From Christopher Cook http://www.christopherdcook.com/
Politics is about negotiation, leverage, power and ideas, among other things. In my estimation, both Obama and Clinton have failed to exhibit a strong consistent commitment to progressive ideas--and thus need to be pressured on this front, and held as accountable as possible to progressive ideas such as universal healthcare, strong sturdy anti-war policies, and economic justice. Neither candidate (not even Obama, who has since voted for war payments) has been clear and consistent on the war and when/how to end it. Neither candidate has taken a strong clear stand on a universal healthcare plan that truly breaks the insurance industry's hold over America 's healthcare system. To the extent that either has mentioned issues of poverty and workers' rights, and corporate greed/power, it has been by virtue of prodding by the Edwards candidacy. Both these candidates have consistently shown they are willing to sell out progressive causes in the name of power politics and centrism, or, in Obama's case, some vague appeal to moderates and Republicans.
This is not an anti-Obama or anti-Clinton appeal; rather, I encourage you to consider voting for Edwards tomorrow on the basis of representing progressive ideas in the electorate, and sending as many delegates his way as possible, in the hopes that he will be that much more empowered to exact some pledges for his endorsement of either candidate.
I believe progressive ideas win only when they are strongly represented, not when they are tucked in the back pocket and slipped in on the margins later, if at all. Politics is largely about the bargaining and wielding of power and ideas; you don't start the negotiation by bargaining away your ideals, you start with your ideals and work back as little as possible. It may seem that the pragmatic thing to do tomorrow is to support Obama or Clinton and rally the party toward a quick nomination of one or the other; but if we want progressive policies to be promoted by either of these two, they need to hear from us -- and tomorrow we can speak through our votes by telling both of them that they need to be more accountable to the progressive ideas promoted by Senator Edwards.
Ultimately Democrats will rally behind whoever takes the nomination -- but right now, in the primaries, this is an important time to impact not only who gains that nomination, but what they say they stand for, and to whom they are accountable. So I say let's bring a little pressure on these two and vote for Edwards tomorrow -- and as his pile of delegates continues to accrue, even at small levels, so will at least some small measure of pressure for more progressive policies in the party platform.
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