This is the first of several articles I am prompted to write about the emerging progressive movement, 2004 elections, Dennis Kucinich and us.
I am amazed and frightened to have discovered only days ago how successfully and subtly my perceptions and my sense of personal power are manipulated by our media. Until then I considered myself well aware of the media's motives and methods and therefore immune to their manipulation. However I have been more profoundly deceived and disempowered than I had thought possible. My deception runs deep; the consequences enormous.
I have come to recognize my deeper, more dangerous level of deception through a process of inquiring into why so many of my friends think Dennis Kucinich is not electable. Among my friends most say "Yes, nobody better represents me than Dennis Kucinich. But... I don't think he's electable." I kept asking my friends "Why? Please explain to me why you think that." I have not heard a single answer that is even slightly satisfying, even from my more intelligent and politically informed friends.
I love those moments when I recognize that something doesn't make sense to me. When I see clearly that I simply do not understand something and I need to investigate it more thoroughly. I reached that place with regard to Dennis being "not electable." I realized that I did not understand what the term "not electable" actually means. "Why?" I asked myself. "Why is he "not electable"? What specifically makes him not electable?"
Only months ago I had never heard of Dennis Kucinich. Lila Sophia Tresemer was the first person that spoke to me of how genuinely moved she was by him. Although I highly respect Lila I thought to myself that somewhere, somehow this man must be another new age candidate without a chance. It was precisely because I'd never heard of him that caused me to assume he must lack something. I wasn't sure what it was, but there must be some reason that I'd not even heard of him. It was hard for me to imagine that someone whose name I'd never heard could be a serious candidate for president.
So I began to educate myself about Dennis' life and political history. What I learned about this man appeared to be anything other than "not electable". In fact he seemed almost heroic, possessing seemingly unimpeachable integrity. I felt gratitude and a rekindling of hope that somehow such a candidate actually existed within our political system; that there actually was an electable candidate who represented my longings as accurately as Dennis Kucinich. I became satisfied that the label "not electable" does not match with Dennis Kucinich nor anything he has ever said or done. It is inaccurate. It is a lie.
Why had I never heard of a politician who has spent his entire political career since age 19 courageously fighting for my ideals? I shifted the focus of my inquiry from Dennis Kucinich to finding the source of these false beliefs. I personally have never actually heard or read the words "not electable" in the media. The only people I've ever heard speak them are my friends. And when I have asked my intelligent, committed, good friends why they say this nobody has yet come forth with an intelligent explanation. For vague reasons we cannot articulate it just "feels" that way. We believe something and don't know why. Interesting. Something strange is going on.
This morning, listening to "Democracy Now", Amy Goodman reported that during George Bush's upcoming visit to Great Britain that British authorities are preparing for the possibility of significant protests. She then described a leaked media memo instructing television camera operators to avoid all camera shots of the president in which any protestors would be visible. Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS etc. are working diligently to NOT accurately, truthfully portray George Bush's visit.
This is hardly shocking to any of us. We consider ourselves well aware of how corporate media and the government collaborate to deceive. But the most insidious and destructive pattern of deceit occurs in what is unseen and unspoken... deception by omission.
Media viewers will have no awareness of the "politically inconvenient" fact that over 50 percent of the English population is seething with animosity toward George Bush. In "media reality" there is no peace movement. Well, none worthy of media coverage. It is impossible for anyone who receives her information primarily from major media sources to perceive the global Peace movement as something to be taken seriously. The global peace movement, and Dennis Kucinich its' foremost champion in American politics, when presented at all, is deliberately presented to us in ways that are not intellectually, emotionally, morally nor even aesthetically compelling. Our society's educated, articulate, dedicated leaders and spokespersons for peace, social and economic justice and environmental protection are refused the type of coverage that would make their teachings understandable and compelling. I.e. electable. The voices of Amy Goodman, Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn and Dennis Kucinich are excluded.
Media exclusion regarding politics is actually evidence of one's capability, one's power to communicate and inspire people.
We should see Dennis' exclusion as a badge of honor. Evidence of the threat he is to the existing regime. It is no accident that we perceive him as someone not to be taken seriously, someone who has no chance of winning. This unexplainable, irrational "feeling" that Dennis Kucinich is "not electable" is in fact a media triumph brought about using deception by omission, the same tactic being planned for Bush's visit to England.
Dennis Kucinich is THE leading political spokesperson for the movements for global peace, environmental protection, economic justice, social justice, living wages, universal health care and education. Any other democratic candidate would be more acceptable to corporate America than Dennis Kucinich. In comparison to Dennis all the other "electable" candidates pale in the scope of reform they offer. The business of global war, environmental destruction and economic terrorism will carry on undisturbed under their presidencies.
His exclusion from coverage by major media is precisely because he is supremely electable. Dennis Kucinich is the single greatest threat to George Bush. He is the one candidate who when he is heard appeals to the intelligence, compassion and goodness of America. There is no one else even in his league. Listen to him and judge for yourself. You cannot understand who this man is through the media. Get a video and watch him. He will stir your heart to believe again in the possibility that our nation can change... profoundly. You will feel the opportunity to make a difference in our government that had previously seemed impossible to you. You will want to get involved, and you would, except for one thing... you know he's "not electable".