Political "heroes" anyone?

[CarolNYC]

I’ve basically been pretty apolitical throughout my life, sorry to say. But there have been some who, through the years, have penetrated my indifference.

George McGovern. My first political “crush”. I met him as a kid when he was running for President and made a campaign stop at some farm not too far from where I grew up. My mom rode with four little kids on the city bus to the end of the line and then we walked the rest of the way to the farm. There were very few people there so we got to meet him up close. I was star struck and have since then had a real soft spot in my heart for George. I just love him.

Robert Kennedy. I didn’t even know of his existence until he was gone but when I “discovered” him, I fell hard. I became pretty much obsessed -- reading, watching and listening to anything I could get my hands on about him. I used to imagine getting a chance to talk to Ethel about him, to be able to meet someone who knew him, who was close to him. It still makes me sad in a way that can’t be relieved that I will never get the chance to even see him live. How different things might have been....

Jimmy Carter. I picked him out on a newsreel they showed us at school. He was pretty much an unknown then but I was knew somehow he’d be President. I disagreed strongly with his Olympic boycott but loved his focus on solar energy. He’s only grown more and more in my estimation since he left the White House and has one of my favorite quotes of all time: “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children.”

Mario Cuomo. When I was living in PA and dreaming of living in NYC, I loved the thought of having Mario as my governor. I still love listening to him speak. He’s about as eloquent as they get. I admire him greatly.

Jerry Brown. I just loved Jerry when he was running for President in 1992. I even almost worked for him in the primaries but the closest I got to doing that was stopping at a campaign office and picking up some literature, which was a big step for me at the time. I did get to see him speak once and I loved him. Away from NY at the time of the Dem primary, I made a special day trip back to NYC to vote for him and was so upset he didn’t get the nomination that I actually left the city when the Democratic Convention came here because I couldn’t stand to be around all of that Clinton glorification. Still love him. Still have an old “Take Back America” pin pinned to an old jacket.

Wes Clark. I found him when I was out searching for a candidate to beat Bush and I heard him saying things about the Iraq War that I’d been waiting to hear someone say but hadn’t heard yet. The first political campaign I was ever involved in. It was really an amazing step for me to get actively involved in a campaign of any sort and I worked very hard, many hours, on this one. I also donated for the first time to a political campaign. He is the reason I stay involved at all in politics. He’s made me realize I have an obligation to try to do my part, however small. I would feel guilty if I just totally dropped out now, althouhg I'm so tempted to so often.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Same for me, plus Gene McCarthy, Paul Wellstone,

and, lately, Al Gore.

[illinoisprogressive]

2. FDR. i read about him when i was in my mid twenties and thought him a hero

i remember the book and how it changed my view on things and that he was the best president ever.

[RufusTFirefly]

3. McGovern was my first political hero, too

I was only 13, but I worked incredibly hard for him. Lit dropping. Licking envelopes. Staffing tables at local fairs.
When I finally had a chance to shake his hand, I was reluctant to let go.

Five years later, Paul Wellstone was my first Poli Sci professor.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

7. Cool. What was Wellstone like in person?

I didn't follow politics that closely until 2002, so I didn't really know much about him, but I read his book last week and was very impressed. It is a shame he is no longer with us. :cry:

[RufusTFirefly]

14. Charismatic, confrontational, and passionate

He was a powerful force, impossible to ignore.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

29. Thanks for sharing that! nt

[bvar22]

16. Paul was "One of the People"

He never let "Senator" go to his head.
He never pretended to be an "elite".
He never forgot his roots.
He never forgot to care for the regular people.
He told us what he was going to do, and then DID IT!
He spoke with passion and open honesty...no "triangulation" in Paul.
He regularly embarassed (shamed) Republicans and "bought" Democrats.
The ONLY one in DC who comes close to the integrity of Paul Wellstone is Dennis Kucinich.
I pray Dennis stays out of small planes.

"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

It was not uncommon to see him around St Paul.

These pix were taken at a Labor Day Union picnic shortly before he was killed.
I looked over and was not shocked to see him and his wife sitting in the wet grass with the rest of the "people" who have to work for a living. He was wearing shorts, and running shoes with no socks.




Paul kicking "Corporatist" ass!


RIP Paul. We still miss you!

[draft_mario_cuomo]

30. Thanks for sharing that. That is the impression I got from his book

It is perverse that a great man like Wellstone saw his life end way too prematurely while scumbags like Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms lived seemingly forever. Billy Joel was right. Only the good die young.

[CarolNYC]

20. Wellstone...

Lucky for you, having Wellston as a Prof. He's definitely another hero.

[SaveElmer]

4. Hubert Humphrey...

Greatest Senator in the last half of the 20th Century...top five all time...Peace Corps, Medicaid, Civil Rights...would have made a great President...

[Mojambo]

5. Bernie Sanders. n/t

[jilln]

6. McGovern was just the subject of the Wonder Years episode I just watched

I never knew much about him. It was interesting.

[CarolNYC]

21. Wonder Years

I remember that Wonder Years episode.

[RufusTFirefly]

31. One Bright Shining Moment

One Bright Shining Moment
The forgotten summer of George McGovern
(narrated by Amy Goodman)



Worth watching and -- if you're old enough -- remembering

[Dhalgren]

8. E.V. Debbs, Tom Haden, Jim Monsonis, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis,

Just a few, there are more...

[draft_mario_cuomo]

9. My list (in no particular order, aside from obviously #1!)

Mario Cuomo
Hubert Humphrey
LBJ
Ted Kennedy
RFK
Paul Wellstone
John Edwards
Al Gore
Howard Dean
John Kerry

[Hippo_Tron]

10. Bobby Kennedy, Paul Wellstone, Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter was the only forward thinking President during the Cold War era. I might be saying the same about JFK if he had lived longer. The world would be a much better place if we'd re-elected Carter and gotten serious about renewable energy then instead of putting it off for two decades.

[CarolNYC]

22. renewable energy

Yes! Imagine how much farther along we'd be if we spent the last 30 years moving forward in that direction. What a tragedy, considering how bad this whole global warming situation is getting...

[Greyhound]

11. Off to the Greatest, a K & R for Franklin and Jefferson. n/t

[ludwigb]

12. Joschka Fischer, Russ Feingold...

just to name 2. Good thread!

[RufusTFirefly]

28. Another shout out for Russ

What courage. What principle.
I wish he had decided to run.

[dsc]

13. A pair of Howards and some others

Howard Metzenbalm, a liberal's liberal who was able to get elected and reelected in Ohio. An early champion of gay rights, a fierce liberal on economic matters, a great civil libertarian, and no nonsense. I would have voted for him a hundred times if I could have.

Howard Dean, less liberal than the other Howard but the same sense of sticking to what he believes. On Civil Unions Dean could have hid behind the court but instead he campaigned as the civil union candidate and gave them a mandate that his successor couldn't cross. Then on the war Dean stuck to his guns again. He was dead right about Saddam and the rest of the issues about this war and now we know it. On top of that he rebuilt a national party and helped deliver us a stunning victory.

Barney Frank, survived his outing and is now the most powerful openly gay politician in the history of the US. An amazing debater who has serious and brilliant ideas. He might have been the first Jewish speaker of the House had he not been in a scandal with Gobie. Instead he is a brilliant man with a post giving him an immense amout of power over legislation involving economic policy.

Lyndon Johnson, his role in the legislation passed during his term made this nation a better place. Before his Presidency there was no medicare, no medicaid, Jim Crow laws banning blacks from voting, public accomodations, and a host of other injustices which made our country a worthless place. It is borderline impossible to imagine any of that legislation without him. VietNam is a grave sin what keeps him from being a true hero but he deserves to have his whole record determine his place in history.

Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to a major political post in the US. His tragic assassination cut his career short so I can't list any major governmental accomplishments but every gay man and lesbian woman who has been elected to anything in the US owes it partially to him.

[MH1]

15. John Kerry, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela

I haven't learned enough about any other politician to unequivocally put them on this list, but I really should. Likely inclusions from American history:

Paul Wellstone
RFK
Thomas Jefferson

FWIW, I added Gandhi and Mandela because they are obvious and obviously political, and have been hugely influential in my worldview.

I don't think Kerry gets the credit he deserves from many here for what he has done in his life, but among living American politicians he is the most heroic one I know of.

[LBJDemocrat]

17. Theodore Rooesevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, LBJ

TR: Ended the robber-baron era.

FDR: Tried to make the US a fair society.

LBJ: Tried to diminish poverty.

Edit: And of today's politicians, my hero would probably be Robert Byrd. One of the few real Democrats left.

[dajoki]

18. RFK, JFK and FDR n/t

[plantwomyn]

19. From the way back machine.

Barbara Jordan. Check her out @ wikipedia. Listen to her 1974 speech about IMPEACHMENT. She was a great orator and a great representative. They don't come like her anymore.

[venable]

27. great choice - she was such an inspiration, add Dorothy Day

[CarolNYC]

23. Cool choices everyone...

Thanks for the responses.

[venable]

24. The Poet Eugene, RFK, Barney Frank, Wellstone, John Kerry, John Edwards

good question. I want to think of some more.

[venable]

25. Mandela, Gandhi, Havel, Malcolm, Joaquin Villalobos, Reverend Dr. King

[venable]

26. how could I miss McGovern?

[Totally Committed]

32. John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, George McGovcern,

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Eleanor Roosevelt
FDR
Mario Cuomo
Gandhi
Barbara Jordan
Shirley Chisholm
Geraline Ferraro
Malcolm X
Aung San Suu Kyi
Paul Wellstone
Wes Clark
The tank guy of Tiananmen Square
........ and many more.

TC