Kucinich supporters: in your opinion, is he the only true liberal running?

[JohnLocke]

Sharpton aside --

[jpgray]

1. The term 'liberal' has lost almost all meaning

But in terms of where I am, if I'm a liberal, he's the only one running along with Sharpton. In terms of the press and their definition, there are other liberals running.

[Desertrose]

2. I agree with you...

its all in the definition..

by mine its DK & Sharpton running at this point....

Peace
DR

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

3. I think Kerry is liberal

Based on the Americans for Demcoratic Action lifetime voting score Kerry is pretty liberal. In fact he appears to be slightly more liberal than Kucinich (probably due to Kucinichs past pro-life voting record). Kucinchi recieved a lifetime score of 90, while Kerry recieved a 92.

On the issues, Kucinich is running on a more European-style social-democratic platform, which is more to the left of mainstream US liberalism represented by Kerry.

[AntiCoup2K4]

5. How about a fair comparison: Kerry vs Kucinich since 12/12/2000

Which of the two had the balls to take on that unelected fraudulent piece of shit in the White House?

[IndianaGreen]

25. Widget counts like ADA's voting score don't mean shit

No self-respecting liberal would have supported a war of aggression such as our invasion of Iraq.

Where was Kerry when the war began on March 20, 2003? Did he call for Bush's impeachment? Did he accuse Bush of betrayal and lying? No, Kerry did none of those things.

Is Kerry going to bring the troops home and end the occupation of Iraq? No, Kerry won't do that either. Kerry said he will keep the troops in Iraq for as long as it took to protect our oil interests in the region. Kerry may have not explicitly said "oil," but that is what he wants to do, turn Iraq into our new South Vietnam.

[Darranar]

4. It depends on what you consider to be a "liberal"...

if you mean anyone to the left of the manufactured political center, then no. If you mean someone actually close to liberal ideas (human rights, worker's rights, civil rights, aid to the poor, etc) then yes.

[JohnLocke]

8. See post #7

[Darranar]

10. In that case, yes.

[scarletwoman]

6. I REALLY dislike these binary polls!

It all depends on how "liberal" is defined.

A perfectly good case can be made that John Kerry is "liberal" -- if liberal means a good rating on certain types of legislative issues.

I don't know. I don't use the term "liberal" much anymore. Not because of the rightwing demonizing of the term, but because of the way that self-described "liberals" have cheapened its meaning by carefully staying "within the frame" of acceptable issue advocacy, without tackling the big job of calling attention to the very RADICAL changes that need to made in order for a TRUE liberal agenda to succeed.

I like the term "progressive", because to me it indicates actually moving forward and shifting paradigms. I don't see "liberalism" as being about wholesale change, I see it as being more about tweaking the existing paradigm -- an issue here, an issue there. To me, that's just not enough.

So... I went ahead and voted "yes" in your poll, even though I think the term "liberal" falls far short of what Kucinich is really about. A better worded poll would have been more meaningful, imho.

sw

[JohnLocke]

7. That's why I said "in your opinion"

[scarletwoman]

9. In my opinion,

Kucinich is the only PROGRESSIVE in the race. "Liberal" is virtually meaningless.

I probably should not have voted at all, because I don't consider the question, as worded, particularily valid -- in my opinion. Sorry.

sw

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

11. Progressive is more of a historical term.

...reffering to a reform movement in the early 20th century.

[scarletwoman]

12. And I very consciously refer back to that movement when I use the term.

That was a time when "socialists" could actually be a party and appear on a ballot without people totally freaking out.

We actually had a Socialist Party governor in my state of Minnesota at one time. The genesis of the present-day Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) came out of a coalition of socialists, progressives, rural populists and the labor movement.

21st century progressives are not exactly a direct descendent of the earlier progressive movement (which included many republicans in those days, btw), but we are as much about challenging the entrenched power structure and status quo as those earlier progressives.

sw

[Kanary]

14. What scarletwoman said

I really like your definition.

When it comes right down to issues, I don't consider Dennis actually either liberal or conservative. He transcends those labels, because his priority is the PEOPLE, rather than $$$.

Totally different approach.

Kanary

[scarletwoman]

20. Thanks!

I totally agree with you, Dennis transcends those "liberal" and "conservative" labels. Which is exactly what I think needs to happen in order for our country to have a chance to live up to the ideals of its founding spirit.

People over profits -- is that honestly only a "liberal" value? Isn't it simply a HUMAN value?

sw

[Kanary]

13. Whatever the definition, he's the only one

NOT beholden to the corporations, and therefore able to really fight for the people, rather than for big company money.

Kanary

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. When he spoke last Saturday evening

he talked about how we had to look outside conventional solutions and not let other people tell us what's impossible. "We shouldn't just push the envelope. We should find the next envelope."

When I hear the other candidates speak or debate, they seem timid, as if they're always looking for approval on what they say.

[youngred]

16. He is the most liberal

That's without a doubt. The only, eh the Johns are a blend of center-right pragmatism with an occasional flourish thrown in.

But I'm not going to walk into this biased setup

[JohnLocke]

19. How is my question biased?

I think my setup was rather straightforward.

[JohnLocke]

24. Kick

[mitchum]

17. He is by far the most liberal...

but he is not the only liberal

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. Dennis and Al Sharpton are the only ones left in Dem primary

[JohnLocke]

21. Kick

[union_maid]

22. They're all liberals

I think the comment that Kucinich is the only progressive in the race is closer to the mark. I think of him as pretty close to a social democrat.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

23. Dennis and Al..

TWL

[ikojo]

26. When I hear the word "liberal" I think of one

who is too mamby pamby to stand for something. A "liberal" avoids conflict and argument and just wants to please.

[JohnLocke]

27. Kick (nt)

:kick: :kick: :kick: