Late last month, presidential hopeful Mike Gravel came to campus to deliver a talk sponsored by the Harvard College Democrats. A former senator from Alaska and current YouTube superstar, Gravel hopes to bring the power back to the people. FM caught up with the Massachusetts native in Sever Hall, where he discussed everything from his presidential goals to his rap skills.
1.
Fifteen Minutes (FM): What’s changed in politics in general since you left office 30 years ago?
Mike Gravel (MG): We’re coming off an area of conservatism, of selfishness, of individualism, and maybe we’re moving towards a more cooperative approach in society. I hope that’s the case, because certainly when you look at the environmental problem we face, it’s very serious. In fact unless we make some fundamental changes we’re going to cook ourselves off the planet in the next hundred years. And that problem can only be addressed cooperatively. Our individualism, our libertarianism, our republican selfishness is not serving us well in terms of human governance.
2.
FM: How would you compare the level of youth activism now to when you were in the Senate?
MG: Probably it was more shrill when I was last in office because we were at the height of the Vietnam War. It had just been completed. The youth had really taken to the streets because of what the amount of death and what the country was doing. After the conservative revolution with Ronald Reagan, it almost seemed like the youth went to sleep or focused on a new area of interest.
3.
FM: Are you disappointed with this new political apathy?
MG: The youth have never, never been a large voting bloc, and there are reasons for that. They don’t get to have a full stake in society and they’re not motivated like people who have a stake. Whether you have a house, a job, or the loss of a job, it changes your whole approach. Jack Kennedy with his charisma certainly did bring out idealism in youth, and of course Hubert Humphrey probably in greater detail than did Jack Kennedy. We don’t have that situation right now. Where are the young people in that regard? I don’t think that they’re any different than the older people.
4.
FM: What’s the most important thing for college students to know about your campaign?
MG: The fact that I’m the first one in American history that is campaigning on the basis of “Fine, I don’t mind being president.” I don’t have a burning desire to be president, but if I were president I would be a very unusual one. The most important thing is I want to empower the American people to become lawmakers. Even if I became president and the people weren’t able to make laws, I would not continue to be president.
5.
FM: If you do make it to the White House, what should we expect?
MG: I would use the office to bully the American people to empower themselves to make fundamental changes. Only the people can do this. The Congress can’t do this. The Congress won’t buy into changing the tax code and making it really fair. The Congress won’t stop the whole military-industrial complex being the top priority of the economy. The Congress won’t do that. The people would, if the people have the power. If they chose not to do that, I would not continue to be president because I couldn’t accomplish anything.
6.
FM: Seriously?
MG: That’s what is important and that’s what’s really unique about my campaign. Never in the history of the nation has a person put himself up and said, “Look, sure I want to be your leader, but I don’t want to be your leader unless I’m your legislative leader and you have the power to make laws.” If the people can’t make laws, then I don’t want the job.
7.
FM: You have some lofty gals like eliminating the IRS and decriminalizing marijuana. Is the country ready for such radical change?
MG: Of course it is. I know of at least five blind polls where people pick issues that they think that they want to accomplish. And you know something? The candidate that they most identify with is me. I dwarf Hilary and Obama in these blind polls. What are the people saying? If they knew who I was attached to the issues that they want to see resolved, then I would become president of the United States. But I don’t have the 50 million that Obama has or the 30 million that Hilary raised this last 30 days. All I have is the $300,000 that I raised over the last year and a half. The democratic leadership is afraid of me. That’s why they have wiped out my voice.
8.
FM: What do you hope to accomplish staying in the race for so long?
MG: To show people that there is a way. See, the people overwhelmingly show in the polls that they want to be in power. They’ve got to recognize that the central power of government is lawmaking, so they’ve got to become lawmakers. And how can they do that? I have a website called The National Initiative where they can begin to be informed. This is out of the box. It’s very difficult for people to understand this, so it’s going to take an educational process. And that’s what I hope my campaign is doing. Repeating over and over again that the answer is not electing people to office. The answer primarily is to empower the American people to share legislative power with elected officials.
9.
FM: What’s your strategy to get more national attention now that the media is focusing only on Clinton and Obama?
MG: First off, I have to overcome getting shut out by corporate America and the Democratic leadership that did not want my voice to be heard. Now that the process has winnowed down where it’s just Obama and Hilary on the Democratic side, then I’m still a candidate. So maybe now that we’ve got a lot of these people out of the way, they’ll have to come. People are getting fed up with the same old Hilary and Obama stuff. People are getting tired of that. So the media is going to want to make things a little interesting. They may reach down and say well what’s this Gravel all about? Because they can’t make fun of me. My record of accomplishments is too significant. My record of accomplishments dwarfs anything that Hilary or Obama would ever even think of doing. So they’ve got to give me my due, and as my due is given to me I can get my message out. When the people realize what I’m talking about.
10.
FM: Why come to Harvard?
MG: I came to Harvard when I was in the Senate and I was just tickled to death. Secondly, Harvard is a global institution, recognized as one of the fountains of knowledge. To not take the opportunity to come to Harvard when you’re invited is just the epitome of ignorance.
11.
FM: In one of your popular YouTube videos, you performed a rap about the campaign. Do you think you could freestyle a little right now?
MG: To tell you the truth I can’t. I do it under the direction.
12.
FM: Do you write your own lyrics at least?
MG: All of what you see on YouTube is these young people who have gotten involved in getting committed to my campaign and are telling me what to do. Now when it comes to policy, I don’t need them to tell me what to do, I know what I want to do as president. I’m doing another [video] in New York tomorrow. And that was with the fellow who is the producer of U2. Well I know that that’s a band but he wants to see if he can’t help make me known. That’s very exciting for me, but they want me to sing a song. But I don’t know how to sing a song. They’re weaving this into a video and they’re using it so it’s their creativity.
13.
FM: Was it difficult for you to embrace unconventional campaign tactics like YouTube?
MG: It’s a little bit like when you see a 30-second spot, the candidate didn’t do this. Some person of great talent did this. And they use the candidate to get this message across. Well that’s what these young people are trying to do. They bought into my message and they’re trying to help me sell my message because we don’t have any money to sell my message. And that’s why I’m running, is to get the message out. So I go along with them on it. If it means humor, if it means singing, I’ll do whatever they think as long as it’s dignified. And I believe in humor. I have a very good sense of humor.
14.
FM: What’s your plan going forward?
MG: I want to continue to campaign in the primary, and I hope I can get a delegate or two. If I do, I’ll show up with my delegate, and I’ll try to make a speech at the convention, and if I do I’ll point out the Democratic party leadership was the one that silenced my voice. Is that the Democratic Party that I bought into as a young man? Hell no. And that should be pointed out.
15.
FM: And if you don’t get a delegate?
MG: If there are other parties that want me to run on their ticket, then I’d be happy to do it. I want to stay in until the very end. Until November.
