Our 44th President

David Weigel | May 30, 2007

Fred Thompson is so three hours ago. Via Ballot Access News comes new info about former Rep. Cynthia McKinney, last seen punching a Capitol Hill cop and then losing re-election:

On May 25, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney participated in a 23-minute interview on Radio Station WBAI. The hosts asked her about the possibility that she may seek the Green Party presidential nomination in 2008. She said, “With the failure of the Democratic Congress to repeal the Patriot Act, the Secret Evidence Act, the Military Tribunals Act, I have to seriously question my relationship with the Democratic Party. The idea has not been ruled out. All the current Democrats running for president support the principle of potential military action against Iran; none of them is for impeachment of the President. They can’t speak for me. I am open to a lot of ideas in 2008.”

Please note that she includes "impeachment of the president" among her potential campaign planks -- sure to be a pressing issue when the next election's over and Bush is no longer president.

UPDATE: I found the question and answer from the 5/25/07 episode of Free Speech Radio News. McKinney is asked about her Wikipedia entry and how it lists her as a possible 2008 candidate.

You know, I have on my kitchen table, I have a button that was printed in 2000. And it was printed by the Green Party, they were talking about me running as a Green. So I have had a very long relationship with the Green Party. And I think, honestly, with the failure of the Democratic majority in Congress to repeal the PATRIOT Act, to repeal the Secret Evidence Act, to repeal the Military Tribunals Act, to not institute immediately actions of impeachment against this illegitimate, illegal and immoral administration, stop the war, I have to seriously question my relationship with the Democratic Party. I know that the very learned listeners of WBAI have long been interested in how to have a truly independent voice. I understand now that with the current Democratic majority in Congress that's not possible.

The host asks a question about Mumia abu Jamal (of course) but McKinney veers back.

Rather than talk about what other candidates don't do, what I could probably rather talk about is what I could do as a potential candidate. So, you know, 2008 has not been ruled out, some kind of effort. Certainly now it is questionable as to whether that effort would come under the banner of the Democratic Party. There's no way that with the current crop of candidates who are all supporting a military action against Iran and who none of them support impeachment. They can not speak for me any longer.

So, why not McKinney? She courted the Green Party's 2004 nomination after she lost her 2002 congressional primary. She only quelled the speculation after her victorious opponent decided to run for the U.S. Senate, opening up the House seat again, paving the way for McKinney to return (as a Democrat). The Greens proceeded to implode on the national stage: Ralph Nader declined to run for their nomination and then got angry when they didn't give it to him, staging an independent bid and splitting the Green vote (which was only about 1/5 the size of their 2000 vote, anyway). To win the 2008 nomination Cynthia McKinney would need only break the spell that animates Nader's still-limber zombie body then fend off Black Panther alum Elaine Brown and Milton from Office Space.

Remaining questions:

1: Would McKinney get more or fewer votes than Nader did in 2004?
1a: Would the Libertarian candidate actually win fewer votes than her? Her? Really?
2: Would a McKinney candidacy make the LP look, by the mainstream media's lights, like the serious third party?

Comments

robc|5.30.07 @ 1:53PM|#

Im upset. I thought Stephen Root was running for Prez for a 1/2 second there. Augustson does look like him though.

Christopher Monnier|5.30.07 @ 1:55PM|#

If anything, Milton would be a Libertarian, not a Green.

ed|5.30.07 @ 1:56PM|#

Oh lawdy, lawdy. Please let it be so.

|5.30.07 @ 2:00PM|#

Is that a picture of Sideshow Bob?

|5.30.07 @ 2:01PM|#

1) For amusement's sake, I say she'd get more.
1a) Yes. Really. I don't doubt that some voters hate Libertarians with a disdain that surpasses the amusement of laughing at a nutter like McKinney.
2) No, because we want to legalize the marijuana cigarette, which proves we hate children.

|5.30.07 @ 2:06PM|#

I just want to applaud Mr. Weigel for the Arrested Development reference. I love Reason, but this kind of writing style is what takes it above and beyond the rest.

|5.30.07 @ 2:16PM|#

you forgot question #3: Would anyone outside of the Green and Libertarian parties care?

|5.30.07 @ 2:22PM|#

McKinney would be a hoot.

Watching her buffoonery would brighten everyone's mood on a daily basis.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

|5.30.07 @ 2:26PM|#

Mike,

I'm a huge Arrested Development fan (I'm assuming you mean the TV show, not the band) but I don't see the reference. Please enlighten.

|5.30.07 @ 2:29PM|#

Yes, Stephen Root is a Gator. It being the Year of the Gator, he should run for high office. . .preferably, against an Ohioan :)

I wouldn't vote for McKinney, but I would watch all of her debates and interviews.

Guy Montag|5.30.07 @ 2:31PM|#

Yea! Finally another candidate I can donate to but would never vote for!

I can't afford $2,000 for Fred, so $100 to Cynthia McKinney should even that up.

Perhaps she will demand (and get) a spot in the Dem debates?*

*Yes, I know she is proposing running Green. Now scroll back up and examing that impeachment business.

|5.30.07 @ 2:40PM|#

Thank you for that picture.

|5.30.07 @ 2:59PM|#

...sure to be a pressing issue when the next election's over and Bush is no longer president.

Well you know, technically Bush will still be president for a few months after the election. But yes, even after the election and inauguration, and the Bush Jr administration is tossed upon the ash-heap of history, I still want to see him and his cronies rounded up and prosecuted for war crimes over the torture thing.

As for McKinney, in the words of Gary Larson
Oh please Oh please

Guy Montag|5.30.07 @ 3:09PM|#

Warren, redefining "torture" as not getting a DVD player does not make it torture.

But you guys do make me chuckle whenever you bring this stuff up.

|5.30.07 @ 3:21PM|#

Stephen Root already ran for president once.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V48dtBcMQ7A

|5.30.07 @ 3:37PM|#

Warren, redefining "torture" as not getting a DVD player does not make it torture.

oh, sure, Guy. Because that was so the worst thing that ever happened to any of the detainees, wasn't it?

|5.30.07 @ 3:43PM|#

That picture is priceless.

|5.30.07 @ 3:47PM|#

Would McKinney get more or fewer votes than Nader did in 2004?

Probably about the same all things being equal. More would depend on her ballot access. She'd get at least 100,000 votes just for showing up -- even true nutters like Bo Gritz and the short lived Natural Law Party with decent ballot access can squeeze 100-200k votes.

1a: Would the Libertarian candidate actually win fewer votes than her? Her? Really?

Depends on ballot access and who the LP nominate. Would the Bob Barr of the Georgia Democratic Party get more votes than a Badnarik or George Phillies, sure.

2: Would a McKinney candidacy make the LP look, by the mainstream media's lights, like the serious third party?

Again if its a Phillies or Badnarik style candidate she'd certainly get a lot more media attention.

Is she really that crazy? She did get elected to Congress, so I'm going to presume she can give a normal sounding stump speech and media interview.

|5.30.07 @ 4:02PM|#

How well McKinney would do depends on how many serious hard-core lefties there are, the kind of people who think Clinton and Obama are right-wingers. Living in Manhattan, working in academia and surfing the internet all day, I feel like I encounter lots of such people, but outside my zip code and industry, there are probably not so many. And after the Nader mess, many of those people would probably only vote for McKinney if it looked like the GOP candidate was going to be crushed by the Democrat.

|5.30.07 @ 4:06PM|#

Hey David: It's PATRIOT Act, not Patriot Act. Sure, no one cares what the acronym stands for, but why play their game.

Paul|5.30.07 @ 4:07PM|#

2: Would a McKinney candidacy make the LP look, by the mainstream media's lights, like the serious third party?

No, parties which get involved in government to shrink it are never taken seriously.

|5.30.07 @ 4:08PM|#

Is she really that crazy? She did get elected to Congress, so I'm going to presume she can give a normal sounding stump speech and media interview.

You are incorrect, sir. She is unstable. She may occasionally sound level enough when she's talking, but once you pay attention to what she's actually saying you wonder who let the haloperidol wear off.

|5.30.07 @ 4:18PM|#

Mike,

It's actually the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001--USA PATRIOT Act. I think people drop off the "Uniting and Strengthening America" part because they know that's a particularly fragrant class of bull.

|5.30.07 @ 4:49PM|#

Cynthia is like most of the corrupt politicians here in Atlanta: Keepin it real, doing what she gots to go, gettin hers, stickin it to the man, etc etc.

She's out of her mind, insane.

|5.30.07 @ 5:36PM|#

"Please note that she includes "impeachment of the president" among her potential campaign planks -- sure to be a pressing issue when the next election's over and Bush is no longer president."

It sounds like she's not the brightest CFL in the box...

.|5.30.07 @ 7:30PM|#

Her father has an A+ rating from the National StraightRazor Association (the NRA too)

My TaxHome/polling place DeKalb County... where a former sheriff assasinated his successor. The County CEO's defense against a rape charge was " three-way sex gone bad". And Cynthia is my former multi-term Congresswoman.

...|5.30.07 @ 8:20PM|#

Look at it this way...it would give the late-night hosts endless material that could be focused elsewhere.

When the "Rev." Jackson ran, the running joke was whether you put the sticker saying "Run, Jesse, Run!" was on the front or rear bumper, depending on how you felt about the race. McKinney's entry into the race could only revive that trend.

DeKalb County is a gerrymandered joke.

|5.30.07 @ 9:27PM|#

Cynthia bred true. Her father, Billy while a state senator got into a fist-fight on the floor of the Senate with a fellow legislator with whom he disagreed. This same moonbat made the observation after Cynthia lost the first election that it was stolen from her by the JEWS. Cynthia does, however, own a really great set of teeth.

edna|5.31.07 @ 7:31AM|#

and great hair.

obligatory firesign theatre reference: "not crazy."

...|5.31.07 @ 7:46AM|#

The precise quote from Firesign's Papoon campaign was "Not insane", but your point is well-taken.

|5.31.07 @ 8:58AM|#

"BUCKWHEAT" fo' Preez-au-deent !!!

edna|5.31.07 @ 9:04AM|#

many thanks for the correction. musta been the drugs.

Hucbald|5.31.07 @ 9:42AM|#

Her campaign song could be the "Get Zwinky" ad music with "Get Nappy" substituted for the lyrics.

Russ 2000|5.31.07 @ 11:04AM|#

I thought the picture was a live-action version of Sideshow Bob.

|5.31.07 @ 2:06PM|#

That isn't really the actor who played Milton on Office Space. I hope your comment was tongue-in-cheek. The real actor who played Office Space was a guy by the name of Stephen Root.

|5.31.07 @ 2:10PM|#

Wo!
Cymfia Buh-weet wun fo Pwesident. O-Tay!!

i smell you|5.31.07 @ 3:50PM|#

Do you smell that? What? Racism.

Eric Tienter|5.31.07 @ 5:54PM|#

Making fun of a clown is not racism.

|6.1.07 @ 1:51AM|#

Cynthia McKinney is good at representing the 10% of psycho loon liberals in this country who still think that President Bush blew up the levees in New Orleans and that Dick Cheney is really Darth Vader.

What Cynthia McKinney needs is to check into a psychiatric clinic and die there. Because otherwise the only job she deserves is as a camp guard at a concentration camp where Jews are murdered, but unfortunately for Cynthia her fellow Nazis were thrown out of power in Germany.

But HEIL to Cynthia, anyway.

Wait - have you seen McKinney's new campaign photo? It is just up:

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/236/mckinneyfruitcake3hs8.gif

Thanks for the laughs, Cynthia!

|6.2.07 @ 4:21PM|#

You have the wrong McKinney if you are looking for a viable candidate for President then you need to go to www.ray4vp.com and see that with Fred Thompson and McKinney as VP you would have a ticket that would walk into the WhiteHouse. Then the American people would have representation. I know what the people are saying and what they want. Thanks Marianne

|6.5.07 @ 1:14AM|#

Those who speak ill of Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia is typical of what we are acustomed to in America. We must remember people condemned Rev. Martin L. King Jr., and others who stood up and would not be uncle Tom's and Miss Wilma's Fool.

Therefore, I say to Ms McKinney if they speak ill of you keep on doing it. History says that the venom directed against you were never directed to those who fought Blacks ever inch during the elimination of Jim Crow Laws etc. They never spoke out against Governor Lester Maddox of Georgia, Wallace, Sheriff Clark, and others.

So some Americans will always carry on the history of their fathers and mothers. So don't worry Mc Kinney. This is what some Americans always do in the land of the free and the home of the graves.

But in the end truth, justice, and equality will eventually win in the end. And truth servants of God will say Amen!

P.S. Notice the picture they posted of our beautiful beloved American Sister. Their are many better pictures of her available on the net. But this is what they do in order to destroy the strong American VOICES! Some you can talk about her. But WE know her, and we love HER!