TIME: (Kucinich) Constant Candidate

[question everything]

Friday, Mar. 02, 2007
Constant Candidate
By Joel Stein


(snip)

Unlike most fringe presidential candidates, Kucinich has years of experience in elective office. But even mainstream liberals won't support a candidate who wants to end the war on drugs and create a Department of Peace. Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman passed over him for chairman of the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, which he was in line to take over. Even Shirley MacLaine, who has been friends with Kucinich since the '70s, sees how his party won't embrace him. "Maybe it's because he doesn't speak doublespeak and we're so used to seeing that as leadership," she says. "Or maybe it's because he's so short."

And yet the universe has been going his way lately. Even his old kooky ideas are looking pretty good these days. His decision to allow Cleveland to default instead of selling its electric-utility company cost him re-election and landed him in a book about the worst mayors in American history, but he was later honored by the city council for refusing to sell, a move that saved customers nearly $200 million over 10 years. More inconceivable, less than two years ago, his office was visited by a stunning 6-ft.-tall Julianne Moore look-alike 31 years his junior, a Brit who was working for the American Monetary Institute. After some smooth wooing on his part ("I gave her a copy of my Department of Peace legislation and my e-mail address") and one date (at MacLaine's house), she agreed to marry him. If that happened to you, you'd think you could be President too.

Kucinich said he knew after that first meeting that Elizabeth would be his third wife: "I went up to Stephanie Tubbs Jones , and I said, 'I met her.' And Stephanie said, 'Shut up!'" Now with his new bride constantly at his side, Kucinich has picked up his campaigning a little. Speaking to the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, he broke into Sixteen Tons (standing ovation from Jesse Jackson; four stars on YouTube). At an event in Nevada, Kucinich ended his speech with his new move: after listing his goals, he asks, "Why is it I'm able to do this?" Then he puts his arms out and spins, waiting for someone to yell, "No strings!" Once someone does, he twirls more and then yells, "A President with no strings!" (five stars on YouTube).

Kucinich will run all the way, waiting for that moment when he transforms from punch line to President. And he insists that he isn't frustrated that it hasn't happened yet. "Not at all," he says. "The real test of power is whether you can endure the setbacks and still meet each day with integrity and courage." That, though, is the test of moral fiber, not the test of power. The test of power is whether you can persuade others to do your will. And it may be that an earnest man with progressive ideas who still can't make a decent campaign poster will always fail that test.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595243,00.html

[stuartrida]

1. I agree with many of his positions but I do not think he would make a good president

His problems in Cleveland had a lot more to it than Muny Light.

Many here are more forgiving than I am of the fact he was 100% anti-choice up to a few years ago too.

[AnOhioan]

2. Dennis will continue to put his ideas out in the public arena

and damned be the party hierarchy who undoubtedly wish he would just go away. More power to him.

[StrictlyRockers]

3. Jed Barlett for President! Ok, I'll settle for Dennis. The REAL progressive candidate. n/t