Who will be our POLITICAL MESSIAH?!?!

[polichick]

Well, here we are, about a year after our moment of HOPE following the election of 2006, and a year before our moment of RECKONING. And, as many good things as we can all say about our Democratic candidates ~ that singular, prescient, fearless leader who could take us into the next era has not yet stepped onto the stage. (At least, in my opinion.) Maybe Gore will save us, we thought. Maybe it would be Kucinich. Maybe there will be an Indie candidate...

After all that has happened in the last seven years, we know in our bones that the election of 2008 should be a PARADIGM-CHANGING historic event, one that turns the status quo on its ear, stops American fascism in its tracks, and unites progressives of all generations. We know that we have arrived at a crucial moment, that the very existence of our democracy and our planet is at stake ~ and yet our field of candidates reflects neither the seriousness of our situation nor the great opportunity that exists because of it.


So, where do you think our POLITICAL MESSIAH might come from???



(Of course I'm using the word "messiah" in the sense of a non-religious leader of hope and vision.)

[goodgd_yall]

1. I'm not sure I want a messiah

That would be too scary.

[denem]

2. De Do Ron Ron Ron De Do Ron Ron. nt.

[Selatius]

3. If we keep on looking for messiahs to save us, we're ultimately going to find martyrs instead.

Martyrs like John, Bobby, and Martin.

One of the bitter lessons of the 1960s is that in order for a movement to be successful, despite the loss of its most prominent leaders, the followers must completely internalize the principles of the movement. It is the principles that animate the movement. Movements centered around a prominent figure, however transformational and inspirational he may be, suffer from the vulnerability of decapitation. If the leader goes, so does the movement. So much more could have been accomplished if they hadn't died.

[polichick]

11. So sad, but true...

That's why I asked "where" the messiah will come from ~ I really think it will come from US, but we'll have to choose a leader that reflects OUR movement and I don't see that in this group. And the movement itself is not well-defined.

[Spirit of 34]

28. Yes, Yes, Yes!

Absolutely 100% correct. I'd only add one more thing-- great leaders don't just get killed, they also get bought-off, co-opted, drunk with power. Movements built around inspirational leaders/cults of personality are always on shaky ground.

[Uncle Joe]

29. What of Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt, should Lincoln not have run? n/t

[polichick]

34. Good point...

Was it that they didn't threaten the status quo enough to be at risk ~ or what?

[Glorfindel]

4. Against all my expectations, I'm beginning to think "Edwards"

Why not?

[harun]

24. Works for me

[polichick]

25. He's probably done the best job of following the lead of the people...

Some say he's not credible because of his record, but he seems to get where people are on things.

[Clark2008]

41. Oh. My. God.

You can't be serious.

[T.Ruth2power]

5. Messiah!?

[Armstead]

6. You probably have to set your sights s a little lower

We (the left half of the country) blew it.

This could have potentially been an election of meaningful change. But for a combination of reasons, the best we can hope for is an improvement over the last eight years -- or at least minimizing the damage.

It's been a collective screw up. The best people who would have been capable of real change aren't running.

Of those running, we seem to be giving the keys back to the same people who weakened the Democratic Party and set the stage for BushCo.

So the best we can hope for at this point is a Political Mediocrity, and hope that whoever gets the nomination is capable of whipping the GOP. And then hope that they actually turn out to be really good.

[polichick]

14. Where the messiah will come from is us...

And you hit the nail on the head ~ we on the left are about to blow it, if we haven't already.

I'd like to think it's not too late, that boomers and new voters and everyone else could unite around a few critical points ~ the war, sustainability, etc. ~ and either force one of these candidates to really represent us or quickly find someone else.

[JDPriestly]

36. Yes. The whole point of democracy is that we, the people take

responsibility for our own government. We should be looking for public servants, not messiahs. We need to become more active. We need to participate more. We need to talk about politics with our family and friends. We need to listen to them and tell them what we think. It isn't about shouting matches. It is about taking responsibility for the direction in which our country is headed.

[polichick]

37. "Government of the people...

...by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.

~ Abraham Lincoln


So far, it looks like Edwards takes that message most to heart. You're right ~ we have to keep telling them what we want, and expect.

[Clark2008]

43. Edwards may SAY what some people want to hear, but he's

never proven that he'll do it.

I'm sorry - if Edwards is the next "messiah," I'll be leaving the country because it will prove to me that snakeoil salesmen can become messianic.

:puke:

[polichick]

44. You'll have to read more carefully...

WE'RE the "messiah" ~ I'm just saying that Edwards seems to get that this is supposed to be a gov't that serves the people. Some of the other candidates seem to serve other "gods."

[denem]

7. The Second Coming of Bill. nt.

[cuke]

8. There's a word for people who are looking for a leader

"Followers"

[cali]

9. hyperbole much

and no thanks to the political Messiah. I don't do Messiahs period. It's a sickness- in religion or politics, imo.

[Uncle Joe]

10. We have to be the Messiah and save our selves.

Al Gore is Prometheus, until and unless the powers that be realize the people matter as much as the powerful and the nation needs serious, substantive, premium leadership, we'll continue to wander around in the wilderness.

[polichick]

12. That's it - the messiah is us!

And we can't be fighting between generations ~ this is an opportunity as much as it is a crisis.

[Uncle Joe]

16. The double edged blade of that is, the elimination

of the people's privacy and you can count on the powerful attacking the Internet in one form or another. It's vastly easier for the mega powerful; who have become accustomed to pulling the strings, to attack the messengers with their wealth and one way mega phones, than attack the messages as that would require the truth, history or facts to be on their side and I don't believe they have faith in their own arguments anymore, if they ever did.

I agree with you in that it is an opportunity of historic proportion for the nation, if we have enough sense to take it. There are some encouraging signs as to the media and people waking up, even among the rich and powerful, I just hope it doesn't become too late.

[polichick]

21. "an opportunity of historic proportion"

It really is ~ and I find myself holding my breath sometimes as more and more of those you mention wake up. The terms "catalyst" and "critical mass" keep tumbling through my mind.

[Uncle Joe]

27. And tipping point

goes through mine. I've been outnumbered, in my office, most of my co-workers are Republicans and I've argued and debated, with them since at least the early to mid nineties and several of them have told me recently, they wished Al Gore was running or drafted. They're not satisfied with the Republicans anymore and I had one lady tell me thirty minutes ago, that she wished Al Gore was in the race, in spite of the fact that she still didn't believe global warming was for real, so I gave her a quick run down as to some facts before she left. I'm convinced more of them are waking up to the truth as to what's been done to them by the party they used to believe in and the so called "liberal" media.

[polichick]

31. Isn't there a book by that name??

You're right ~ people on both sides are anxious about their candidates. Interesting about Al Gore; maybe the whole country needs to hear that final line: "But, in the end, the true and democratically elected leader moved into the White House ~ and they all lived happily ever after."

[Uncle Joe]

35. There might be one, polichick,

but I haven't read it yet.

[polichick]

40. Here it is...

<http://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Point-Little-Things-Difference/dp/0316346624/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196372281&sr=8-1>

Talks about how ideas, products and messages spread like viruses ~ think I'll check it out!

[Uncle Joe]

42. Thanks for the link, polichick

this looks like a fascinating book.:)

[thereismore]

13. Our essiah? I don't know, but I'd say Ron Paul has the most fanatical following. nt

[Kucinich4America]

15. If we had a Messiah, they would crucify him

It's certainly happened before. And I ain't just talking about the ex-carpenter from Nazareth. :(

[polichick]

17. Exactly...

Post #3 talks about this too ~ we have to be the collective messiah, and our movement (so to speak) needs to be more defined and unified so that "leaders" are actually following our lead.

[1corona4u]

18. There is no such thing,

[faithfulcitizen]

19. Delaware

;)

[Alter Ego]

20. AL GORE

[polichick]

22. For those of you who haven't read all the posts...

The question: "So, where do you think our POLITICAL MESSIAH might come from?" has been answered.

It will only come from US ~ that's why we can't divide ourselves along generational lines; there's just too much at stake and we have to somehow take advantage of the opportunity that exists in this crisis.

[sufrommich]

23. There is no such thing as a political messiah.

History has spelled that out for us over and over again.

[polichick]

26. Yes there is...

We're it, so to speak. (see #22)

[H2O Man]

30. Inside each of us. n/t

[polichick]

32. Yep...

So many of you got it ~ I'm suddenly feeling much better about things. Maybe there's still time...

[Uncle Joe]

33. H2O Man, I believe that's what Thomas Jefferson meant, when he wrote

"we hold these truths to be self-evident", the truth doesn't need to come from an outside existential being, it's naturally within us all.

[H2O Man]

45. Right.

I think that any time our beliwef sysyem depends upon an outside source -- be that a king, a president, a congressman, a judge, a mayor, a parent, or anyone else -- then we have not experienced the goodness of truth internally .... and it is not rooted inside of us yet. This is true independent of if the "leader" is good, bad, or any combination. "Democracy" is internal: it is the way we exist as individuals, not because a "leader" tells us what to think, do, say, or believe .... but because the Truth is self-evident.

[rucky]

38. Chuck Norris? n/t

[polichick]

39. Oh gosh, that ad he did is a riot! nt