Comments on The Contenders: Dennis Kucinich

Well, now that all the other candidates have positions similar to his, he's still got no chance in heck. Just sayin'.

Having grown up in Cleveland during the reign of Dennis the Menace, I have to point out that the vegan wonder really did stand up to the rapacious utilities when he refused to sell Muni Light (the municipal electric generating plant). The reason the city went into default was that the local bankers threatened to call their loans if Kucinich didn't agree to the sale--he didn't, so they pushed the city into bankruptcy. They could have bankrupted the city under previous Mayor Ralph Perk but didn't because Perk had signed off on the Muni Light sale. It's a long story (obviously), but the Wikipedia bio of Kucinich has a pretty good rundown.

Thanks for FINALLY posting something on Kucinich (albeit at 3pm on Friday afternoon).

But I'd like a clarification, please. What does "He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, coming in dead last in electoral votes" mean?

There aren't electoral votes at party nominating conventions. Perhaps you mean delegates? If so, Kucinich had more delegates than Sharpton, Lieberman, Gephardt and Moseley Braun.

Also, you should've provided a link to a photo of his wife. She's pretty hot!

I thought this was supposed to be about presidential candidates.

I though Carol Mosely Brown gave him a run for his money, IMHO.

Please note that Kucinich was one of the most steadfast ANTI-choice votes in the House until about 4 minutes before he ran for president in 2004; that, as a Cleveland city council member in the 1970s, he pandered to whites trying to keep their schools and neighborhoods from integration; and that Cleveland's municipal default cost its taxpayers - regular, ordinary people - many millions of dollars from the city's poor credit rating for years, not to mention the jobs lost as businesses fled the city.

But I'll say this for him: He's a strong Democrat, and refused to flirt with Nader or the Greens.

None of that matters, because Kucinich is at best a one-percent candidate and thus not a real candidate. He's below Goddamn Al Sharpton on the depth chart. NOT A PLAYER. So why is he here?

Can you honestly call Kucinich a contender? I mean, I love him, I think he's the most qualified man for the job, but given my political leanings, that means he doesn't have a chance in hell.

@3

Thanks, good point, I've fixed that thing about electoral votes.

I hear you Gital. Going purely by his policy positions, he is more closely aligned with my views than any other candidate (ironically, he is closest also to the stated positions of The Stranger, despite their constant dissing of him). The fact that he is completely unelectable, and will never broach 10% in any primary election makes me a bit sad. But honestly, much as I agree with his open endorsement of full gay marriage rights and decriminalization of marijuana, these views will kill any chances he has of winning.

Still, I might vote for him in the primary anyway. I suspect there are probably quite a few Dems that secretly support gay marriage and decriminalization of pot, but are too chicken shit to actually say so in public, fearing it would be political suicide (and no doubt a few Dems that secretly hate gays as much as the Jezuz freaks do). Kucinich deserves some credit for standing up for some unpopular positions, and not selling out to the Greens.

I love him as a Senator, and think it'd be great if he was our Senator instead of Cantwell. But unfortunately I don't think he has a snowball's chance in hell of ever being president.

I'm glad he's running, though. I think it is important that Dems remember that there are some of us out there still who are way left of center (as the Dems move farther and farther to the right). Gives us lefties someone to cheer for besides the totally loopy Greens.

Gee thanks, Eli, but you just couldn't keep from editorializing, could you? Your obvious distain for Kucinich is baffling to me.

SDA in SEA

you can't love him as a senator because he isn't a senator, he's a congressman.

did you mean to say, I "would love him as a senator"?

Why is it that I laugh a little whenever someone mentions Kucinich.

Although Cleveland's municipal default DID cost thousands of ordinary folks, it is arguable that selling the electric company for pennies would have cost them more, and would in fact still be costing them. The villain there is the system under which local governments have to beg the banks for financing, not the perfidy of elected officials in occasionally standing up to their more outrageous demands.

We did an article on Kucinich at www.blackagendareport.com a few weeks ago in which we called him the "blackest candidate in the race" because his votes match the will of black voters, as far as polls are able to discern them, more accurately than most members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Still, he winds up supporting whoever the Democratic nominee is, and keeping left Democrats from thinking about operating outside the party structure. Maybe that is his REAL job.

I have little issue with Kucinich himself since he's a team player who provides an important voice in the Presidential campaign debate.

His more-progressive-than-thou supporters are a different matter...

Unrelated but somewhat interesting: My friend Tim was at a Wilco concert in Cleveland and saw Dennis Kucinich. His wife was sitting in his lap and they were making out hardcore.