Why Kucinich Supporters Didn't Lose Tonight

[MrSoundAndVision]

Though I certainly wished for better results in Iowa in support of Dennis Kucinich, I must say that the Kucinich campaign hasn't lost anything today. In fact, this campaign has just begun.

This campaign is a movement, and this movement represents the most important social change in this country since I believe the FDR era of progressiveness, perhaps since even the very founding of our nation, that really remains to be seen. This movement is the embodiment of a very important set of fundamental issues, CORRECT issues. Universal health care can't lose, it just can't. Peace can't lose. Human rights issues can't lose.

Our "enemy" is ignorance, our "enemy" is seeking to prevent the education of society of it's and others fundamental human rights, embodied in the Constitution of the United States or not. We're not trying to pick the winner and be righteous, we seek brotherhood and sisterhood.

I think that the most important result to come from this campaign is that Kucinich has identified the right corporate wing which contaminates our society. The "enemy" has exposed itself. The "enemy" has used every possible means to dilute the Kucinich message. It has used not only the weapon of a biased media, but also the Democratic party itself. It has used ignorance as it's weapon of choice, and no ignorant society is truly free. They would have sheep, not citizens.

So it is this which we must combat: the weapon of ignorance. By supporting Dennis Kucinich for President we are saying that the time has come for these issues to be enacted. It's time to educate our society of what they deserve, and what their responsibilities are to the rest of the world. We will continue, and we will prevail. Remember our goals.

I am grateful to Dennis Kucinich. This man has educated me not only in the principles of humane society, but also in the passions of optimism, and passions don't just fizzle, they burn and burn.

[NewJerseyDem]

1. I thought he did pretty well

I really didn't expect him to win this many delegates. He won 39 state delegates which is very hard since you need at least 15% to reach viability and for someone with so little money and polling so low, I doubt he could get into double digits. I thought the results were very good for him and who knows how much he helped Edwards out with their deal. Edwards may have helped him out in a few places though as well. Kucinich even almost won in Jefferson County where he got 29.1% of the vote to 30.9% of the vote. That is pretty good even if only 890 people showed up to the caucuses there.

[tedzbear]

2. I just sent him a nice $ contribution...

...because he is the man who I really want to be President as opposed to the man who I think could win.

Since I gave $ to Clark and Dean also, I am probably putting too much emphasis on who can win and not on who I want.

I thought I had got over selling out but I guess not. I hope Kucinich stays in as long as possible because he will keep the others from drifting too far to the right.

:kick:



edited for misspelling

[Hep]

3. Kucinich got ZERO delegates

that means nothing?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. Wrong

You must be looking at early figures.

[goodhue]

6. no 39 delegates

1.6% of the total delegates
do some research

[MuseRider]

4. We have only begun.

Hey Mr. S&V! I have been wondering where you have been. This is just the start and no matter what happens I will be a proud supporter because when it comes right down to it we need someone with the courage to talk to people the way he does about the things he talks about. He is a voice in the wilderness of the last years of insanity. If he never gets a delegate but we continue to support him he will be heard (I am still, of course planning on his winning!). What an incredible man to stand out there and hang in there like he does. The least I can do is try to get him a voice in my state.

[goodhue]

7. This Will Go to Convention

Kucinich: This Will Go to Convention
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2004

Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich had been showing at 3 percent in the polls in Iowa, but topped 15 percent or more in many precincts in order to win 1.3 percent of the total delegates. Had he failed to top a surprising 15 percent, Kucinich would have finished with zero delegates as expected. The polls did little better at predicting the results for the other candidates in the Iowa caucuses, and tonight's results may have raised more questions than they answered about the final outcome of the Democratic nominating process.

"This is the beginning of the campaign," said Kucinich. "We've got 49 states left to go. The media had long ago predicted the winner of the entire process and even the loser of the general election, and tonight's caucuses have the pundits scratching their collective scalps in bewilderment. I moved from ninth place to fifth and won delegates despite the 15 percent threshold.

"The longtime poll leader dropped to third, which some pundits are erroneously crediting to Dr. Dean's status as an anti-war candidate. Dr. Dean did not consistently oppose the initial stages of this war and he has said that he will keep our troops in Iraq for years.

"As I climb higher in New Hampshire and each successive state, and as the situation in Iraq continues to worsen, Democratic support for peace will be reflected in my campaign's success. I predict a brokered convention in July. By the end of this month my campaign will have raised over $10 million, including matching funds, and I'm just getting started.

"As part of my strategy in the Iowa caucuses, I worked out an arrangement with Senator Edwards that may have allowed each of us to pick up a few more delegates. Our supporters, of course, ultimately chose their own courses of action. But none were left with their only strategic choice being leaving their caucus and going home. John and I are friends and I wish him the best. But we have 49 states left to go, and we're each on our own."

For more information: http://www.kucinich.us

For Congressman Kucinich's Schedule: http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm.

[diamondsoul]

8. My fave is this quote-

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/19/politics2304EST0687.DTL

Some analysts noted that Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards, who voted for the Iraq war, outperformed anti-war candidates Howard Dean and Kucinich, showing that the war is not the premier issue in the campaign.

Kucinich brushed off that suggestion, saying: "It's a huge issue. My presence in the race will continue to give people an opportunity to vote to get out of Iraq."

Earlier Monday, Kucinich laid out a scenario in which no clear winner emerges from state primaries and caucuses, and he prevails with the most delegates at the national convention in July.

"It is inevitable, really," he said.

He never EVER quits, and I love him for it!

[Capn Sunshine]

9. Too bad they had to whore themselves out to accomplish anything

I always felt an affinity for Dennis Kucinich, but the "deal" they made with Edwards in Iowa ..a PRO WAR guy !... shows that when it comes down to it, his message is a lot of hot air and his craven desire to stay in the game supercedes all principles .

[dpbrown]

10. Put Dean in third and got rid of Gephardt in one move

That builds my faith in DK as a politician who really knows how to get the job done.

Nice work, DK.

Fear Ends
Hope Begins
Kucinich 2004

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[Desertrose]

11. I agree Dan...Dennis is just getting started....

pretty good moves for one night!!!

Peace
DR

(Lets hope this Year of the Monkey is the end of the chimp in the WH)