Marc and Melissa: All Politics Is Local

Call by Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Princeton University

Marc,

After a week of Presidential politics dominated by everything but a meaningful discussion about policy I have decided to broaden the focus of my political energy a bit. Don’t get me wrong; I am still an undeterred, hopeful and ardent Obama supporter. But I am also reminding myself of longtime Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill’s famous admonition that “all politics is local.”
24-hour network news makes us drowsy about local politics. But most of the fundamental policy choices that affect our daily lives are made and implemented by office holders at levels much closer to the ground than the White House.

For Democrats, the long primary season is draining the political giving budget of many contributors. This could have a big effete on candidates at every level from the dogcatcher to the Senate. I hit that little red “Donate Now” button on my Obama campaign emails, but I am worried that as we battle at the top, we lose the resources to win the undercard.

So Marc, I am asking you and our readers to make suggestions about key races across the country where they think we ought to focus. Who are the candidates for the Mayor, Governor, Congress, School Boards and city and county office that you think can make a big difference in our communities? Where else should we write our $5 or $500 donation checks to make sure that the “silly season” in US Presidential politics does not distract us from making change where we can really impact people's lives.

Ok, I’ll start. One top pick for me is Kevin Powell’s challenge to Edolphus Towns in the 10th Congressional District of Brooklyn.

Marc what are your picks?

Melissa


Response by Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, Temple University

Melissa,

For me, the most important non-presidential race to watch comes from Ohio’s 10th Congressional District, where incumbent US Representative Dennis Kucinich is facing a serious challenge.


Since taking office in 1998, Kucinich has been one of the most consistent and principled voices in the Congress. From his persistent opposition to the Iraq war to his uniform challenge to free trade, Kucinich has consistently forced his Democratic colleagues to live up to their progressive promise. Although he was shunned by the mainstream media, Kucinich played a significant role in the 2008 Democratic primary, forcing the mainstream (read: corporate) candidates to answer tough questions about critical issues. More than any politician that I've ever encountered, Kucinich is sincere, ethical, committed, and unwavering in his advocacy for Left-wing values.

Unfortunately, while Kucinich was operating on the national scene, local opponents were plotting on his Congressional seat. By the beginning of 2008, four well-funded candidates attempted to unseat Kucinich in Democratic primary by painting him as an absentee congressman. Although Kucinich was able to defeat them through a twelfth hour fund raising effort, the battle is not over. In November, he will be facing former Republican State Representative Jim Trakas in another close contest.

A Kucinich loss will have a devastating impact on the city of Cleveland, the state of Ohio, and the entire nation. If we truly care about the future of a Left-wing movement, we must aid his re-election.

Can I count on your help?

making our votes count

Cornel West once said, "You can't lead the people if you don't love the people. You can't save the people if you don't serve the people." No two men embodied this love ethic more than Brothers Malcolm and Martin. And as our nation commemorates Rev. King's birthday it is only right that we take time out to reflect on our hard won rights. Paid in blood and paid in full. The night has been long, but we made it to the other side, we saw the rays of a bright new sun.

On my last day on the job as a student-teacher at a NYC public high school, I decided to throw off the kid gloves. I came out swinging. I was trying to engage them in some conversation over the 2008 election - aka, the most important Presidential race of our generation. Who were they down with and why? But the kids were more interested in talking about which member of the senior class wore the freshest gear and had on the most expensive high end kicks (although most were from the same working class neighorhoods. We'll leave the conversation on conspicuous consumption for another time). The kids for the most part did not care and had no intension of getting involved in civic issues. There are probably one hundred good reasons for this type of pervasive apathy. Endemic poverty, miseducation, the forsaken promise of the battle for equal rights are but a few. We know this, but it is my prayer that we do not let this golden opportunity pass us by. If we don't inspire a new generation of educated voters we are not only then we are in effect taking the future out of our hands.

We have the chance to light a fire within a whole generation. We demand change, because it is ours to have. It is our right and our legacy.

Rest in power Brother Martin.

Rest in power Brother Malcolm.

a new first

During every Black History Month celebration of my childhood, we were always provided lists of "black firsts"; the first African-American Supreme Court Justice -Thurgood Marshall, the first African American woman to venture into space-Mae Jameson, and the first African American to win a Nobel Peace Prize- Dr. Ralph Bunche. This list goes on and on, and hopefully on Super Tuesday we will be talking about another black first - the first African American Democratic Presidential candidate.
However, another Senator is trying to make history as well; Hillary Clinton is vying to be America's first woman president. While Jamaica, Pakistan, Liberia and Chile have all embraced female leadership, we have lagged behind. The United States remains as mysgonistic as it is racist, and both have an uphill battle ahead of them. But it cannot be denied that our country is in store for some seismic changes, as people co-sign on the prospect of having either an African American or a woman as Presidents.But as all politics are personal and these two candidates are being pitted against each other as both of their camps court the woman and the black vote respectively. Women ralled around Sen. Clinton in her surprising win over Sen. Obama in the New Hampshire primary, although the polls showed Obama leading with a 10-12 percentage point lead ( we won't go into how polls don't effectively account for racial prejudice just yet). And in the upcoming South Carolina primary, where African Americans make up 50% of the Democratic base, the Obamia enthusiasts are out in full force, billing their boy as the embodiment of "the Dream" of our ancestors and MLK.This proud moment in our nation's history, in which we have the opportunity to look at ourselves differently, has been marred by a little bit of "who has it worse" type mudslinging.
Read Gloria Steinem's New York Times op ed peice in which she argues that, "Gender is probably the most restricting force in American life..." Ms. Steinem has seemingly forgotten the restivive forces of race and socio-economic status. She has also forgotten how race and gender intersect, leaving black women to contend with the crushing realities of instituionalized racism and sexism. Perhaps Alice Walker should pay Steinem a visit and remind her of the tenents of womanism. Even if Sister Walker does hammer home the need for feminist theory to be more inclusive of women of color, to honor our contributions and to recognize our struggles, interests of the feminist and civil rights movements have not always converged and in many ways have shut black women out.
So what is the woman of color to do? The same thing as every other concerned citizen. Educate herself on the issues and come to an educated decision on who she will be voting for come Primary Day.