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By Keith Barber, in "Yes Weekly":
If you close your eyes, Billy Kennedy could easily be confused with
Jefferson Smith, the character played by Jimmy Stewart in Frank
Capra’s 1939 classic film, “Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington.”
In the movie, the naive and idealistic Smith is appointed to the US
Senate by a governor that kowtows to the state’s top political
boss. Smith runs into political corruption when he tries to advance a
bill to create a national boys camp, and becomes discouraged. One of
the most famous scenes in the film portrays Smith’s marathon
filibuster on the Senate floor. Jimmy Stewart’s performance is
the stuff of Hollywood legend, but his profound words are what stay
with us forever.
Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for the US House District 5 seat,
spoke with the same kind of idealism and conviction as Jefferson Smith
during his address to the 5th Congressional District Democratic Party
Annual Convention in Statesville on May 15. Kennedy talked about his
personal philosophy and ethos, one that he learned from his parents
— an ethos based on the Golden Rule. He spoke of his love of
farming, building houses and crafting furniture. He said his daily life
connects him to the land, which has led him to become an
environmentalist. Kennedy talked about his desire to leave his farm to
his children someday, and to leave it better than he found it.
Unlike most politicians, Kennedy appeared comfortable in his own skin.
He was approachable, engaging and genuine. More importantly, Kennedy
was sincere in everything he said. He spoke off the cuff for more than
15 minutes, only referring to his notes at the end of his remarks. How
refreshing it was to see a candidate that wasn’t extensively
rehearsed, a candidate who didn’t repeat the same talking points
at every single public appearance. The audience clearly appreciated
Kennedy’s sincerity. The candidate received two standing ovations
during the event.
Afterwards, Kennedy and I spoke about the impetus behind his candidacy.
One thing is very clear — this is not a lark. Kennedy is not
simply running in 2010 to build name recognition for another run
against Foxx in 2012. Many political analysts have suggested that after
redistricting occurs next year, Foxx could be vulnerable. Kennedy,
however, believes that his grassroots campaign will resonate with 5th
District voters this year. Plus, he’s not getting any younger.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me that we need progressives
in office all along,” Kennedy said. “We need people who are
committed to this for their life. I’ve been active in my party
for 15 years. This is not something that’s going to change for me
— this is a commitment that I’m always looking in for my
place to serve. This is the place I see best for me to serve right
now.”
Kennedy should be lauded for his insight. If we step back and take a
look at the broader political picture — the serious challenges
our state and nation currently face — it becomes evident that
there is no tomorrow. The time is now.
Loyal Democrats should feel energized and enthusiastic about
Kennedy’s candidacy, but simply voting for Kennedy in November is
not enough. The party faithful will have to take to the streets
canvassing and registering voters in order to do their part to help
Kennedy overcome Republican incumbent Virginia Foxx’s significant
advantages. Foxx will almost certainly hold the fundraising edge, which
will allow her to get her message out to more voters. In addition, Foxx
enjoys name recognition while Kennedy is building awareness of his
candidacy one personal phone call at a time.
Foxx proudly proclaims herself the most conservative member of North
Carolina’s Congressional delegation. But even for her most
conservative constituents, Foxx has been on the wrong side of the most
pressing issues facing North Carolinians, including her opposition to
the healthcare reform bill. And who could forget the embarrassing
episode last year when Foxx declared that the death of Matthew Shepard,
an openly gay college student who was beaten, tied to a fence and left
for dead, was the result of a robbery gone bad rather than a hate
crime? Foxx made the false statement while arguing against expanding
the federal hate crimes bill. As a result of her outburst, Foxx
received the dubious distinction of being named “Worst Person in
the World” by Keith Olbermann, host of MSNBC’s
“Countdown” program.
Kennedy believes that elected officials should serve as role models for
children, and in his opinion, Foxx falls woefully short of that
standard.
“When you try to turn people against each other and incite hate
and violence in our society, that should not be rewarded with a
re-election,” said Kennedy. “One thing that we can do in a
democracy is replace elected officials. We can’t replace
corporate leaders, but we can vote people out who are not looking out
for their constituents.”
Billy Kennedy has solid ideas on health care and financial reform,
building a green economy, and protecting the environment. Foxx’s
voting record reveals her consistent opposition to progressive ideas
and her allegiance to failed Republican policies of the past.
Billy Kennedy’s candidacy is extremely important to the future of
North Carolina, and 2010 is the time to make a stand for Democrats,
unaffiliated voters and even Republicans who realize it’s time
for Foxx to go.
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