On this date was born America's greatest political candidate who never won an election - Eugene Debs, perennial socialist candidate for President.

He ran for President 5 times, once taking six percent of the vote nationally (almost exactly 100 years ago that happened). He was sentenced to 10 years of prison for speaking against World War I. As he said in that speech:


“Your Honor,years ago I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth. I said then, and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.”

He ran for office while in prison. Again, he never held office, but he and the movement behind him brought to national political discourse the framework for reforms which would eventually be implemented, and for which many of us now take for granted.

The post that was quoted here has been removed

The post that was quoted here has been removed

Originally posted by Kunsoo
Well, I don't exactly remember him. I didn't learn much about him until I was an adult, but that's largely because my grandparents were in the Communist Party, and they looked upon social democrats very unfavorably.

Celebrating debutants? There was Jessica Mitford. The CP even celebrated her.

I thought you wrote Happy Debt Day, predicting Obama's victory.