Has your opinion of Dennis Kucinich changed since 2004?

[bobthedrummer]

If so, how has it changed?
I voted for him in the Wisconsin Primary, Kerry/Edwards in the General Election.
I'm an independent voter and longtime DUer that recalls ridiculous attacks on DK but not on his core issues.
I'm asking you if you'd consider lending support to a politician that called George W. Bush a liar in public debate (along with Rev. Sharpton).
A politician that truly comes with no strings attached.
Dennis Kucinich.
We need more elected Democrats like him (and Cynthia McKinney).

:dem:

[WI_DEM]

1. No

I still think he is a great Democrat and supporter of progressive causes.

[Bluebear]

2. Yes, from "fringe candidate who could never win"

to one of the few politicians i respect these days.

[bobthedrummer]

5. That's a profound change, Bluebear.

:thumbsup:

[Lefty48197]

10. I gotta agree

That sounds a lot like my sentiments.

[whistle]

3. Yes, Dennis may may the last hope for sanity in this nation

[goodhue]

4. My opinion of him remains as high as ever.

We certainly need more like him.

[mattclearing]

6. Nope.

Nice guy, love his Department of Peace idea, and he makes a great House Rep.

He could be an entertaining Senator even.

That's about it, though.

I don't believe in "electability" being a major focus of a presidential primary campaign (it gives the actual issues short shrift), but there are criteria that need to be met that DK just doesn't have.

Maybe before the days of television, but these days, I just don't see it. And his support in the primaries reflected that.

[bobthedrummer]

13. I see-it's image then, the visual perceptions that rule today's US

short term memory challenged political masses.
Paul Wellstone probably would get low marks in that part of the political arena if he were still with us, too.

Many politicians would regardless of their location on the political compass imo.

[mattclearing]

15. Paul Wellstone gets the highest marks ever.

He'd still be here otherwise.

[Hippo_Tron]

36. Wellstone had one think keeping him from the presidency

It wasn't his lack of electability, it was his health. Wellstone unfortunately had multiple sclorosis. He probably would've run in 2000 or been a serious possibility for the VP if it were not for his health.

[Selatius]

25. I abhor how superficial politics has become and acceptance of it

I refuse to accept it, and everytime I challenge somebody on the point, I say, "So you worry more about the guy's personality than issues?" I submit that if every Democrat in the US committed to restoring principle above showmanship and personality, this country would be taking a big step back towards the ideals this country has apparently "left behind" a long time ago.

[eallen]

7. Nope. He's still too far left to be President.

He seems more sincere than most politicians. I'm happy to have his viewpoint in the House, and I would even agree that we need more Democrats like him.

But I wouldn't want him as President.

[LeftyMom]

8. I just might hold him in more esteem than I used to

which is hard to do. He rocks!

[Lefty48197]

9. I liked him before, and I still like him

I probably like him more now, because he got more exposure than he ever had. I've always agreed with many of his beliefs, but I'm afraid that our views don't play as well to a national audience, than more "middle of the road" ideals do. Of course, I'll go to my grave believing that Dennis and I are right. I did vote for Gephardt, and I usually support the candidate that supports workers the most. Dennis was probably tied with Dick when it came to supporting working families, but I felt Gephardt probably had more national appeal. Who knows? If Kucinich runs in 2008, I may be an early DK activist...

[usregimechange]

11. No he is still unelectable.

[Blue Belle]

12. I think that he still isn't a good Presidential Candidate...

But we certainly need him in our party to keep aggressively pushing the Progressive agenda. He's a fighter and an idea man... we need more in the Congress and Senate like him.

[evilqueen]

14. No change.

I liked him then, I like him now. I'd prefer him to Hilary, too.

[vpigrad]

16. He didn't fight at all for Kerry during the election!

For that, I'll never forgive him. The election was stolen right out from under his nose.

[bobthedrummer]

18. Stolen-yes. By electronic voting machines and disenfranchisement

and lies that went unanswered far too long, perhaps?

[genius]

39. And Dennis voted to overturn the election. Kerry was AWOL.

[Desertrose]

19. huh??

Didn't fight for Kerry?? I thought he did pretty well for Kerry.

As for someone not fighting...what about Kerry himself? He folded in less than the time it took to count votes.

Please don't give me that boohoo BS...Kerry didn't fight for US!

[LittleClarkie]

30. You wanted him to wait until ALL the votes were counted?

How long would that have taken? Absentees included, it seemed to go on for a couple of weeks or longer. And even after they were counted, it still wasn't enough. He couldn't hold up the election on SUSPICION of fraud.

It wasn't that fast. Most opponents concede the night before. It took him until the next morning. It wasn't that damn fast. Only one has been slower in recent memory: Gore. And we can't keep doing that. We can't litigate every outcome. If he'd have had enough evidence, he'd have been out and fighting. But he's too obsessive/compulsive to come out without good hard solid evidence.

He fought like hell during the election. I know. I was in a swing state. He bounced around like a human boomerang. Wisconsin... Ohio... Wisconsin in two days.

They all fought, even Joementum.

[LoganW]

21. Give me a break, you hate ALL dems then

Because almost every dem in office was silent on the issue.

It wasn't DKs job to do something about the stolen election - it was KERRY's who remained mute the entire time. Funny how you shift the blame to one of the only people who actually does speak out.

If DK had been running you can be assured he would have fought it to the very end.

[LittleClarkie]

28. Horsehockey

He fought for Kerry in Ohio. It's not his fault that the press didn't cover it!

All I saw was one article. But it was there. And I remember him as being one of the few who wasn't turning negative on Kerry during the campaign. He was just extra happy when Kerry finally came out swinging.

I love Dennis. He'd never get enough votes to be president. But he is a very good man just the same.

Even Joementum campaigned for Kerry in Florida. That's why Joe is in on my Dem Party Back Watch. The only Dem I can think of who isn't worth spit is Zell. Zig Zag can kiss my shiny metal ass.

[mopinko]

31. that's what i say

you want to sort out the sell outs and the pink tutus? look at who did what in nov and dec. dennis was not even at the conyer's hearings, and issued a statement that was a lot of blah blah and excuses.
it was HIS DISTRICT! that made it his job.
sorry dennis.

[bobthedrummer]

33. Dennis Kucinich is loyal to his Party.

Come what may.
:eyes:

[mopinko]

34. not sure what you are saying

are you saying they told him to shut up, so he did? we have enough of those. it's all the sadder out of dennis.

[genius]

38. Kucinch fought harder for Kerry than Kerry did. Dennis voted with Boxer

and Tubbs-Jones when Kerry was AWOL.

[Desertrose]

17. liked Dennis before...as a matter of fact

I worked on his campaign and he is the only one I would do it all again for....

He is not a "politician" but a no-nonsense no strings attached rarity. I think he is the best hope and best solution we have in this country.

I think with half a chance of getting his points and ideas heard by the public there would be a great groundswell of support for Kucinich.

Guess thats something we need to work on here in the next little while,eh?
:hi:btd :hug:
DR

[charlie]

20. Nope

I still think he's a helluva guy and I'll back him for whatever electoral office he chooses. And I'm not as far "left" as he and probably most of his supporters are. But when just about everyone else seems hellbent on triangulating to a "center" that's located ten yards from our own end zone, this country desperately needs a hard tug leftward. Dennis routinely whacks Bush/Republicans, gives voice to issues and stances too impolitic for the more glittery pols, has markedly less artifice and calculation, what's not to like?

[BigBearJohn]

22. I would vote for him in a NY minute if he had a chance of winning

[FtWayneBlue]

23. Yes, I am more in favor of him than ever before.

I voted for him in the primary, one of only a dozen who did so in the entire county of Huntington, IN.

After reading about him in wikkipoedia, I was amazed to see his net worth. Check it out. Probably one of the poorest people in national politics. That speaks volumes for his integrity. He sure isn't getting richer off it, like some other fat cats are.

[charlie]

24. Kooch's house

http://www.boston.com/realestate/galleries/pres_res/10.html

[Radical Activist]

27. You can't tell from the picture

but its in a regular working class neighborhood in Cleveland (not the suburbs). A nice old lady lives next door that he waves and says hello to. The houses aren't very far apart from eachother at all.

[Radical Activist]

26. No.

I greatly respected him as a one of the most principled and courageous public servants living today, and I still feel the same way.

[genius]

29. Dennis is still the best man for the Presidency.

[ISUGRADIA]

32. I still wouldn't vote for him in a primary but I did respect his effort

in 2004. I thought he ran an issues driven campaign. I saw him in person a few times in Iowa, didn't inspire me as he did others but he did have a small but devoted following, a more fervent core group than other candidates. I questioned (and still do) his change of heart on abortion. But I never thought the way he ran was hurting Kerry as some establishment types did because he stayed in the race until the bitter end.

Eugene Debs never had a chance to win but ideas he had in 1912 that were seen as radical are mainstream now (for the most part). I see some of DK's ideas in that way. And Kucinich kept voting in DC and was not absent much to campaign. I liked that.

[More Than A Feeling]

35. What kind of support do you want me to lend?

Give him cash to run for senator? Work and vote for him in the 2008 primary? Write him in in the General?

[Hippo_Tron]

37. To be honest, he never really inspired me

I know he's really good on the issues, but he never really inspired me like other politicians have.

[Awsi Dooger]

40. Last year I took an online issue-agreement test and I matched Kucinich

They gave you a choice of several positions on each issue. At the end of the test it said my political views were much closer to Kucinich's than any other presidential candidate.

Big deal. A much better test would be to see which one of our candidates matches the typical views of the swing and independent voters. The most likeable guy who comes closest to that standard gets the nomination, as long as he fits the real-world necessities of height, speaking ability and looks, etc. There is no way I'm waddling like a clapping seal and supporting someone who can't get elected, just because he supposedly shares my views. Just give a Democrat the wheel and he'll do fine at 1600 PA, regardless of what he has said or what his voting record has been.

[Niccolo_Macchiavelli]

42. Americans are too fucking stupid for democracy.

It's about to vote who one think is best for the job to deal with issues one is concerned with

opposed to

not to vote someone with the same issues/motives because one thinks the other people wouldn't vote for him.

[NoPasaran]

41. Nope

I still think he's a well-meaning crackpot.

[spindoctor]

43. No, He is still the only one I actually trust.

He will have my support until somebody "electable" with the same integrity comes along.

[BlueManDude]

44. The Cult of Kucinich rolls on...

[eridani]

45. So. when the Maximum Leader of the "cult" asked his delegates-

--to vote for Kerry, half of them said "No way!" Looks like the "cult leader" never figured out the essential skill of cat-herding.