How I Lost My Political Virginity

HOW I LOST MY POLITICAL VIRGINITY.
2/15/07

I was politically seduced in 2000. That was the year I decided to film a documentary on the Nader LaDuke Campaign for President, from a personal perspective. Ralph Nader was giving a campaign speech in his home town of Winsted, Ct. which was the first of his speeches I recorded. I was surprised by the excitement at the event. A lady enthusiastically asked me if she could order a copy of the program. She felt that it would be a historic event her children and grandchildren should see. Ralph Nader spoke seriously and humbly to his town’s people. He named many in his speech and gave his thanks for their support of his Presidential Campaign. His mother, sister and niece sat in the front row. I had two camera angles set up to pan the crowd. My camera man had his camera focused directly on Nader. Joe was wearing a black leather jacket with an American Flag on the back and wore a pair of American Flag sneakers he was also a blue collar Republican. I did a single camera shot on Nader and the hand signer next to him, for the hearing impaired. It was a crazy shoot. It took several weeks to edit. I learned several important lessons by filming that documentary; partly because it was my first. Secondly because I had never been as enthused by a political campaign. I offered my services as a videographer to provide local access cable coverage of each event so they would be seen throughout the state of Connecticut. I didn’t get a chance to interview Nader due to time restraints. He slightly insulted me and my crew by telling me to watch the Charlie Rose show, that he was filming that afternoon in New York City . He was obviously infatuated and flustered by all the attention and his nephew, who was his handler was extremely rude. That was the only meeting I had with Ralph Nader until after the election, when no one wanted to talk to him.

Nader and LaDuke carried the flame of hope for a third party presidential candidacy. Now that I contemplate the idea I am still excited by the possibility, but I also know that it is virtually impossible to crash the private, two party, gluttonous banquet of power. Third Parties are always considered aggressive and belligerent beggars for power pounding at the front door of the U.S Capital building. It is less tiring for me to write and produce programs as I do to denounce and question the power gluttons. Unpaid and paid political work is mind consuming and extremely frustrating. Especially when your working for a political long shot. No serious gambler would have invested a dime in the Nader campaign, unless it was to knock out Gore. I learned the hard way that the system is definitely rigged. However I’ll always be grateful to Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke, for attempting the impossible and giving hope to the politically hopeless.

I remember very well, the excitement that surrounded the Nader LaDuke Campaign in 2000. I filmed three of Ralph Nader’s speeches. Three unique locations, speeches and audiences. I sent the Nader campaign a copy of the program as my donation to the campaign to use in commercials or hand out with donations. I was never contacted by the Nader Campaign or given acknowledgment that they received the program. This arrogance bothered me but I believe it was more disorganization to blame. The Nader campaign was in chaos. No one thought Nader’s message would take off the way it did. Depending on poor and cheap lefties to fund and operate a presidential campaign was doomed to begin with. But this is always the fate of idealist, nonviolent, revolutions against a well funded and entrenched establishment. It is questionable what the real motives of Ralph Nader were. I have always been curious to know how many Republicans donated to the Nader Campaign. I like to believe Nader’s campaign was a noble cause. Nader never demanded a voter count in 2000. Many of the Nader votes around the country were not counted and evidence came forth that some Nader votes were counted as Gore votes in the hotly contested states. The war against the two party system hurt the Democrats greatly. Nader exposed the blatant hypocrisy of the establishment liberals. Losing the election and wounding the Democrats was worth it, to keep Lieberman further away than a heartbeat from the White House. Lieberman’s treason is well exposed now. No one but a few Connecticut Republican loyalists have any regard for Lieberman.

2000 was still a glorious time in U.S politics. We proved that the power of a populace movement can disrupt the complacency of the power elite. The Nader Campaign exposed the vulnerable underbelly of the Two Party Beast. It exposed the desperate lack of leadership in the Democratic Party. It proved to the American voter that the Democrats could not fight for and win the Presidency; even when they had already won. That election revealed to the world the fraudulent voting practices of the world’s foremost model of representative government. Is the U.S any better for it? Only history will tell if the U.S will recuperate from the Bush assault on the Constitution and the War with Iraq and Afghanistan. As a politically devirginated liberal, I hope for a brighter future, and continue to fight the best I can with the tools I have. I want to prevent the further erosion of the vision of an Ideal United States. I feel as an American that I must pass the vision on to future generations. It is the duty of parental and elderly Americans to keep the hope of our country in the hearts and minds of our children. They must be taught their own collective power and responsibility, and the priceless value of preserving their constitutional rights and freedoms. They must be able to understand; that their nation will call upon one of them to be the President of the United States.

In 2000 Nader, LaDuke exploded and by 2004 Winona was forgotten. Nader’s message was taken seriously for a while; until his Quixotic war with the Democrats, became his downfall.

There were so many Nader LaDuke supporters in 2000, that I proudly placed a NADER LADUKE bumper sticker on my 1987 red Toyota pickup truck. My red truck was street legal and had rusty chrome bumpers. It had just the right look and feel, for a NADER LADUKE supporter. The Nader LaDuke banner conveniently covered the worst rust spots on the chrome bumper of the L.A.Steel Mobile, political status symbol.

I’m much more sensible in 2007. I totaled the red pickup truck in 2001and have had two newer vehicles since. Neither of them were pickup trucks. I no longer have a secret hope, when I relate things to politics. The hung over rage at our elections and the 911 enemy, were two powerful unleashed distractions . In 2001 a generation was reminded of the ideals they should believe in. A generation was branded with the mark of Patriot or Traitor, as we were forced to looked upon our reflected image against the charred metal and crumbled stone, in the flames of the World Trade Center. We were deceived. America was deceived by it’s own complacency. It’s own indifference to those who govern the United States, and allow the main stream media’s complicity in the cover up.

We are the Nader LaDuke idealists. We the generation of the established anti establishment. An entire population of idealists lost their political virginity in 2000. We were raped by the Two Party Beast and demonized by the Conservative media. Liberalism became a curse word in America. Liberals were screamed at, abused, threatened and humiliated by 3000 conservative talk show hosts; who created a paper mache corpse of Liberalism, and carried it to the funeral pyre, burned it in effigy with carnival revelry; as they mocked liberal leaders and martyrs. The Bushites worshipped tyrannical deceit and corruption; that brought about their rule of war, bigotry and ignorance. Bushites blatantly support and display their own paper mache ruler, and promote him as a shining example of stupidity, and Republican rightwing virtues. Liberals must support Liberalism again, but we must be careful. We must identify our enemy. Bushism, fascism, socialism, communism, anarchism, neoconism, imperialism and corporatism as well as our own self interests, are our enemies. We must indelibly be aware of the true meaning of Liberalism, which is the belief that, Humanity is inherently good. The United States was founded on that trust. Liberalism must survive, to restore and preserve the Spirit and Integrity of The United States. Americans must believe that righteousness and justice for all are sacred and everlasting rights.

L.A. STEEL