Throughout the entire 2000 presidential campaign, many left-leaning voters have faced
a dilemma: Do they pick a man who claims to represent their viewpoints, but still
supports the death penalty and an expensive missile defense system, or do they vote for
a third-party candidate who doesn't have a prayer but makes more sense than anyone else
currently running for office?
It was supposed to be an event to reach out to the Democratic Party's left wing, which
has a pretty strong base here in Madison. Instead, it turned out to be an example of
what happens when two factions of politically correct liberalism collide. If what I saw
at the rally is true, the Left will defend your right to say whatever you want to
say — as long as you agree with them.
After waiting two hours on an unusually mild October afternoon to enter the event, two
burly Gore staffers approached my roommate and I as we walked through the security
area. We thought they wanted her camera, but it turned out that they were after our
First Amendment rights instead.
Both of us were forced to remove our Nader/LaDuke stickers, a rather strict
interpretation of the "no signs" rule listed on our tickets. Then, the staffers refused
to allow my roommate into the event until she handed over her very small Nader button,
calling her a disruptive element who was acting disrespectful to the Vice President.
While I'm sure that Al Gore didn't personally have anything to do with this
confiscation, it certainly diminished his standing in my eyes. To be accused of being a
disruptive element for simply wearing a small political pin is ridiculous. Like Nader in Boston, we had
tickets and we should have been let in without any hassle.
As we angrily wandered into the packed lawn of the Wisconsin State Capitol, my roommate and I wondered why we
were even bothering if this was the way the young and politically conscious would be
treated. If anything, it made me sway more towards Nader because he and his supporters would never encroach
on someone's opinion.
Or so I thought. As Gore launched into his admittedly moving speech, shouts from the
south side of the Capitol lawn began to overtake his speech. A vocal contingent of
Madison's Green Party and other Nader supporters had congregated, screaming slogans
like "Al Gore, Corporate Whore" and the candidate's name repeatedly. One protestor
even randomly blew into a very loud conch shell every few seconds. To say it was
difficult to hear Gore is an understatement.
While the protesters had every right to criticize aspects of Gore's record and even
demonstrate against his appearance, they had no right to deprive the rest of us from
hearing his message.
Like most Americans, I want to choose my candidate by listening to what they have to
say, and thoughtfully examine their take on issues that are important to me.
But instead of a chance to hear a candidate's message in person, I get to have one
group literally peel my First Amendment rights away while another infringes on them by
over-exercising theirs.
Before I attended the Gore rally, I still had some faith in the political process. I
still believed, perhaps naïvely, that there were politicians who believed in people and
that they ran their campaigns to reach out to those people.
Instead, I learned that all I was to either campaign was a vote, and that my true
opinion didn't matter. For once, I feel the disenfranchisement my generation is
supposed to feel.
Yes, I was moved by Gore's message, and technically that is the most important thing.
But my lasting impression of his visit will be the way I walked away from it, disgusted
by the ideological warfare.
If this is what leftist politics and liberalism has sunk to in America, count me
out.
E-mail Stephanie Kuenn at smkuenn at gmail dot com.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Polls