REAL PARTY POWER: PAUL, MCKINNEY, NADER, BALDWIN, AND BARR

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REAL PARTY POWER: PAUL, MCKINNEY, NADER, BALDWIN, AND BARR

Before we complete our 12 Day Convention Photo Highlights, and of course launch in the Canadian Federal Election Campaign coverage (if which we’ll be featuring interviews with many, many candidates), we thought it was essential to post the video of this CSPAN aired press conference from the National Press Club featuring Ron Paul, and promoting Independent Candidate Ralph Nader, Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney, Constitution Party Candidate Chuck Baldwin, and Libertarian Party Candidate Bob Barr (absent).

Aside from the DNC and RNC, we attended Ron Paul’s Rally For the Republic  at the Target Center, and Ralph Nader’s ‘Open The Debates’ Rally in Denver at Magness Arena, Denver U. While both the major party conventions were essntially just four days ads with heavy security and tens of millions of dollars wasted on hospitality suites and corporate hobnobbing, it was quite a different scene and the Ron Paul and Nader events.

The Spirit of inclusion was broad and vast, if one eavesdropped on conversations, one would hear all sorts of interesting points being debated.

At the Paul Rally, sure there were a few people I was less than happy to see, but more than happy to listen to. While not a big fan of Grover Norquist, where else would I hear Grover sharing a stage with someone who was essentially the opposite of those assembled - Gov. Jesse Ventura?

At the Nader Rally it was easy to see then and there that this was not about “Ralph’s Ego”, as the empty heads like to go off about. Ralph not only included Sean Penn, who there to endorse no candidate, but offered time to Green Party VP Candidate Rosa Clemente and Libertarian Party Candidate Bob Barr.

What we were witnessing this time around was something very important - positive agents of change that previously would have only run as candidates realizing that something very important needs to happen to counter the threats that civil liberties and rights face under the glare of a singular corporatist agenda and order.

Cynthia McKinney nailed it when she pointed out that this meeting was a “declaration of independence from this order.”

Of course, look, at the end of the day, how feeble and unable to interpret the events CNN and Wolf Blitzer are. It’s enough to make things look too obvious:

Lastly, a word about the economy. I am in a constant battle with my own workplace (a corporate radio station) who always belittle my broader political interests and understanding. They are hell-bent on ensuring a huge (as in almost 100%) local coverage while not understanding that some legislation in the halls of U.S. Congress have a greater impact on our ability to maintain a quality of life than does some stupid by law passed by our largely ineffectual and non grass-roots municipal council.

Well after this past weekend it will be interesting to see if their myopic perspective continues to perservere and explain to new listeners how to best navigate out of this situation with proper involvement in the political process — or will reports about American Idol and Canadian Idol contestants continue to make up the local news diet?

I’m pretty sure the more astute of you know the answer to that one. But hey, what does one expect where nepotism reigns supreme and patronization is the order of the day?

It’s time to go big or go home…or hit the streets. And i’m dead serious.

 On one final note - I hope the US Green Party are emboldened by the public outcry in Canada to allow Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May into the debates. Makes me proud(er) to be a Canadian.

~Sven Eric Balabanoff

editor@globalpundit.org

admin @ September 13, 2008