Communist Cleveland

A Communist is running for office. And he’s not going to call 1% of the vote a victory—he means business.

It’s a race for election to the Cleveland City Council and Rick Nagin, a Communist Party member (though registered to vote as a Democrat), placed in the primary in his Ward 14. He will now face off against Brian Cummins for a spot on the Council. Cummins has already served on the City Council, representing Ward 15, but because of redistricting he has found himself in the intense Ward 14 fight. The voters will choose between the two on November 3rd.

A number of surprises have sprung upon the residents of Ward 14, the first being that this heavily Latino area will be represented by a Caucasian (both Nagin and Cummins are white). But the newsworthy part is that Nagin, a serious Communist, is a serious candidate. While he has toned down and suppressed his affiliation, the facts remain: former Chairman of the Ohio Communist Party and former contributor to the People's Weekly World, the official voice of the Communist Party of the United States of America.

There are plenty of left-wing fringe candidates in all sorts of local, state, and federal elections, but Nagin has not only made it into the final vote, but has received the endorsement of Senator Dennis Kucinich. Of course, Cummins is no reactionary. He is essentially affiliated with the Green Party. But we all know Ralph Nader. The Greens have been around. But the machine, back in the '50s, blacklisted and jailed the Communists, not the Greens (yes, they didn't exist then, but hey).

I'll admit it: the election is considered nonpartisan, which means political affiliation is not listed on the ballot. Furthermore, if Nagin gets elected, he will not be able to nationalize Goldman Sachs, create a single-payer healthcare system, or mandate a living wage. But it will be a symbol.

I'll admit this too: we're the Young Democrats Party and I'm waxing poetic, mesmerized about a Communist. But he's also a Democrat on his voter registration card. More importantly however, as the Young Democrats of SRVHS, we desire less the triumph of the Democratic Party and more the triumph of justice. We value freedom and equality above Congressional victory and a filibuster-proof majority. These things often coincide. But if a man can stand outside the structure we've built up, if he can represent an ideal that the established interests have been endeavouring to squash, then I will support him if his cause is just.

Surprisingly, CNN even covered the election. You can see the video below.