Kerry vs, as a unity candidate, Kucinich: whom would you choose?

[Mairead]

There's a certain amount of unhappiness being expressed around here with the idea of Kerry as the Dem candidate. Probably most would agree that the unhappiness is a mixture of substantive fears and simple disappointment.

Motivated by their unhappiness, several people have floated the idea of an opposition to Kerry coalescing around one of the other candidates--usually, of course, their own favorite! In these schemes, all the other candidates would support this alternative nominee and, with any luck, gain the formal nomination in July. Presumably each of the participants would get a free hand in a major post in return, though these details have been elided.

In that vein:

Since Dennis Kucinich is usually, if perhaps in some cases only politely, called 'the soul of the Democratic Party' around here, how many people would be willing to have the unity-opposition candidate to Kerry be Kucinich? If it can't be your favorite candidate, whom would you choose as the Lesser Evil/Greater Good out of that pairing? Would you go for Kucinich reluctantly or enthusiastically, or are your politics such that you'd really prefer Kerry after all?

(For my part, I support the policies, not the person, so I'd be ready to support some other unity candidate if--but only if--he were to credibly adopt Kucinich's policies or better. And as far as the 'electability' canard goes, I'd urge nobody to mention it, because it is a canard--every one of the candidates is electable against Chimpy McCokespoon)

[RichM]

1. Very well-posed question.

I'll be interested to see the results of this.

A well-devised poll question - you're directly probing people's mind-changing processes.

[Paulie]

3. Agreed, Well Done!

:kick:

[corporatewhore]

2. I wouldnt want to be asked to rally around clark or dean so i think they

may not want to rallly around kucinich

[Mairead]

4. I agree, they might not -- in which case their choices are Kerry,

write-in, sit-out, or Smirk.

[Thomas Servo]

5. I won't unite behind Kerry or Kucinich.

Neither of them deserved or earned my vote. Just because the media is anointing Kerry doesn't mean I've got to follow that jerk blindly and vote for him.

No way. No how.

[Mairead]

6. Okay, so what *will* you do?

I would have put in a 'something else' choice but my main alternatives consumed all available slots.

So what will you do, and why? What is it that turns you off to both Kerry AND Kucinich? You're flying the anarchist flag, and Chomsky strongly supports Kucinich but evidently even that isn't persuasive to you. So where's your head at?

[rucky]

7. What I'm predicting:

A three-man race after Super Tuesday (Kerry, Edwards, Kucinich).

down to a two-man race by April (Kerry, Kucinich). Support from the other candidates will split fairly evenly - keeping Kerry's lead comfortable.

Kucinich will take 30+% in the late primaries. Maybe not enough for a brokered convention, because by that time, Kerry will have snapped up all the delegates he needs. But still enough to show that Kucinich's strategy IS viable & he's been a viable player all along - despite all he's been up against.

[OhioStateProgressive]

10. what I predict

Dean drops out after losing wisconsin

Edwards drops out after losing Virginia and Tennessee to Kerry

Kerry, Kucinich, Clark go into Super Tuesday as Candidates

basically Kerry takes firsts in just about all states, Dennis takes 20%-25% in California, 30% in Ohio...and a few other 15-20%...Clark ends up dropping out (if Kucinich wasn't running I'd be a Clark supporter)

I think Kerry will have it pretty much sewn up after super tuesday...but Dennis can fight a horse race for the last few states...as the only alternative to kerry he will get even more support...high 30's

he will enter the convention hall with a tidy sum of delegates

[RichM]

8. Not enough votes yet, but so far breaking in a way that makes sense.

More Clark supporters would switch to Kerry, if forced to make a jump. More Dean supporters would switch to DK. The friendliness between the Edwards & DK camp seems to carry over. No surprise that an AS supporter would move to DK.

[Mairead]

9. What do you suppose is the dynamic there?

[jpgray]

11. Pretty meaningless poll. Try it with Clark, or Dean.

Then you'll see how it works. Kerry is widely reviled on this board.

:)

Or better, ask "are you willing to wholly abandon your guy and get behind Kucinich as a unity candidate vs. Kerry?" Almost everyone will say no, because they believe in Clark/Dean/Edwards/Kerry/Sharpton. But more people dislike Kerry as a combination of what you mentioned above, so that explains your results.

[OhioStateProgressive]

12. which is why

as other candidates drop out Kucinich will gain in support

[jpgray]

14. I did a "who is the most liberal candidate" poll a while back

Clark and Dean swept the field. Kucinich was an also-ran. People are not honest or factually accurate in polls.

[zwielicht]

13. what does kucinich think about clark?

i'd really like to know that!

excellent poll!!

[rucky]

16. Can't speak for DK, but Clark is my second choice

Both advocate cuts in the defense budget & a Department of Peace (in some form or another).

The big difference is NAFTA/WTO.

[corporatewhore]

17. well clark also supported the SOA and the Israeli apartheid fence

[dansolo]

15. Neither

I don't consider Kucinich as a unity candidate.

[youngred]

19. why not?

he brings more unity to the table than most of the other candidates

[bain_sidhe]

18. I don't really care

so I didn't vote. If it's not Clark, anybody'll do, really. I'll fall in line, send money, do the rah-rah thing for whoever the rest of you pick. I'm backing Clark for some very specific reasons, and none of them is transferrable to any of the other candidates - except for the fact that four more years of bush is a vision of unmitigated horror to me, and that's transferrable to anybody the Dems nominate. So, really, if Clark drops out, y'all can go on about the business of picking someobody, and I'll see you in August.