November 05, 2008Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney Responds to Obama Win
We speak with Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney. National results indicate McKinney placed sixth in overall voting behind Barack Obama, John McCain, independent candidate Ralph Nader, Libertarian Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party.
Cynthia McKinney, Green Party presidential nominee. Former Democratic congresswoman from Georgia.
AMY GOODMAN: As we finally turn now, with Manning Marable, to Cynthia McKinney, Green Party presidential candidate, joining us from California. National results indicate McKinney placed sixth in overall voting, behind Barack Obama, John McCain, independent candidate Ralph Nader, Libertarian Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party.
Last night, former Congress member McKinney held an election party along with antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, who ran against the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Welcome to Democracy Now!
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: Thank you, Amy.
AMY GOODMAN: It's good to have you with us. Your thoughts today?
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: Well, of course, I take the opportunity to congratulate Senator Obama, the people of this country and, honestly, the people all over the world who are waiting for a change, a significant change, and who are rejoicing in the fact that the wicked Bush administration will soon end.
But what will come in its place? What kind of change are we really going to have? I wish we could assume a break from the special-interest orthodoxy that seems to have a grip on Washington, D.C. It is this special-interest orthodoxy that has led to war and occupation, civil liberties attacks, social injustice, unemployment, poor yet very costly education and healthcare.
So, we have a lot of work to do. The people of this country have a lot of work to do. The incoming Obama administration is going to have a lot of work to do.
AMY GOODMAN: Where you differ with Barack Obama most, Cynthia McKinney? I mean, you, too, to say the least, broke barriers as the first African American woman to win a congressional seat in Georgia.
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: I reject the continuation of the occupation of Iraq and, of course, reject any surge into Afghanistan. There was silence over the most recent US raid over Syria, the incursions into Pakistan, the virtual blaming of Russia for a provocation that actually was initiated by Georgia, the push to include NATO membership for countries that are right up to the border of Russia and China. Then, of course, I would never have been for the bailout, put out my own fourteen points with respect to the bailout, would never have supported FISA, the illegal spying, the unwarranted spying on US citizens, and at the same time granting of immunity to telecoms that were complicit in that. There are many areas of disagreement with the Obama administration.
AMY GOODMAN: We only have a minute, but I wanted to—we only have a minute, but I wanted to ask Manning Marable, a big supporter of Barack Obama, how you feel about what Cynthia said and what she represents and Barack Obama did not.
MANNING MARABLE: I think Cynthia McKinney has shown throughout her entire career the kind of courageous leadership and progressive vision that we desperately need in America's political system, that we shouldn't be surprised that the left of the possible within the political system that we have in this country produces a progressive liberal like Barack Obama.
It is a breakthrough, in terms of Obama being the first African American, the first person of color, being the nation's chief executive. But it still falls short of the kind of politics that Cynthia embodies, that I also share, that this is not—Obama's victory is a victory over racism, but it is not a victory of the left. And progressives will be—have to challenge the Obama administration on all of these issues.
AMY GOODMAN: And we will have to leave it there. I thank you very much, both, for being with us, Manning Marable and Cynthia McKinney, on this historic "morning after."
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