Dennis Kucinich at risk of losing because of re-districting.

[Eric J in MN]

He's asking for donations.

I gave $50.

http://kucinich.us/

Email from Dennis Kucinich:

A couple weeks ago, I emailed you because there is an effort underway to try and silence my voice - and yours - by eliminating our congressional district through redistricting. Your response has been amazing - thousands of supportive letters urging me to do what it takes to keep our progressive voice in Congress.

The media is taking notice - Politico, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Plain Dealer, AP, CBS, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and The Hill have all written stories on my impending fight to stay in Congress. And many note the fact that we've got something most candidates don't: a movement of passionate progressives determined to be heard. Our movement cannot and will not be silenced by down-state special interests who are afraid of my willingness to stand up and speak out on the issues we believe in.

Let me be clear. I am a Member of Congress now. I have every intention of staying in Congress no matter what the special interests do to my district. But to stay and fight, I need your help. Please donate $20, $50, or more and help us gear up for the impending fight:

http://kucinich.us/contribute

Less than three months since our last election, it may seem early to already be looking at 2012. But I don't spend my life worrying about what might happen. My life is about making things happen. That's why the wrong thing to do is to wait until later this year when Ohio's new districts are announced.

My district might be eliminated. We need to begin to work now to prepare for what is sure to be a major effort to silence your voice. As you know, my work in Congress has never been about me. It's about the hopes and aspirations of the people of the 10th district and the people of our Nation.

I don't know where my district will be. But I owe it to you and to all those who have ever supported me to not sit idly while questions are being raised in every major media outlet about whether I will be forced out of Congress by redistricting. I will not let any special interests force me out. Your support will ensure that the debate - on issues as important as ending the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, implementing single-payer healthcare, and remaking our economy for Main Street not Wall Street - will continue.

I'm not going to let our voices and our movement be abolished by the stroke of a pen. There's too much at stake. This is the time to stand up and speak out. And based on the support and responses I've seen so far, I know you're right there with me.

You've done so much already, but I need you right now more than ever. Please chip in $10, $20, $100 and help us prove that the people are mightier than the redistricting pen:

http://kucinich.us/contribute

We've got a lot planned for this year - a redesigned website, new legislation to get our forces out of Afghanistan, a renewed effort to implement single-payer healthcare and investing in our infrastructure to rebuild American industry and create jobs. Together, we continue our movement for a better, more just, more peaceful America. Thanks for being with me.

With respect and appreciation,

Your Congressman,
Dennis Kucinich

[Cleita]

1. If he does lose his district, I hope he runs for Senator

and I will be happy to contribute some even if I'm not in Ohio.

[MineralMan]

4. I honestly don't think he can win in a Senate race. He's found

his niche, and it may just get taken away from him. What a shame...

[Cleita]

5. You may not honestly think so, but he must try

so we know for sure before we write him off.

[Earth_First]

11. He's already been written off my many here at DU...

Unfortunate truth.

I've been to New Hampshire twice for Dennis.

Unfortunately, there are many here at DU who have been wishing DK away for awhile now.

[Cleita]

14. What! That's heresy! The true left is not

wishing Dennis away any time soon. Those DUers can't be the true left. Next they will be saying they don't like Senator Bernie Sanders either.

[LWolf]

27. I'm sure you've noticed

that DU is not exactly a safe haven for the "true left" at this point.

[karynnj]

22. Are you saying he should primary Sherrod Brown?!!

That's just crazy. The other seat is not up until 2016.

[Cleita]

25. No, but he should try in 2016 or if Sherrod loses his

seat.

[LoZoccolo]

2. This speaks to the benefits of voting for a straight Democratic ticket, "blue dogs" and all.

The Republicans will use opportunities like re-districting to blanketly put Democrats at a disadvantage.

[MineralMan]

3. +100

The penalties for staying away from the polls and letting Republicans win may be severe - just as many of us warned last year. Redistricting can be an ugly thing to watch.

[Gaedel]

6. It is

It is especially painful if your state is losing seats rather than gaining seats.

One or more incumbents have to go.

[MineralMan]

9. Even in states like mine, Minnesota, the state legislature went

from Democrats controlling both houses to both houses being controlled by Republicans. We didn't lose a congressional seat, but the Republicans are now in charge of re-districting. It is a cosmic cluster-fuck, and one that could have been prevented, had every Democratic voter turned out and voted. Sometimes, I'm deeply ashamed of my party.

[Cleita]

8. I disagree.

I think the reason we hold our nose and vote for Blue Dogs is because there are no progressives we can vote for. So we vote for a DINO who votes with the Republicans. We'd just do as well having a Republican. Last election Blue Dogs lost because Democrats were disgusted and didn't go to vote. Sure they got a Republican this time, but I'll bet if the Democrats wise up and run a progressive in those districts they lost in, they will win. The key is getting a candidate who can talk to the people and make their case. If they do that, they will win. Look at Loretta Sanchez, who won in a district that is very red and who has kept her seat through several elections. The thing is a candidate has to be able to convince the Independents and low information voters that they will look after their interests. Most of those people don't care if they are Republican or Democrat, they will vote for the person who tells them what they want to hear and the reason the Republicans win is because they tell them the lies they want to hear. We can do better if we wise up and run winning candidates who are also progressive.

[LoZoccolo]

10. "We'd just do as well having a Republican."

In what district? Which blue dog is as bad as a Republican? Let's not have an academic discussion; let's look up their record and see for sure.

Last election Blue Dogs lost because Democrats were disgusted and didn't go to vote.

How do you know that this happened, rather than centrists thinking that Democrats were too liberal? What is the piece of evidence that favors your theory?

And what are you disagreeing with? I'm saying that a state will be redistricted in favor of the prevailing party; are you arguing the opposite? Can you show me where a blue dog state government gerrymandered the districts to favor Republicans?

[Cleita]

16. I think the health care debacle of last year should have

answered those questions for you, not to mention the three Blue Dogs who voted with the Republican Congress this week to repeal the health care bill. I mean if you are going to have a Republican in the district, might as well have a real one, so that you can run a real progressive against them and give people a choice. Personally, I'm against gerrymandering and back in my day, in my civics classes, we were taught that gerrymandering was a corruption of government and shouldn't be allowed.

[LoZoccolo]

24. That is one vote out of many; can you name any that vote just like the Republicans (as you claimed)?

I cannot, and I've reviewed the data. I've also had an open challenge to anyone who could name one for some time now and so far no one has been able to give me one. If they are so common and so frustrating a problem within the Democratic Party, you think that people would be able to call them out pretty readily.

I mean if you are going to have a Republican in the district, might as well have a real one, so that you can run a real progressive against them and give people a choice.

Wouldn't they have been able to do that during the primary?

Personally, I'm against gerrymandering and back in my day, in my civics classes, we were taught that gerrymandering was a corruption of government and shouldn't be allowed.

Do you concede that there are no such blue dog legislatured who have gerrymandered districts to favor Republicans? That is the original issue that I brought up, that even blue dogs would favor the Democratic Party and thus any progressives that could get elected in the districts they set up.

[JI7]

12. Loretta Sanchez ran as a Republican before and she ran as a Moderate against Dornan

Sanchez example goes against what you are trying to prove.

and there has been an increase in Latinos in the district that has made it more Democratic and easier for SAnchez to win.

[Cleita]

15. And you made my point. Any progressive candidate

who wants to win will go for the Latino vote in their district not ignore it like many do. Sanchez may have been a Republican in the way my Latina mother was, but my late mother and Loretta are more to the left than today's Blue Dog Democrats. Also, the Latinos did not increase in Orange County. They were always there. They were just ignored by the likes of Dornan, who incidentally used to run in my district in West Los Angeles and couldn't win so he moved his campaign to Orange County when enough middle class white people moved in following real estate development in the orange groves and fields the Latinos had previously worked in.

[JI7]

18. Sanchez ran as a moderate which is against your point, she ran as a republican before that even

[JI7]

13. like Feingold and Grayson ?

[Cleita]

17. You win some and you lose some. I don't think you

have seen the last of those two guys either. When the voters realize the huge mistake they made, they will be begging for them to come back.

[JI7]

19. but with republicans able to control redistricting it's even less likely

[Cleita]

23. I thought redistricting was done by state. Here in California

we passed a law putting redistricting in the hands of a 14 person commission that is going to consist of 5 Republicans, 5 Democrats and 4 unaffiliated. :eyes: We'll seen how that works out. Here's a WaPo article on it. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=141x39328

[Enthusiast]

26. Well in Ohio

Governor Kasich will just tell them how he wants it and it will be done. I fear Dennis is fucked.

[tritsofme]

20. Sanchez's district isn't that red these days.

It is a majority Hispanic district and comes in at D+4 in the Cook PVI. Even after 2010, there are only two D+4 or greater districts held by Republicans.

Blue Dog types are the path to a House majority, it is a pipe dream to think that a further left candidate would enjoy greater success in more conservative districts.

[DonCoquixote]

7. he should have run for senate

Years ago, like his good buddy and former rival, Sherrod brown, then we would have a liberal tag team in Ohio.

[StarsInHerHair]

21. redistricting should by law only be allowed once a decade, I knew something

was fishy when Texas began redistricting several years back to back, during Clinton's terms I think. They have it down to a science now, they should be held accountable for it and the Left should have passed a law preventing the Right from political gain via it.