Mea Culpa, Dennis Kucinich (And his supporters)

[Northwind]

I have become well-known in these parts for being a DK detractor and as such have come under heavy fire at times by his supporters for calling him an extremist and an ideologue. I have said he would be just as bad as Bush for America, which has made some people very angry.

Well, I am taking it back.

I have not become a Kucinich "supporter." I still do not think he has even the slightest chance of winning the nomination.

But in doing more research, I have come to the conclusion that he really is a good man and dedicated pubic servant. My earlier bad reaction to his shrillness has become more of an objective review of what I consider to be bad campaign tactics, and no longer a condemnation of the man himself. I can understand why some people are inspired by him, and now think it is really a good thing he is in the race, despite his lack of any chance at a win.

I still believe that as a President he would be too unwilling to compromise, but I no longer think it would an ideological power trip for him, but rather an idealistic man sticking to his guns. Unfortunately, I do not think an idealist is what we need in the White House right now. I would much prefer to see DK either maintain his Congressional seat or even better, take a seat in the senate, where i think he could do a lot of good.

There, I said it. :)

[roguevalley]

1. he has heart.

I wish that counted these days.

[diamondsoul]

2. *faints*

Good heavens, NOW who's gonna infuriate me so I can go out there and push his name?!

Thank you for giving him another look, Northwind. In all seriousness I take it as a sign of respect, and it's much appreciated.

Let me just say, I do think you're wrong about him being unwilling to compromise as President. He'd compromise I believe, but not as easily as some, and I consider that a good thing. I don't want to see another fast right-turn likeI saw from Clinton.

[JohnKleeb]

3. wow thanks

I am shocked honestly but for the good.

[Desertrose]

4. Awww, Northwind....

...thank you!

Takes a true man to admit to such a change ......really thanks for looking a bit deeper.

I think you may be further surprised at how his campaign & candidacy takes off in the next little while...

as for the compromising part...I think he would always consider what would be the best for people in the larger view and that would temper his "unwillingness to compromise"....

anyhow...thanks for saying it
:)
( was gonna do :hug: but didn't want to push it ...heh heh heh)

Peace
DR

[Northwind]

5. I suppose his campaign could heat up a bit more

And in fact I hope it does, but I really do not see it happening.

If you read my comments in other threads regarding the campaign, you will note that my views of how a political campaign is run are somewhat cynical, and with good reason. DK is running a campaign about issues, and unfortunately that is a losing strategy. Kerry, has the same problem. Look who one of the front runners is right now. Clark. He does not talk abut issues at all! Hell, he does not even take an official stand on any issues so far! This is not a criticism of Clark. He has recognized that issues are not the way to win a modern campaign. It is unfortunate but true.

As Kang aid to Kodos, "All they want are some bland pleasantries embellished by the occasional saxophone solo."

[revcarol]

6. Thanks, Northwind.

Takes a big person(won't say man because I don't know your gender) to reopen his/her mind, after firmly forming an opinion.

As for his shrillness, see if you can look at any of those old clips of Bobby Kennedy.He mixed his policies with idealism and hope. And he was very shrill sometimes while doing it. And the people LISTENED and LOVED IT.

Daily we have been waking up to Bush's depredations on our society and on the welfare of the world.He's not only the anti-Bush, but the one who offers positive constructive programs that are realistic.

I think we would see the nations of the world giving him massive support. The same here. In spite of moneyed interests, he would win by going to the people.This is not to de-emphasize the importance of electing real progressives to the House and Senate, but only to indicate that the power of the bully pulpit and the real needs of the people would make compromise much less necessary.

Welcome to the Kucinich world of diplomacy, where we can agree to disagree without going to war.

[MuseRider]

7. You are the second person

on DU who I want to (((HUG))) for fairness. Another, who didn't make a turnaround like you but wanted to actually discuss respectfully and not just dismiss DK was my first thank you. Here is another! Thank you. If everyone on this board could discuss policy instead of making nasty slams just because they don't like the person we would get somewhere. I have a huge respect for you now. You do not have to support DK or even like him very much to be fair and fairness is all we ask. Please join us in our other discussions, there are many sides to each issue and none of us can really make a good decision unless we take them all in and live with them for a while. THANK YOU.

[lams712]

8. Thanks...

...as a loyal DK supporter, all I ask from anyone is a little fairness and open-mindedness. One does not have to become a stalwart supporter of Dennis, but one should NOT DISMISS HIM AUTOMATICALLY. He has really good things to say, and the Democratic Party as a whole will ignore him at their own peril. Thank you for no longer being dismissive of him and his beliefs and for seing the positive things that DK can offer.

[goodhue]

9. thanks

Thanks for acknowledging your change of heart. You didn't perchance see yesterday's DNC Fall Meeting did you? Curious whether Kucinich's appearance there may have helped inform your change of opinion.

For all those who haven't seen it, it is worth checking out. Watch it from c-span online or catch one of tonight's overnight repeats. Dennis speaks at about 2:17 into the program. As one who has seen him speak on tv, radio and in person many times over the last 4-5 months, his performance at this event seems somewhat different in tone. The themes are the same but there is very little of the so-called shrillness or shouting. He comes of as very level-headed and pragmatic. Check it out.

Although it is not being picked up in the press or the polls something is happening in this campaign and is slowly building more and more energy. When it quietly bursts into media it will affect polls and keep Dennis in the race long after other so-called longshots.

[DemBones DemBones]

10. Thanks for saying this. Dennis is right on the issues

and that's what the party and the country need.

[cyclezealot]

11. Kucinich would rather not be President if it mean't screwing the people

We are totally overwhealmed by DK.. I am in no mood to settle for someone who I do not trust. DK proved his absolute trustworthiness when he refused to sell out Cleveland Electric knowing it would doom his career. My door to door pitch for DK, he has bonafide proof, that he will not sell you out the the ruling elite of this country; the monied lobbyists.
When the Patriot Act passed, Iraq war passed, most Democrats voted for Nafta for Chile- I said enough. Being that the Nazi's are taking over- we might vote apathetically for a Democrat,but getting out there and working hard; we have better things to do.
The people elect to be screwed by HMO's, corporate rule from the WTO, and the ever shrinking manufacturing base- that is what they deserve. DK is the only way to stop this economic hemorrhage.
The next candidate, we trust the most is Gephardt. He is wrong on healthcare, the war, and the Patriot Act, but economically he will not betray the people.
Braun is correct on the issues, but the country is too racist.
As William Rivers Pitt (Truthout) wrote the day after he heard DK at our town hall rally.. If Kucinich is not electable, it is not DK's fault. DK's eloguence is rare. It is the country's fault.

[JohnKleeb]

12. *standing O* and battle cries

Kucinich. You are so right.

[Northwind]

13. Sorry, but part of this I cannot agree with.

"If Kucinich is not electable, it is not DK's fault. DK's eloguence is rare. It is the country's fault."

Wrong.

A huge part of politics is running successful campaigns. You can be as right as rain on all the issues and eloquent as The Bard and still run a really bad campaign, and to run a good campaign you have to observe and recognize what makes a winning campaign. Kucinich, I am sorry to say, is not doing it.

It is all well and good to say that a campaign should be about issues, but saying what it should be does not make it so, nor does it get enough votes to win. Running a clean, idealistic campaign make give one a warm fuzzy feeling, but it will also lose.

The campaign is not the place to be making changes to the structure and focus of society. First win the campaign, then you can initiate change.

[burr]

14. Kucinich is much more than an idealist or a good man..

he is the only primary candidate to oppose H.R. 1554, which is now being used to prosecute little kids for millions just for downloading MP3s off the internet. The record industry and major broadcast owners pushed Congress to pass this anti-competitive legislation with the backing of all but eight members of Congress. Five who voted no included Kucinich, Kaptur, Vento, LaFalce, and Waters..who were Democrats. The remaining three...Paul, Sanford, and Tancredo were Repukes.

This legislation allows corporations to launch a full-scale attack on any who attempt to download overpriced music, even if the company themselves made links to such copyrighted MP3s available on the internet. It also makes product development dangerous for small companies, because large companies will buy out these small companies and fire the workers just to own all the patents. This is predatory capitalism at its most ravenous.

Kucinich as President would do more than Clinton, Gore, or any of the primary candidates to end this era of corporate terror. He would free up the private sector, again making it a place for supply and demand to guide the success of business ventures. And he would see to it that temporary patents are again issued based on public need for a product, not to restrict competition by allowing large corporations to file claims on smaller companies attempting to invent and produce similar products.

[JohnKleeb]

15. Great I gotta tell my classmates

This should be a plus. He is great.

[Northwind]

16. How, exactly, would he do those things

You say yourself that he is one of very few who opposed such predatory measures. Are you under some illusion that all of those Dems who voted in favor of the RIAA will change their mind the day Kucinich was sworn in? You are expecting him to do things he cannot do. If he was elected, he would be stymied at every turn by Congress. He would have to compromise a LOT to get anything even remotely like his plans to go though, and then everyone would hate him for not living up 100% to what they thought he would accomplish.

Stop believing that any Presidential candidate can solve all of those problems.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. While not speaking to that particular piece of legislation

I believe firmly that the person at the top sets the tone for any organization or institution. The people farther down take their cues from what the person at the top sees as priorities, even if they may disagree with the top dog on details.

I have seen it in churches and colleges, and yes, in government. For example, both Reagan and Bushboy set the tone for their administrations on "mean and dumb." Clinton, unfortunately, was a flickering bulb, and his being "unwilling to take his own side in an argument" allowed the Repiggies to make more gains. A president who set a consistent "benevolent and intelligent" tone for his administration could really change this country for the better.

Note that the Dark Side doesn't start out offering to compromise. They lose some, but they win more in legislative battles. Clinton's consistent mistake was making it clear that he was willing to compromise from the very beginning, an opening that the Repiggies drove their tanks through, which is why we don't have universal health care and gays/lesbians still have to worry about being outed in the military.