What is the raison d'etre of the Kucinich campaign?

[JHBowden]

Given Kucinich did not even win his home state, are there any reasons why he should remain in the campaign, given the liberalness of the our nominee and the size of Bush's warchest? Or -- do you expect DK to throw in the towel during the next few days?

I welcome your thoughts.

[bobthedrummer]

1. Why not visit his website?

http://www.kucinich.us/

[JHBowden]

4. Kucinich is one of my favorite reps.

I know who his is and what he stands for.

However, given DK now has a probability of 0 of winning, why attack the nominee alongside Bush?

[corporatewhore]

7. what you call attacking i call sticking up for our troops

and the american people

[bobthedrummer]

8. Dennis is a loyal Democrat-he isn't attacking Kerry

he offers a different vision of the future-a PROGRESSIVE one in the PROGRESSIVE tradition of the Democratic Party, that attracts the people, like me.

[corporatewhore]

2. given the neoliberalness of our candidate i would like him to keep

challengeing him on NAFTA outsourcing and slavery

[JHBowden]

6. Bush refuses to renegotiate those agreements.

Kerry has said he would. Who would you have more leverage with? (hint: Kerry)

[corporatewhore]

12. Idont trust either one kerry said he would but look at his actions

ust last year, the Massachusetts senator tried to position himself as the leading Senate proponent of measures designed to preserve the ability of American states to protect workers, farmers, the environment and consumers in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement the Bush administration is crafting in closed-door negotiations with other countries in the western hemisphere. While Kerry sounded like a good player, he ended up breaking with fellow Democrats to back Bush's plan to establish a "fast track" process to negotiate the FTAA agreement.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0930-09.htm

[meegbear]

3. I think he'll be in 'til the convention

He (and Sharpton) are standing on their platform and sticking to 'em. I wish all the candidates stayed in 'til then.

[redqueen]

5. Delegates to influence the Party Platform

Anyone capable of designing a banner explaining this? So that we can put it in our sig file or something?

[diamondsoul]

9. He won't drop.

Also we're gaining support from other candidates supporters who aren't quite ready to rubber stamp Kerry as the nominee. There are still plenty of delegates left to make Kucinich at least a major player in the convention and the setting of the platform issues and at most a real contendor for the nomination.

I'm disturbed by the rush to declare the Primaries over when so many voters still haven't had a chance to express their preferences. I really do think it's completely sickening that we've repeated the mantra Kerry=winner so that people are just following the the herd because they don't feel they have a choice. No offense to those who genuinely believe Kerry is the best man for the job- I'm just relaying what I've heard often enough for it to really disturb me.

Honestly, I think the ABB pledge has led us to choose Kerry. People have been pushing that position throughout the primaries and implanting the notion that you should vote for a presumptive winner instead of voting your true preference, and I'm afraid that's how we ended up with Bush to begin with. In short I think Kucinich is absolutely needed to remain in no matter what the rest of the races bring. People have got to have a choice until the numbers or the convention truly determine a nominee.

[bobthedrummer]

11. How can 60% of the primary voters decide the convention???

This is a process, isn't it?

[IrateCitizen]

10. Hmmm... I'm a die-hard Kucitizen, but I'm now torn on this...

I was all for Dennis remaining in the race so long as there WAS a race -- even if he was at the back of the pack. Why? Because so long as there were debates and coverage of campaigns (even if the vast majority ignored him), he had a forum to get his ideas out there and help to shape the debate.

And now, with the platform being considered on which the party will run, it is STILL important for him to get his ideas out there.

The question is, will remaining in the race help him to accomplish this goal, or will it actually be detrimental?

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm saying it now. I don't think that the campaign will provide him with the kind of forum anymore to get his ideas out there. His voice is still badly needed in government, and he needs to keep his House seat. There's nothing stopping him from holding events and speaking to people around the country -- but at this point perhaps the Presidential campaign is not the best vehicle through which to do this.

I dunno. I'm really torn on this issue, and I'm certain that several of my fellow Kucitizens will be jumping all over me about this. But I have supported Dennis from the beginning because I believed in his ideas and his vision. At no point was it about Dennis singularly but rather about all of us collectively. As such, my focus remains on the best way to bring his vision of hope and a better future to more and more people out there -- and I'm no longer certain that a continuing Presidential campaign is the best way to do it.

[goodhue]

13. the coming progressive transformation

of our party and our country.
http://www.kucinich.us/issues/

DK will stay in for some time.
He will likely get more delegates in TX and FL next week.
Then IL the week following.

[ChiefJoseph]

14. His own vanity.

[bobthedrummer]

15. Why don't you start another hateful thread, ChiefJoseph?

I don't have anyone on ignore, I just ignore extremists full of hate.

[ChiefJoseph]

18. If everyone is allowed to express their opinion, so am I.

By the way, the only people who use the word "hate" to describe people they disagree with are the people who don't have anything intelligent to say.

[bobthedrummer]

19. I guess that would be all the people that didn't get put on the Dean's

List, heh?

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Keeping those issues alive, so Kerry and the DLC have to address them.

Thanks heavens for Dennis and Al!

[Rainbowreflect]

17. Both Sharpton & Kucinich should stay in.

The can continue attacking bush in ways Kerry really can't.
I am ABB in the G.E., but I'm glad Dennis is staying in the fight because he speaks for so many on the left.
In the last few debates Kucinich and Sharpton were able to make much stronger attacks against bush, such as coming out and calling him a liar. When they were attacking both Kerry & Edwards were just grinning.