Why are Sharpton and Kucinich still in the race?

[ringmastery]

It just seems wrong that Gephardt and Lieberman dropped out before them. They don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning. That's pretty obvious.

[BurtWorm]

1. They're not in it for "winning."

They're in it for influence.

[Mairead]

35. Al has said he's in it to raise consciousness, but DK is in it to win

So your analysis is a bit off, Burt.

[roguevalley]

2. Go to www.salon.com. There is an article there about Sharpton. Or it is

in Conason's column. Interesting.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Edge]

3. Who cares?

Let their voices be heard. They're the only ones who say things the other candidates won't dare say. I love it that they're still in it.

[fortyfeetunder]

31. That's right.

One of the problems I've seen in the Democratic debates is not enough diversity of thought. Sharpton has been able to talk about things and is not afraid of saying anything. Same goes for Dennis Kucinich.

They both probably realize their chance of getting a nomination are nil. But that should not stop them for bringing forth the issues they know their supporters believe are important.

[goodhue]

4. the more the merrier

its democracy

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. Because America was founded on Democratic prinicpals.

:hi:

[ringmastery]

10. fine they can stay on the ballot

but why should they still be in the debates? What makes Kucincih and Sharpton different than any of the other dozens of candidates who are running for president you've never heard of before that have no chance, as well?

[DuctapeFatwa]

12. LOL they do make the "best-selling spreads" look pretty obvious

I'm not surprised that so many people would rather not have them in the debates. When you have 4 guys busting their butts to come up with 4 different-sounding ways to say the same thing, it's a bitch to have 2 other guys saying something different.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. Because Kucinich has thousands of supporters who still believe in

him and he is bringing something to our party. In my opinion we need to change far more than we seem capable of doing right now. I applaud his presence on those stages. Sharpton? Because he has razor sharp wit and sheds light on important issues, such as affirmative action. I am so disheartened at the hastiness with which my fellow Democrats would call this race. I live in Michigan, give me a shot. My brother lives in CA give him a shot. Let's take our party back, you and I, shall we? :)

[Mairead]

34. "What makes Kucincih and Sharpton different"

I would have thought you could have worked this out for yourself, really. The 'other dozens' aren't co-chairs of the Progressive Caucus in Congress or internationally-recognised political figures in the Black community, are they.

And it's early days yet to claim that Kucinich and Sharpton have no chance. Of course, if what you really mean is that you want them not to win, why not come right out and say so? Then we can talk about your reasons, which might be interesting.

The bottom line is that there is only one person who has a chance, and we don't know who that is yet. The others all have no chance, and we know that's true because they're not going to be elected. Since we know 100% for certain that they're not going to win election, then self-evidently they have no chance right now.

[ChiefJoseph]

6. Vanity and vanity, respectively.

[GreenArrow]

22. unlike John Edwards

who is in it for personal ambition.

[Terwilliger]

28. yep

ego, ego, ego


just like Nader

[Desertrose]

33. nope....nope, nope, nope....

not even close...

no ego involved in the reason DK is still in...

you simply don't get it & apparently never will.

Certainly very unlike Nader...can't we get over that and move on here?

what the hell is your problem with DK if he is so inconsequential in your opinion, why should you care?? Dennis has a lot of people who support him...we aren't all misled or stupid, contrary to what you may think. Seems to me its still a free (more or less) country and we are still allowed (more or less) to speak our minds...so? WTF is your problem,T?

Peace
DR

[D G]

7. So far, Gephardt and Lieberman dropping out

are shining example of what's RIGHT about this year's primaries, IMO.

Sharpton can go any time, as far as I'm concerned. I hope Kucinich stays in forever.

[arewethereyet]

8. they are not so much in the race as getting convention input

its not the same goal. Its why I would not mind seeing them no longer debate. I would prefer it be their choice as oposed to the NYT. They have made their point and gotten their message to the convention. Nothing further is served.

[Jerseycoa]

9. For the sake of their constituencies

and messages.

[MuseRider]

11. Wait....

oh yes, I guess I am in the right place. Whew. Democracy is often a messy business.

[hedgetrimmer]

13. what are you afraid of?

when the hot shots can't knock down the nine ball they put their tails between their legs and go sulk in some whiskey.... those that care, those that want to stand for the people they'll keep smacking at the nine ball until their cause is won or the battle is over... those are my kind of candidates, those are my kind of representitives... i choose them for my government... so i ask you again what, are you afraid of? what do they take from or show to you?

[lcordero]

14. they are the only two (besides Clark) talking about serious

issues.
The rest are talking about "electability".

[jmatthan]

16. A visit to DK's site is very revealing

Pay a visit to DK's site at

http://kucinich.us/statements.htm#BlockedTroops

and you will then understand why it is important that he stays in the race.

DK is the only one who has the credentials based on his straight talking and his record to be the Leader of the Free World!!

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

[fujiyama]

17. Kucinich is trying..

to bring certain issues to the table.

Sharpton on the other hand is a vanity candidate.

[JasonBerry]

18. Reality check for Kucinich

Kucinich had STAFF in Oklahoma - they had a paid office, phone banks, etc.............now, look at the results:

Percentage for Kucinich in Oklahoma with 100% of ballots counted: .84%

WHY would this guy continue? It looks so horribly vain.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

20. Why does it matter so much to you if

he's so "insignificant"?

[Terwilliger]

29. ask Ralph Nader that question

[eridani]

30. Ralph Nader ran in a primary?

When was that? I missed it.

[GreenArrow]

24. quixotic is a better word

vain doesn't really apply.

[Mairead]

37. Oklahoma? You expected DK to get something in OKLAHOMA???

Surely not!

It's too damn bad we can't harness metaphors, because at the rate Woodie Guthrie must spin in his grave at the rightwing nutters who've taken over Oklahoma, if we wrapped his skeleton in wire and a magnet he could probably replace a couple of nuke power stations.

DK is running a 50-state campaign. In having an office there (I really doubt it had paid staff) he's showing respect to those Oklahomans who think thoughts that aren't Faux-approved.

[EXE619K]

19. Dennis can win....

If ya vote for him.

[eridani]

21. Kucinich is leading a movement--

--and his supporters are in it for the long term.

[WilliamPitt]

23. Just to annoy you, really

The need to keep trade on the debate table, to keep real health care reform on the table, to keep getting the troops out of Iraq on the table, to keep the environment on the table, to continue to develop a national movement, all come a distant second to the fact that Dennis is staying in just to get under your skin.

:)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

26. That's it, Will

He's in it just to piss off the people who think that a short guy with an ethnic name has no right to steal TV time from tall guys with WASPY names.

[charlie]

25. Good grief

You've started two threads calling for Dean, Clark, Kucinich, and Sharpton to drop out. So finish the job, already. Tell Kerry to get out, we'll anoint Edwards and spend the rest of our days singing hosannahs about your wisdom and generosity.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

32. They need to keep up exposure

To paraphrase Al Franken, Kucinich and Sharpton need to stay in the race in case a plane with Kerry, Dean, Edwards, Clark, Gephardt, and Lieberman crashes . . . into Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.

Actually, the more likely scenario for Kucinich/Sharpton 2004 is that all of those people die in small plane crashes like Carnahan and Wellstone . . . don't put anything past Rove . . .

[Virgil]

36. To tell people we need to end NAFTA

and that we are already paying for single-payer universal health care and we are just not getting it and stuff like that.

[youngred]

38. Because its about more than just winning

as odd as that sounds to some people :eyes:

They are in it because there is a message there that the "real" candidates need to listen to. Dean has stolen his most progressive issues from Kucinich, as has Clark. Why is there such a rush to kick them out? They represent a valid part of the party, and it may appear small, but it most certainly isn't. Why the desire to make the mad rush to the centere?

Only 10% of the delegates have been decided thus far. Would you stop voting after only 10% of precints had been counted?