Most people fear change. How much is that affecting support for DK?

[Mairead]

Resistance to change--even good change--is a common human experience. Only a very few people need the kind of stimulation that comes from novel experiences and changefulness.

Pretty clearly, DK's campaign is about making enormous improving changes for working people (i.e., the vast majority). It's hard for anyone to dispute that and still be credible. We can reasonably explain away his low numbers in the mundane world by appeal to the corporate media's blackout and disparagement--it takes real independence of thought look beyond the information given or to go against (manufactured) public opinion, and most people aren't socialised that way.

But there are a lot of people at DU who also don't support DK even though they know about him and his policies, and the reasons for that are much less obvious. One reason could be that some are really not in favor of working people becoming better off! That they're GOP infiltrators or DINOs or simply people with some psychopathology that expresses itself that way. Another reason could be a sort of cynicism where people want hope so badly that they have to reject it. There's also the inability to distinguish between Kucinich's program and some other candidate's--a sort of political/economic color-blindness, as it were, where (e.g.) for-profit and non-profit healthcare seem equivalent. And the final possibility--I can't think of any others, anyhow--is the simple, human 'better hell than risk'.

How much does the old 'better hell than risk' syndrome play a part in people's reluctance to embrace Kucinich's campaign?

If you think it plays a significant part, then what does that say about our chances of avoiding being dragged over the edge into The Pit?

[libragirl73]

1. Well...

...iIt must play a very large role,
since the ONLY candidate offering to
bring abot change is also the candidate
that is described as "spooky".

I love Dennis Kucinich, and I will follow him
to the ends of the earth!!

[mmonk]

2. I believe alot of it is

fear of a bush second term and a recognition DK's support would come from a smaller plurality of the overall vote against bush.

[BruinAlum]

3. I don't think people fear the change

I think the mainstream see Kucinich as too far left. Others see he doesn't get near enough support to win on a national level.

I think your suggestion that it's because some are really not in favor of working people is way out of line. As is the psychobabble about people rejecting Kucinich because of a sort of cynicism where people want hope so badly that they have to reject it, psychopathology about GOP infiltrators, or politically and economically color blind. Sheesh!

This looks more like the "if you don't agree with MY choice of candidate, there must be something wrong with you" threads I get so sick of seeing. I don't have anything against Kucinich, he can still do a lot of good for the Party, but the majority of voters have chosen other candidates. I wouldn't presume their choices are due to a psychological disorders or ignorance.

What bullshit. You do Kucinich no favors with this. And I happen to like Kucinich.

[goodhue]

4. Fear

Plays a significant part in unwillingness to support Kucinich. That is until one sees Kucinich in person and the fog of fear lifts. IMHO.