The Badger Herald

OPINION & EDITORIAL

An open letter to Senator Feingold

Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.

Also by Josh Moskowitz:

Taser experiments will help save lives (April 7, 2005)
Planted articles hurt Iraqi democracy (December 14, 2005)
DeLay's tactics catch up with him, finally (April 15, 2005)
Iran key concern for Israel (January 26, 2006)
Journalism out in jeopardy (April 25, 2005)

by Josh Moskowitz

Thursday, December 2, 2004

Senator Feingold, after a relatively easy third win for Wisconsin’s Senate seat, Democratic Wisconsin residents and Democratic Americans need you, now more than ever, to run for president of the United States in 2008.

I understand that some of your detractors, critics and naysayers will label this call to arms preposterous and ridiculous. “Russ is too liberal, Russ is too idealistic, Russ is Jewish,” they call out in unison. However, you have never been daunted by any challenge and disillusioned Wisconsinites and Democrats across the United States need you to tackle the biggest challenge of your political life.

Mr. Feingold — the Democratic party is in shambles. In order to fully comprehend this, we need to look no further than the persistent rumors that Hillary Clinton is poised to run as a presidential candidate in 2008. If Ms. Clinton decides to run, we will have thousands of lifelong and core Democrats voting for everyone and anyone else. So disillusioned, many may even vote for the Republican candidate.

The outcome of America’s most recent presidential election sent shockwaves throughout the Democratic Party apparatus. Though damaged by a futile war in the Mideast and a stagnant economy at home, George Bush managed a decisive victory over John Kerry. While simultaneously re-examining the outcome of the election and holding my head in my hands, I finally realized how George Bush emerged victorious. George Bush won the election because of exactly one thing: John Kerry.

For all of his accomplishments, John Kerry is what he is: a stiff Brahmin who seemed out of touch with everyone but the American aristocracy. His attempts at seeming less esoteric and affluent were artificial and disingenuous. With Bruce Springsteen, the epitome of the working-class hero at his side, Kerry was still unable to muster support from poor farmers and laborers who voted for a candidate whose economic policies make them even more destitute. Simply put, the election was Kerry’s to lose and he lost decisively.

So why you, Mr. Feingold? Why should you risk your political reputation and comfortable digs in the Senate chambers and run for president in 2008? Why should you run for president of a country that is becoming more and more radically conservative on a daily basis while you continually endorse “liberal” ideas and ideals?

Because we need you, Mr. Feingold. America needs you.

During your 12 years as Senator of Wisconsin, you have become nationally recognizable because of your commitment to goals that benefit your Wisconsin constituents and the American people. Your commitment to campaign finance reform has reduced the amount of corruption seemingly intrinsic to our nation’s political system and bolstered true democracy. Your commitment to upholding the core values of honesty, integrity and decency have made you a role model for this writer and countless other Americans. Your commitment to protecting both civil liberties and civil rights has brought the “Big Brother” tactics embedded in the Patriot Act to light. How many Americans would have been aware of the covert and surreptitious clauses in the Patriot Act had you not cast the lone dissenting vote in the U.S. Senate?

As the country grows more and more socially restrictive, internationally hated and adamantly Republican, those of us who have seen and read about this great American democracy need a leader who will restore the values that once made this nation so great. Values of acceptance, tolerance and moderation that were the envy of the entire world. Values that beckoned those from distant lands to come to our shores when they were tired, hungry and poor. You have lived up to these values for 12 years as U.S. Senator, Mr. Feingold. Now we need those values back in the White House.

Josh Moskowitz (jmoskowitz@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in political science and journalism.

Feedback

Show all comments

Hide anonymous comments

Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 8:33am):

word.

Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 10:33am):

I don't want Feingold to run. I want him to stay our senator. Let's find someone like him from another state to run instead.

Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 2:14pm):

Feingold/Obama 2008!!

Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 4:32pm):

In his last 12 years as a senator, name 2 specific things Feingold is responsible for besides failed campaign finance reform and voting against the PATRIOT Act.

That's right, nothing.

How are you going to parlay that into a successful presidential campaign in 4 years? Even when putting aside all the deep problems in the Democrat party, how is Feingold going to beat (centrist, well-known, and likeable) Guiliani in 2008?

Not to mention the DNC elite controlled by Clintonites who are doing everything for Hillary 2008.

Russ likes his cushy no-term-limit seat in the Senate. His campaign finance "reform" basically set up himself (and other incumbents) for easy re-elections for decades, why would he leave it?

Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 4:53pm):

You think fascist, dictatorial Giuliani is likable? You must be smoking something he would have you executed for.

Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 5:27pm):

BOO freaking YAAAH!!!! I couldn't agree more with this column, in fact I wish I would have written it myself. Why didn't we think of this before we may ask ourselves, because Democrats only think that protestant roman catholic types are the only religion that can be president! STUPID! If people say they would vote for Hilary...then why the hell wouldn't they vote for Feingold. And...Feingold would actually WIN!

Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 6:14pm):

Whoever pointed to Feingold's record as inadequate to run on...first of all, it is. Second of all, a 20 year record is exactly what the Republicans hung around Kerry's neck like an anchor (that and bullshit Vietnam issues).

What about our current president? Or Clinton or Carter who all ran states, weren't even in the federal government.

Feingold wouldn't win (now Wellstone, he might have) but he wouldn't have a bad shot. Remember, he was a lawyer like Edwards (as is Hillary) and that's getting to be a tougher sell. Although, not for Obama. Obama needs to run, he's the man.

Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 6:23pm):

The problem with senators running is that too many people don't really understand how the Senate works, and so they believe that great leaders like Feingold have no real record to run on. Republicans love to encourage bullshit fallacies like that because they have no great leaders themselves. That's one of the reasons no sitting senator has been elected president since Kennedy.

Governors, on the other hand, have very clear records that even average and uneducated Americans can understand. If Feingold was governor, he might have a shot. As a senator, he's about as electable as Mac Verstandig.

Also, for all those Rethuglicans who scream about the horrors of a Hilary Clinton run for president in 2008, please keep focusing on the one person who definitely will not be nominated. I hope Hilary encourages everyone to believe she will run, then drops out at the Iowa caucuses. Meanwhile, the Republicans can build the single most slanderous attack campaign in the history of the world and not be able to use it without revealing to the entire world what jackasses they are.

Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 6:49pm):

This reads like it was written by a third grader...

Anonymous (December 3, 2004 @ 5:20pm):

>>>>>
Also, for all those Rethuglicans who scream about the horrors of a Hilary Clinton run for president in 2008
>>>>>

Those would be screams of joy, not horror. She'd get slaughtered by any Republican candidate.

If you do not think Hillary wants to be president, you obviously do not know the Clintons.

Demosthenes (January 6, 2005 @ 9:21pm):

Russ Feingold is a composite of just what the Democrats need as a presidential candidate. He is a maverick. He is a traditionalist. He is a Rhodes scholar.He does not fear being "the only one" to oppose attacks on our American freedoms. He supports small business at the same time he upholds the trade union movement He is the poorest Senator financially and the richest in guts.

Anonymous (January 23, 2005 @ 9:26pm):

Hi Josh - As a Board member at UW Hillel and a long time supporter and personal friend of Senator Russ, I have read your endorsement of Russ for the White House in 2008. I respectfully disagree that Russ has a chance.

He is most liberal and at a time when a liberal persuasion is not in vogue in American politics.

Secondly, Russ is not really known in the U.S. His name in the title of the campaign reform bill is a start, but only that. His 12 years in the Senate came during a time when the Democrats did not "own" the Senate and thus key committee appointments or chairs eluded him.

Lastly, it appears that America is not ready or willing to elect a woman, an African-American or a Jew to the presidency. That is only conjecture on my part but then again think of how long it took for voters to be comfortable with a Catholic president, nor the time required for comfort with a divorced president. (In China, change in culture and beliefs can take 3000 years.)

In review: too liberal, not known, Jewish...
Let's hope I am wrong.

On the other side of the issue, Russ has never lost an election.