I've been considering Naomi Wolf's article in the back of my head all day, and I realized that there is a simple way to sort out the presidential candidates. One question that will tell you where they stand regarding the path of the American Experiment -- Will you or will you not close Guantanamo bay if elected. Boom, straightforward, simple and telling.
When they waffle and get rhetorical and complicated, you know you have a loser. A simple "yes, I will make sure to close Guantanamo and correct the laws that allowed it to be created" will suffice please.
I have a bad feeling only Kucinich will answer yes unequivocally.
If a candidate is pro Guantanamo, you know they are also pro degredation of civil rights, pro concentration of executive power, anti Geneva Convention, pro torture, and anti Habeas Corpus. You will know instantly whether they are on the team of ending democracy and civil liberties in America or willing to stand up to said team.
Now the scary part -- to find out where they all stand.
Enjoy your new research project,
Bp
ps/edit/addendum: Well, with some very quick searching I'm finding that Guantanamo seems to divide the Democrats from the Republicans. I'm pleasantly surprised that the Democratic candidates are unified in their promise to close the facility. Very surprised. I'm not surprised that the Republican candidates I've checked are both either for beefing the facility and tactics up, or are equivocating about it.
See comments for some links to evidence.
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Well I'll be:
"“We need to bring to a close this sad chapter in American history, and begin a chapter that passes the might of our military to the freedom of our diplomacy and the power of our alliances. And while we are at it, we can close down Guantanamo and we can restore habeas corpus and we can lead with our ideas and our values.”
-Barack Obama, Richmond, VA, May 8th"
Edwards is anti Guantanamo as well:
http://correntewire.com/edwards_no_more_secret_prisons_no_more_illegal_spying_on_the_american_people
Says it will be first on his list of things to do.
Clinton too is against Guantanamo -- geez:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A-B-jRhuHw
Romney -- wants to increase the activity there, "double it."
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/05/15/gop-debate-ii-romney-double-guantanamo/
McCain -- Closing Guantanamo is premature:
http://www.azcongresswatch.com/?p=1587
An article about the candidates and Guantanamo:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-06-18-gitmo-candidates_N.htm
It appears Obama hasn't actually acted on his assertions, not supporting the actual bills designed to shut down the facility. Full of hot air sir?
Also, the Republican candidates are back and forth in this article, unlike the other mentions in this comment list.
I'm glad to hear this. I was becoming under the impression that the Democrats were too scared to offer a real alternative, other than "I'm not that guy."
I am seeing some lip service being spent. Namely so far by Obama who hasn't supported either of the anti-guantanamo bills so far presented to congress.
hmph.
Voting to close Gitmo only takes spine if you are a Republican.
Let's ask instead who will undo the years of erosion of our civil liberties. They can start by opposing the so-called "Partiot" Act (I guess "The Act to Use Terrorism to Destroy What Remains of Your Civil Liberties" wouldn't fit on the submission form).
Then let's find out whether there's anyone for whom "immigration reform" isn't code for "racist exploitation of poor Hispanics".
I'd even vote for a Republican who was straight up about the footnote to their oppositin to "Tax & Spend" that said "except for the profits of big oil, Halliburton, ..."
Man, am I grumpy. Kucinich may be too centrist for me.
And let us not forget to elect someone who will declare that "Americans do not torture" and then works to get the law redefined so that behaviors currently so defined would be legal.
Lincoln said:
"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can excercise their constitutional right of amending it, or excercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it."
Food for thought, eh? (uh-oh, I just got put on a list...)
By the way, Obama is a platitude mouthing airbag. (not only grumpy, but very opinionated & outspoken)
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