29) New York Times calls for exclusion of Kucinich, Sharpton

Discussion
1

World Socialist Web Site
    by Kate Randall

"Kucinich and Sharpton have voiced the harshest criticisms of the
Bush administration's Iraq war policy. The Times, as a central
component of the political establishment's propaganda machine,
fears that airing such criticisms in national debates may fuel
growing popular opposition to the continuing US occupation of Iraq
and the ongoing assault on social and democratic rights in the US --
policies in which the Democratic Party is fully complicit. And if this
is the attitude of the Times toward the debate within the Democratic
Party, it is certain that the newspaper will insist that third-party
candidates -- particularly from parties calling themselves socialist,
Green or independent -- be excluded from national debates after the
Democrats have selected their candidate." (01/31/04)

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jan2004/nyti-j31.shtml

2

This is interesting, but my take on the NYT's motives differ from those of the World Socialists. I think the left-leaning Times editorialists were hoping that pushing Kucinich and Sharpton to the fringe could cause the Democratic base to unite behind the remaining candidate perceived as being far to the left -- Howard Dean -- and make him the nominee. At this point however, it's looking like Kerry has it pretty well wrapped up.

Yours in liberty,
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