A Democrat and a Communist, how very Obamaesque

From CNN: ‘Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh... communism still can win’

By FRANK MIELE 9 comments
Reporter Carol Costello had a report on CNN's "American Morning" Friday asking whether the time was ripe for a third party in the United States.
That's certainly an interesting topic, and one well worth featuring in a news report, but what was really interesting was that the third party Costello chose to feature was communism.
That seems to tell us more about CNN than about American politics.
No, I don't think that CNN stands for Communist News Network like some people do, but that cable news channel does sometimes seem to have a left-leaning slant (not into Stalin territory like MSNBC, but well over into the Gorbachev range at least).
And if you don't think they lean left, would you do me a favor? Please explain why they picked a communist out as an example of how the country is "ripe" for a third party? Do any of you really believe that communism is about to become a viable grass-roots alternative in Cleveland or anywhere else in America? I don't.
And nobody I know, whether Republican or Democrat, would ever consider voting for a communist for city council, let alone for Senate or president. So how exactly is this a proper focus for a story about Americans being receptive to the idea of a third party?
Oh sure, the story also mentioned Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party, and had a quote from political analyst John Avlon saying, "Voters are getting more and more frustrated with politics as usual," but that's a far cry from saying Americans are ready to cast off centuries of capitalist tradition and adopt the failed dogmas of Eastern Europe.
Yet CNN focused their story on the "little communist candidate who could," Rick Nagin. There was not even the hint of any skepticism from the CNN reporter about touting communism as a viable alternative to the Democrats and Republicans. Indeed, if you watched Costello's report, you got the idea that communism was as American as apple pie. Kind of like Nagin's concluding quote: "I consider myself to be a very patriotic American. I love this country."
That's nice. Swell. I bet Stalin liked his country too even though he killed 30 million of his fellow citizens. And I'm sure Chairman Mao was a big fan of China even though about 80 million Chinese are estimated to have perished "unexpectedly" during his reign.
But that could never happen here, right?
Well, probably not. At least, not as long as Americans continue to be told the truth, and can make informed decisions for themselves.
But what if we don't get the truth? What if we are fed an endless diet of anti-American propaganda from major news networks and major political parties? Isn't it possible then that we might fall prey to opportunistic charlatans who will pounce on the uninformed electorate like wolves in sheep's clothing?
The weird thing is that this Rick Nagin is indeed a serious candidate for the Cleveland City Council. That's certainly worth reporting. Flukes like this happen from time to time, such as socialist Bernie Sanders being elected to the Senate from Vermont.
And people ought to hear about Nagin. He is an intriguing candidate, who raises some interesting questions. According to Costello, he is both a registered Democrat AND a member of the Communist Party. He was quoted in the report on CNN's "American Morning" as saying, "I believe that corporate greed is the source of the problems in this country and we'd all be a lot better off if working people and their organizations were running things instead of big business."
Reporter Costello did not identify whether this quote was made by the "registered Democrat" side of Nagin, or the "member of the Communist Party," but the question is how many other Democrats, including elected officials, feel the same way about capitalism? Is disdain for free enterprise the "dirty little secret" of Democrats? I certainly hope not.
But when you read the glowing reviews for Michael Moore's latest film, you have to wonder. Moore, at least, comes right out and admits that he thinks the economic system that made our country great is "evil." In his new movie, "Capitalism: A Love Story," he blames people like you and me who value the American dream for the troubles of people who are struggling to make it in 21st-century America.
Oh sure, he singles out rich CEOs as the "great Satans" of America, but you know behind every "great Satan" with a Ferrari, there are a thousand "little Satans" driving Fords and thinking about Ferraris. Those wannabe CEOs are you and me, folks -- scrambling for our place on the ladder of success, trying to get ahead, and making Michael Moore see red as he thinks about how one man's success is another's "exploitation."
Heck, when you think about it, the problem all starts with the "teeny-tiny Satans" hawking lemonade from roadside stands to the "little Satans" driving by in their big bad Fords. Those kids are small-scale capitalists, and unless they are giving half their earnings to the kid down the street who didn't have the ambition to run a lemonade stand of his own but still wants to buy himself candy and a soda pop, they are also "evil." Share the wealth, dudes.
Of course, Michael Moore is smart enough not to attack your kids. If he did that, you wouldn't go see the capitalist-funded movies that have turned him into a multi-millionaire. Oh yeah, and did I say that I didn't know anyone who would vote for a communist for city council? I was wrong. I forgot about Michael Moore.
n Frank Miele is managing editor of the Daily Inter Lake and writes a weekly column. E-mail responses may be sent to edit@dailyinterlake.com