Kucinich: About Authenticity, Integrity, and Telling People Exactly What’s Going On”

[Flabbergasted]

so as to “change the way this country does business.”
so as to “change the way this country does business.”


Candidate pushes for new direction for the nation

Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich told a devoted crowd Friday night at the Bishop Center at Grays Harbor College that his presidency would “be about authenticity, integrity, and about telling people exactly what’s going on” so as to “change the way this country does business.”

Kucinich, a six-term congressman from Ohio and a favorite of the political left, began his 20-minute speech by waxing philosophic about the “disconnect” in our society that “created dichotomous thinking ... of us versus them.”

He continued his esoteric discussion of politics for the half-full auditorium, saying “my campaign for president is about rejecting the notion of this split, and of seeking to heal the physical world with spiritual principles, ... to a place where we achieve an at-oneness,” he said.

Kucinich, who has made absolute opposition to the war in Iraq a top issue in his campaign, said he believed that this manner of thinking creates a context for war and violence. “War is the externalization of the us vs. them thinking. War must begin at that level of thought and it is the unity of dichotomous thought, word and deed which creates that physical representation of separation which we know as war.”



http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/03/31/local_news/01news.txt

[Peace Patriot]

1. Wow, imagine talking to people as grownups who have brains!

I am beginning to love Dennis Kucinich uncompromising soul. I doubt that he can make it to the presidency, but I wish we lived in a country in which that was possible.

He is so right that we need to discuss the basic PHILOSOPHICAL problems of how we think about policy and our behavior as a nation. Bush has lowered the bar of the discussion to the instinctual, animal level--if we don't grab this food, or this resource, and surround it with weapons, somebody else might get it. The notions of cooperation and of everyone benefiting don't enter his head. He is consumed by, and speaks from, a rhetoric of greed.

But, while this is an essential discussion--and a brilliant insight into our POLITICAL needs--we also need to be very practical right now, and find out why we cannot elect a big enough majority in Congress to stop the war, when 75% of the American people oppose the war and want it ended. We also need to practical discussion about power. And I think that discussion has to start with the vote counting system.

Congressman Kucinich, if you are reading this: How do we elect leaders who reject dichotomous thinking and who tell people exactly what's going on, with rightwing Bushite corporations "counting" all the votes, using 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY programming code?

The answer is, we can't. And so, how do we get rid of these machines? Or, how do we get around them? What's the plan?

[lizbitchwitchy]

2. Even with the voting system the way it is

And my promise not to play their election farce I would if Dennis Kucinich was running. He would be worth the effort for the land slide. One of the few politicians I feel speaks for me. I trust him and I can't say that for many of the others.

[Tellurian]

4. Maybe DK's calling is to be a sober speaking journalist!

might be more productive than what he's doing right now!

[pocoloco]

3. At least we can imagine.

We still have that!

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. I was there! He rocked

The beginning speech was a little existential, but he answered questions for an hour. I was prepared to be impressed, but he exceeded my expectations.

Withdraw from WTO/Nafta
End for-profit healthcare as we know it
Paper ballots in all federal elections
End the war

On health care and his opponents 'pragmatic' health care solutions to avoid the wrath of insurance companies:
"The prevailing view is that we must acquiesce to whatever they want because we are all sharecroppers in an insurance industry plantation."

Elizabeth will be an excellent first lady too, she talked about her goal of a "9-10 forum" where people reminisce about the values they held prior to 9-11.

... and she's even more stunning in person.

[Tellurian]

6. Did he give a timeline for when he is getting it done?

I hope so...otherwise he's just wasting our oxygen.

[lumberjack_jeff]

7. Not unlike throwing electronic turds wastes electricity? n/t

[Peace Patriot]

8. Why are you so hostile to Kucinich? He is performing the vital political function

of pulling the discussion away from the interests of global corporate predators, and toward serious criticism of national policy and of the interests of the majority.

Hillary Clinton has disappointed me so often, I don't bother to follow her views closely. I notice you post her banner. Perhaps you could enlighten us on her proposals for changing the "us/them" rightwing rhetoric that is preparation for war, and creating the language and mentality for peace, her views on WTO/NAFTA, for-profit health care and paper ballots.

[Tellurian]

10. Thanks, I need to know just who those corporate predators are..

How much progress has Kucinich made? Has he passed any legislation confirming his beliefs? Just askin-

I compiled this short list for people unable to follow Hillary too closely..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3147704

However, Health Care is still being tweaked.

[MonkeyFunk]

11. He's busy achieving

"at-oneness".

:eyes:

[Tellurian]

12. and quickly becoming the next Lieberman..

[Flabbergasted]

17. Now that's rediculous.

[Tellurian]

9. yeah, like Newton's law of inertia..when the party of the first part is inert.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MonkeyFunk]

14. Well

I think it would be folly to lose 20% of the more centrist voters to appease the 2% of Kucinich supporters.

Until you convince the electorate of the rightness of your views, you're not going to get any of what you want. And following through on such childish threats will guarantee you get nothing for a long time to come.

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. Democracy isn't about betting on the winner.

This isn't a handicap race. You don't win anything by picking the eventual winner if that winner doesn't represent your interests. This is exactly why GW became president. He didn't appeal to anyone's core values, he appealed to people's desire to back a winner.

Creating a winner is hard, backing the preordained one is easy.

Kucinich represents my interests. Every other consideration is irrelevant.

[cali]

16. Sorry, I'm not pro-Hillary, I'm not DLC

and I still don't have any use for Kucinich. He's all talk, no action. Does he have a distinguished Congressional career? No he does not. He's gotten very little done legislatively speaking. And before you say it's impossible for him to have done that in a repuke controlled House, compare him to Bernie Sanders, who from 1996 thru 2006 got more amendments passed than anyone else, repub or dem. And he worked his butt off forging alliances where he could and working non-stop against the bush/repuke agenda. Bernie's done far more for Progressive causes than Kucinich EVER will. And he does it without all the talk about spiritual values. I don't like that much more from the left than I like it from the right.

[Vidar]

18. I have to love Dennis for this, but sadly truth tellers are seldom

elected president, with the shining exception of Jimmy Carter.