DU Person of the Year poll? What do you think?

To recognize their contributions, what do you think about voting for a DU Person of the Year? If generally positive, perhaps a more website savy DUer (or administrators) would create the DU Person of the Year poll. We could suggest candidates, then vote... Perhaps just have a 2005 DU Top Ten All-Star Team. I'll start the ball rolling with these names (in no order): Fitzgerald, Sheehan, Boxer, Murtha, Conyers, Dean, Skinner...
Nominate with a short reason.

we all know why......

because he dug in his heels, shut 'em down for a day and made people listen...also because he is not a blowhard, but instead a thoughtful and soft-spoken man.
A real Senator, in a definitive sense.

(And being an ole West Virginia boy, am pretty partial toward the spirit and principles of Senators Byrd and Rockefeller!)

Andy S.
khephra

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

I think she brought home to a lot of people the fact that this war affects normal people in their everyday lives and is not just something that we can bluff our way through with a lot of patriotic bluster.

Despite any strengths or weaknesses she may have, she burst the envelope, broke open the box of opposition to the war. Pre-Cindy, the Kool-aid drinkers could pretend that war opponents were concentrated in wacko leftists (conflating ANSWER and MoveOn), anti-Israel terrorist fellow travelers, and ultraliberals (whoever THAT might be).

Cindy showed that opposition was deep, wide, and essentially outside the realm of Dem-Rep politics. That was incredibly valuable to forwarding the debate.

My top four would be:

Cindy
Fitz
Boxer
Conyers

And, from a totally DU perspective, Skinner and Earl G. We couldn't do it without them.

He should run for President.

Cindy Sheehan: A living model of "be the change you wish to see." Her calm, steadfast courage before the gates of the crawford ranch and before the world opened a window and showed Bush in a different, truer light. Her small pebble started an avalanche, imo.

Barbara Boxer: Not afraid to step out in front and show some opposition to Bush, not afraid to speak up, not afraid that honesty will derail her political career.

Dennis Kucinich: Steadfast courage and consistency in opposing the Bush administration SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING. Courage, truth, strength, and unflagging support for people, for actual citizens in congress. I believe he is consistently devalued and marginalized by his own party.

There are more, but those would be my top 3. One citizen, one Senator, one Congressman.

Politicians
Above-Ordinary Citizens
Media
DU Community

John Murtha
Partick Fitzgerald
Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Antonio Villaraigosa
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

for continuing - through thick and thin, through facts and revelations, through scandal and corruption - to support Republicans wherever and however they can, no matter the cost to what's left of their credibility. No matter how they have to twist, spin or contort the truth, ignore facts or divert attention or just pretend it doesn't matter, they stay the course. Real troopers. True American patriots. Without them, where would we be?

If we had an honest media giving the FACTS about the real issues, would this nation be so divided or be in such danger from within and without?