Re: [Marxism] Harlem Conference on Obama (FYI -- past)

[dave.walters@xxxxxxxxxxx]

The discussion seems not about what Cynthia McKinney has actually stated or 
wrote, but,
it seems, what people who support her have stated or wrote. Why not ask her, 
or, at least,
follow what her campaign, to date, has stated and wrote?

She runs her campaign, not every supporter of hers that makes a statement. She 
cannot
be held responsible for what others state in this or that forum. Now, it's true 
the campaign
if it develops can and will have a dynamic of it's own but it is far too early 
to start raising
straw-men, which is what I think Joaquin is doing in this case. It's all "if 
the campaign..."
Well, Joaquin, the campaign "has not...".

There appears to be a wide ranging debate, a REALLY GOOD THING, about both the 
meaning and impact of the Obama and to a much lesser degree, obviously, McKinney
campaigns.

I think trying to defend Obama  beyone the obvious impact his campaign has had 
is plain
rediculous. He too, is exactly what he says he is. And, to the degree people 
disagree with
what he states and represents, what is the problem about raising this? It is, 
after all, 
a *political* campaign is it not? There is, IMO, little evidence that Obama is 
the left of
Clinton. Not on health care, not on "Free Trade", not on much else. Not to take 
him to
task on this is simply not political, it's either tail-ending or cult building, 
take your choice. It's
also very offensive to anyone who wants equality in a debate and to be 
considered equal.
Obama has not shied away from debate, so why do people on the left do so?

McKinney has stuck to the issues, period. She welcomed Obama's invitation 
through
his talk on racism to talk about race. She has issued statements that appeal to 
Obama's
*supporters* about the issues swirling around his campaign that actually do 
have an
effect on African-Americans and Americans in general. She has, correctly, IMO, 
declined
to trash Obama but has differentiated herself greatly from where Obama stands, 
most
notably on the Democratic Party, which she obviously detests, and, for obvious 
reasons.

I've had the fortunate experience to spent about 4 days with Cynthia McKinney 
here in Mexico
City where we were attending the 2nd Continental Conference Againt War, 
Privatization and in
defense of national independence. Her whole perspective seems to be issue 
oriented:  against
war, racism, in defense of immigrants, in defense of workers in struggle. She 
has, like many here, 
learned of the effects of NAFTA *directly* from those in Mexico and Latin 
America, including a
contigent of machete weilding peasants from eastern Mexico her gave her a 
standing
ovation when she spoke. This was all over the evening news here.

She wants to build a Reconstruction Movement based on here "Power to the 
People" 
campaign. Trashing Obama is not part of this campaign.

As I sit here, I asked her about this, and she noted factually that Obama is 
limited by
the parameters of his campaign, that is, the Democratic party and he, being a 
product
of it. She applauds the fact that more people have become politicized by his 
campaign
and "that this can only be good for the country". The real struggles, however, 
are what
kind of people's movement is built outside the Democrats.

David Walters

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