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..on individual issues I think Kucinich is a great candidate.
I'm not high on Kerry or Clark either. No to Lieberman. Edwards leaves me cold too. Dean is somewhat interesting, but Kucinich truly is for the people. Here's why you may want to take a look at him.
Taxes? I'm with you. Cut the waste, but not at the expense of needs. It seems that everytime there's a rush towards efficiency it ends up being babies tossed out with the bathwater, if you know what I mean. No meat cleavers, please.
Abortion? Same. I'm not wild about it and it's reasonable to have some restrictions, but I'm completely opposed to it being outlawed.
Media? Don't get me started. Not that he's alone in this respect, but Murdoch makes me ill.
I've got no problem with people owning guns. As with abortion, I think it's reasonable to have some restrictions.
Social Security is a big issue for me too. Everyone seems to be putting off fixing it. Hiding the problem and sending it on to the next administration is irresponsible and we're quickly running out of time to fix it before all hell breaks loose in about five years.
Kucinich opposes the privatization of utilities (especially water) because it's needed by everyone. A basic right. It shouldn't be subject to the profit motive. We're told that the profit motive is good. More efficency, etc... I don't think that's true. I work for a big company and I don't see a great deal of difference between public/private with the exception that a corporate hierarcy acts as an uneccesary middle man taking an undeserved cut of our tax dollars and driving up rates.
I'm all for having a strong military. My father was in the service as were five of his brothers. With me, however, I'm very conservative about it's use. IMO, we shouldn't be projecting it around the world as a tool of "protecting" our interests because we often do so with a complete disregard for the interests or wishes of other nations. I agree that SD is a bad man. I begrudgingly supported the actions based on the administration claim he had WMDs. When I learned the WMD claim wasn't true I turned against it. I'm not however supportive of a complete and immediate withdrawal. That would create an even greater problem than we now have. We need some help, for sure.
Furthermore, the money we're spending on the military and weapons is immoral when I consider all the people who do without both inside and outside the U.S.. Food, shelter, medicine, education, etc... are getting less funding because so much is going to the military. We can afford to cut military spending and still be sufficiently strong to protect ourselves.
Take a look at "A Prayer for America." It's a short paperback costing about $12. You may be able to read some of these on his website too. Put aside differences you may have with him regarding Iraq and see if those collected speeches by Kucinich don't strike a cord with you. They're not devisive. They're inclusive. They won me over and I voted Republican up until George I when the GOP diverged too far away from what I thought they represented. Certainly, the Democratic party has problems too, but I'm not voting party. I'm voting candidate.
Finally, thank you for considering someone other than our current President. Being open to other choices and ideas is commendable.
:toast:
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