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Archive
2008 Elections
The first thing to talk about is the tremendous excitement and engagement of people in this election. Voter turnout is breaking records. People went to vote in the primaries almost as if it were the general election. And not just out of party loyalty or a sense of duty, but because they wanted to, they were excited, and they wanted to make their opinion part of what’s happening. The whole world knows that the American people are turning out in huge numbers motivated by their desire for a big change, to move the country away from the Bush administration’s policies and mentality, and the candidates who are giving substance to that desire are a woman and an African American. History was made in South Carolina when 50% of white Democratic voters under 30 cast their ballots for Obama, and again on Super Tuesday when 43% of all white voters did so nationally. History is being made by women who are also turning out in huge numbers for the chance to vote for the first woman President. History is being made by the millions of white voters, and male voters, and young voters, who are defying conventional wisdom to cast their ballots with enthusiasm, for Clinton or Obama. The Republicans Also history-making is the striking contrast between the Democrats and the Republicans. The Republican Party choices on Super Tuesday were John “we could be in Iraq for 100 years” McCain, Mike “replace the Constitution with the Bible” Huckabee, and Mitt “I can run the country because I’ve run a business” Romney. And they’re actually competing as to who is more conservative, and who is more pro-war. It looks like McCain will be the nominee, which means it’s even more important to focus fire on his record and allegiance to the right wing agenda, notwithstanding the attempt by the corporate media to portray him as some kind of moderate. Exposing that record should move up on the movement’s agenda. On the Latino vote: The biggest and most important development is that the Republican Party, which some years ago claimed to be winning ground among Latinos has lost that ground, and fast. So the support among Latinos for Clinton is a good thing. At the same time we should reject that notion that Obama can’t win the Latino vote, as was shown in Illinois, where he won the majority, Arizona, where he won 44%, and other places where the trend was towards him as he became more familiar in that community. The Corporate Media’s Simplistic Spin Attempt to explain the results by reducing them to being about race and gender in very simplistic ways does a huge disservice to the American people in the first place, and to the candidates too. Of course women want to vote for the first woman president. Likewise, of course African Americans are excited about the possibility of electing the first Black president – but many white people are excited about that as well. Young voters are enthused by the change from the status quo that both candidates represent. But Clinton also wins support because of her record, especially on issues affecting women, children, families, and because she has been a sharp critic of the right on many issues, including economic issues. And Obama wins support because he opposed the war in Iraq from the start, and because he has called for people to believe in a better way, a better country, our “better angels.” For many voters, the big issue is who can beat the Republican? Which is a good and important reason to make a choice. Conclusions What’s so exciting about this election is that millions of people are motivated to participate in record-breaking numbers not just by the candidates’ race or gender, and not just by the particulars of their program, but by their desire for progress for our country, for change, for an end to right wing Republican rule, for unity. The last point that should be made it flows from the previous one: all of this movement, and excitement, and involvement should give us confidence that once there is a nominee, those same desire, for an end to the Bush years, for unity, for change, and that the people’s needs and opinions are the basis for that, will shape the candidacy and make it possible to win big in November. |
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| CPUSA: cpusa@cpusa.org 235 West 23rd Street New York NY 10011 ph: 212-989-4994 |
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Related websites: People's Weekly World Political Affairs Young Communist League |
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