Charismatic speakers selling neo-traditional "values" are the antithesis of what we need in a democracy.

Kirk may have had a plethora of other talents, but without the hate, his operation would be a car with no gas in the tank -- a fancy-shmancy park bench.

JFK, RFK & MLKjr. Kirk couldn't come close to topping the least of these three.

I vote ‘no’ on any arrogant, supercilious demagogue speaking on my behalf.

Kirk was the antithesis to class solidarity

The Democrats don't need an equivalent to that

Kirk's reach was greatly amplified. And the social media algorithms which allowed this amplification are heavily weighted towards the extreme right by the techbros who own the platforms. It seems to me to be analgous to Hearst egging on the Spanish American War.

Last edited Sat Sep 27, 2025, 12:05 PM - Edit history (1)

A billionaire is unlikely to become popular on the left.

Are their popular left leaning influrencers. Yes there are. Will they get the amount of main streaming as Kirk? No, because there aren't the billionaires on our side.

From my view, an honest discussion may not be easy on DU, as it might require an open and harsh assessment of missed opportunities.

Once or twice but certainly not for years of propaganda

WTF do you want? MUST we have a white male?

Rhodes type will never woo them into his tent.

And we really should focus on that. Democracy matters. One person has one voice. People are good, and even if they're not, they're the people. What they want the world to be like is what it should be like.

I'm increasingly impressed with what I see from Gavin Newsom and John Fetterman, and that's in the leadership department. There are many others.

Can we get a Kirk? Absolutely. We could get a bunch of them. The resistance to an effective, pushy, debating, true fighter of the left would all come from people who are not true fighters (and, therefore not really even truly left). You're not a true fighter if all you do is pick stupid fights and lose them all the time. You're a true fighter if you smile when attacked. You're true fighter if you get in fewer fights because people respect you. You tell true fighters by whether or not they win.

I always think about this scene from O Brother Where Art Thou? where Governor O'Daniels' advisors asks why his campaign doesn't have their own little person on the campaign trail like his opponent Homer Stokes does.

Couldn't happen. Sepsis is inherently bad.

Search instead for therapies with high success rates, minimal side effects, and that don't break the bank. Then promote them.

And throw a baker's dozen of snake oil salesmen under the bus.