on them
and plays a crucial role as a corporate watchdog.
But the best way to forward the causes he has championed
is not to vote in support of his candidacy.
Despite John Kerry's serious failings, it is imperative
that he win because his presidency would be far superior
to four more years under the right-wing Bush administra
tion. Bush must lose and be prevented from doing further
harm to our environment, labor rights, civil rights,
women’s rights and gay rights. That will happen only if
Kerry wins — meaning swing state progressives need to
vote for Kerry.
Ideological idealism drives successful movements, but
idealism that ignores practicality cannot forward ideals and
can even be counterproductive in the struggle to realize
them. Recognizing this, we’ve formed the www.Greens
forImpact.com committee and ask progressive students in
swing states to support Kerry.
We must vote in a manner that accounts for political re
alities. We live under a political system that is rigged
against third parties. We absolutely must change that, but
it is a reality of the current mechanisms that swing-state
votes for a third-party candidate will not aid in defeating
the Bush administration and could help yield four more
C Bret Furtwangler | Graphics editor
years of tax cuts for the wealthy that starve state gov
ernments and force local tuition increases.
This election is not a theoretical or academic exercise
— real people’s lives are at stake. We cannot afford to
treat our votes as acts of mere symbolic, individual ex
pression.
David Segal is minority leader of the Providence, R.I.,
City Council Austin King is an Alder in Madison, Wis.
ONLINE POLL
THIS WEEK’S POLL RESULTS
What do you think of Ralph Nader's exclusion from the
November ballot?
1.32.1 percent - It’s good; it will increase votes for
democratic nominee John Kerry.
2.30.2 percent - It’s good; Nader's campaign was removed
for legitimate reasons.
3.28.3 percent - It’s bad; it gives Oregon voters fewer choices
in the election.
4.5.7 percent - It’s bad; more votes for Kerry worsens
Bush's chances.
5.3.7 percent-Who is Ralph Nader?
Results out of 53 votes
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INBOX: NADER
Nader hurting chances
by sacrificing principles
It happened at a post office in Central
Point. A canvasser stood on the sidewalk asking vot
ers to sign petitions for George Bush. An alert TV re
porter noticed something strange. The 50 signatures
he’d gotten were on Ralph Nader petitions.
“How can you do that?” the reporter asked.
“It’s legal."
Maybe. But it’s only one dismaying example of the
way Ralph Nader has become the favorite new cam
paign tool of the Republicans and their wealthy sup
porters from the far right. Why doesn’t Nader dis
avow these tactics? Sadly, it looks like he is behaving
like those he’s always blasted: sacrificing principle
for political gain. But in this case he’s hurting his
own causes.
TVuth in advertising: I’m a former Nader support
er, current Kerry supporter.
No, John Kerry isn’t perfect. But he and George W.
Bush have some big differences. Under George Bush
we fought a useless war with 1,000 American casual
ties and $200 billion. We lost millions of jobs, gave
millionaires a $30,000 tax cut and the rest of us about
$300.
John Kerry will create jobs, support choice, pro
tect the environment and roll back those outrageous
tax cuts for the rich.
With this kind of choice do we really want Ralph
Nader running as a George Bush surrogate? Ralph
Nader has used his energy for so many good causes.
Now he’s letting the Republicans use him. This elec
tion matters too much. Nader should come to his
senses as so many of his supporters already have.
Ruth Duemler
Eugene
Nader's removal victimizes voters,
hurts right to choose
You have just watched the Democratic Party
and the Kerry campaign conspire to throw Ralph
Nader off the ballot rather than compete against
him on the issues. They have robbed you of your
right to choose. They have stolen your civil right.
Think of this when you vote. Your vote now be
comes one of approval or disapproval of what
you have experienced. You have been victimized.
They don’t trust you to make the right decision
with Nader's name on the ballot. Why should
you trust them? Think about this when you vote.
Stephen Coon
Ralph Nader for President 2004 staff member
Editor’s note:
In an effort to diversify the Commentary Page and
write more in-depth editorials, the Editorial Board has
decided to print its columns Monday through Thurs
day each week. Today’s piece is a special feature,
sparked by the first presidential debate in Florida. The
editorial will usually be printed down the right-hand
side of Page 2 to avoid confusion with other commen
tary content. However, commentary will occasionally
run on Pages 2 and 3, and Global Update and weath
er will run on Page 4.