Edwards, Kucinich agree to share support in Iowa caucuses

[wheresthemind]

"Democratic presidential candidates John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich have struck a deal to support each other should one candidate fail to draw the minimum support needed to compete in Monday night's Iowa caucuses, Edwards campaign sources said.

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"Both of us believe in a lot of the same things, and we like each other very much," Edwards said. "But both of us also recognize at the end of the day, caucus-goers will have to make their own decisions about this."

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Edwards and Kucinich have agreed that in any Iowa precinct where either candidate fails to garner the minimum needed to survive the first round, their supporters are urged to line up for the other candidate, Kucinich spokesman David Swanson said.

"They both have a positive approach, and they both have an optimistic vision," Swanson said. "Where we need 15 percent, we've got 9 and he's got 6, they'll come to us, and where he's got 9 and we've got 6, we'll go to him.""

-http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/19/elec04.prez.edwards.kucinich/index.html


Lets get this story straight....

[Robb]

1. Very nice.

Good spirit, there. :thumbsup:

[wheresthemind]

3. It is good...

Haven't people been saying we have to come together?

Heres your Democratic unity right here!

[Bill McBlueState]

2. this continues to surprise me

I'm a pretty strong Dean supporter, but I like what Kucinich has been saying all along.

What this agreement means to me is that, if Kucinich feels he has so much in common with Edwards, Edwards is probably going to move to #2 on my list.

[progressivebydesign]

5. I'm not sure it's an endorsement of Edwards, really..

It's probably more of a tactical move. I never considered Edwards and Kucinich to be kindred spirits. I thought of DK as more of a Wellstone kind of guy. Seems like very different ideaology. Hmmm... interesting development.

[LWolf]

4. Well, I think Dennis will get

his 15% in some places. But in places he doesn't, I don't mind sharing with Edwards. It's a decent fit. I do like the idea that they can compete for the nomination, but still recognize each other as fellow democrats.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. Yes, not everyone is like

the old British comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets, where you have to kill all your rivals to get the prize.

[burythehatchet]

7. Are we lookin at a ticket?

[goforit]

8. I just don't understand!..Kucinich was a man of conviction. Not any more!

And now Bush has Syria on the table.

Cheney was right. We are going to have decades of war!!!

The K- man has sold us down the river.

[lostnfound]

10. I disagree.

He is still fighting the good fight. He's just letting his 2nd choice be known to his supporters. Nothing wrong with that.

[ozone_man]

12. Seems a strange combination.

Edwards is conservative and has taken over $7M from lawyers and lobbyists and voted for the Iraq war. I would say everything against what DK stands for, no?

[atre]

13. I didn't know DK was violently anti-lawyer

I guess I need to do some research into that, because if it he is, then he will no longer have my support. Maybe you meant something less offensive???

I do agree on one thing- this alliance does strike me as very odd. Policy-wise, I can't think of many things on which these two candidates agree.

[demdave]

15. While I don't support Dennis as a candidate, I don't agree with you

The man has stood firmly on his beliefs. I challenge you to show me where he "sold us down the river". If this news is what you base your opinion on, you SERIOUSLY don't understand the Iowa caucus system.

[anarchy1999]

9. What I believe..........

I've been thinking and saying this to my hubbie for weeks. If Dennis and John would come together we (Dems) would be unstoppable (sp?).

Go John and Dennis - kick ass!

[lostnfound]

11. Kucinich once said on "The Daily Show" that Edwards was his 2nd

Jon Stewart asked 'is there any of the other candidates that you agree with or that you are close to?' At first he hemmed & hawed a tiny bit, then he quietly said "John Edwards. We have a lot in common."

[atre]

14. Hmmmm

It seems there are two possibilities here:

1) Edward's private remarks are less forgiving of the Bush Administration than his public comments. He may be a master of Clintonian deception: talk moderate to conservative, while whispering liberal.

2) Edwards and Kucinich have forged a personal friendship.

I must say that I do not much like Edwards at this point. He's never apologized for voting for the IWR and he's even boasted about his support for the Patriot Act (during a CSPAN town hall meeting). Regardless of what Kucinich says, I don't think I can support Edwards until he starts offering some straight talk about his many mistakes.