Can McKinney Really Hurt Obama?
In June, former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney publicly hailed Barack Obama’s grab of the Democratic presidential nomination. But praising his fete is one thing, trying to beat him out of the presidency is another. And that’s her goal as the Green Party’s presidential nominee. While it stirred barely a yawn in Democratic Party circles, it stirred speculation whether McKinney can do any real damage to Obama. At first glance there’s no reason to think that she can hurt him. She’s not one-time Green Party top candidate Ralph Nader. His credentials in 2000 as a fierce environmental and consumer crusader were impeccable. This earned him the respect and admiration of thousands of impassioned supporters, the ability to tap liberal and progressive money tills, and the grudging respect from some corporate and government officials. He was rarely out of the media eye for years. Even now the debate still rages whether the votes he got in 2000 actually sunk Democratic presidential contender
