Comments on: Congressman Kucinich

By: Ganga Na

Ganga Na — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 19:58:43 +0000

this why you should vote Bush even if you're a democrat. if a democratic candidate wins in '04 then Hillary Clinton cannot run in '08 unless the democratic president that wins fails miserably in some way. i think i would much rather have a historic event that has had no precedent like a women president to happen, which is why even democrats should vote for george bush in '04, so that hillary clinton can run and win in '08. if there is anyone who should be the first women president in the history of the united states it should be hillary clinton. imagine all the women in this country who could vicariously live through that achievement, especially those who have had unfaithful husbands. i would bet that if george bush were to win in '04 and knowing that hillary would probably run and win in '08, he would have the country and the rest of the world running excellently and even spit-shined as any good cowboy would for a lady.

-(~)

By: Randall Burns

Randall Burns — Mon, 20 Oct 2003 14:08:39 +0000

I started looking at Kucinich's campaign because he was the only candidate that voted against H-1b expansion in 1998. That issue is an extreme case of a difference between popular will and governmental action. 82% of the public opposed H-1b non-immigrant visa expansion in 1998. In 2000, the senate voted for H-1b expansion 96-1. The reason? Well, a six fold increase of electronics industry donations to $200 Million/ year (opensecrets.org) might have had something to do with it. This is a bill that even Milton Friedman called a corporate subsidy(turned a shot at a green card into a corporate perk). Kerry, Gephardt, Braun, Edwards all voted for H-1b. Clark has said good things about the program.

Kucinich strikes me as the only candidate with any track record that shows he can't be bought cheaply. Do we want honest, popular government-or become just another corporate oligarchy-that is the choice here.

By: Randall Burns

Randall Burns — Mon, 20 Oct 2003 14:07:33 +0000

By: Randall Burns

Randall Burns — Mon, 20 Oct 2003 14:06:35 +0000

By: Deenie M.

Deenie M. — Mon, 20 Oct 2003 12:19:56 +0000

I use to think sometimes that Dennis was too good to be real. But I saw him speak in St Louis last week and saw/felt the deep sincerity of this little guy with the giant spirit. It has to be real since this level of consistency can’t be faked. A lot of people were silently weeping at his passionate, always positive, speech. He doesn’t read his speeches, btw. He uses gestures and body language continuously. You’d think he was from Italy 🙂 His vision for all of America and the world is totally profound. It seems unattainable but he has plans, detailed ones, on how to accomplish it. IMO, he has a belief in the innate good within all humans and he wants to help manifest it. No one has a better grasp of what needs to be done to make the world a much better place for the common people. He’s an amazing fellow! You gotta see him speak. Do visit his site at http://www.kucinich.us and see his platform statements.

By: erin greer

erin greer — Mon, 29 Sep 2003 18:33:45 +0000

in reference to dennis' veganism. the fact that dennis is a vegan is the reason i know he REALLY means it when he voices concern for the environment, the hungry, the sick, and the abused. veganism is a way of life that places compassion for all living things above all else. pretty much anyone can, and does, talk the talk. sadly few actually walk the walk.
i am thrilled to finally have the opportunity to campaign for someone like dennis. casting my vote for dennis will almost feel like getting the opportunity to vote for gandhi or martin luther king jr. or jesus. although i am sure there are some out there who would even criticize the likes of them.
if the american people knew what was good for them dennis would, without a doubt, be our next president. unfortunately most people (i have seen them referred to as sheeple) can't even make decent choices for themselves when it comes to such basic things as food and housing. they want only the richest, most unhealthy foods. the biggest house, the most expensive car. few people even care about their own neighbors, let alone all of humanity.
dennis represents what america truly needs more of. compassion and simplicity. i will vote for him even if he's not on the ballot. there just isn't anyone else in politics with the heart and guts of dennis kucinich!!!

By: Neil Kandalgaonkar

Neil Kandalgaonkar — Fri, 22 Aug 2003 23:35:56 +0000

Richard Bennett: There is this thing called Google, you know.

One can reconstruct Kucinich's employment history, or at least the way he tells it, from this Nation article "Kucinich is the One" (April 18, 2002) and this biography from Politics1.com.

When I was in grade school, I would scrub floors and help with janitorial duties to pay my tuition. When I got into high school, I worked as a caddy at the country club, from 1959 to '64. I was carrying two bags. They called it workin' doubles. Going forty-five holes a day, six days a week.

[...] I began to get into city politics. In 1967, I ran for the City Council. I was 21.

- Attended Cleveland State University, 1967-70.

[...] I was elected councilman in '69. I had just turned 23.

- Cleveland City Councilman, 1970-75
- Democratic nominee for Congress, 1972;
- B.A. & M.A., Case Western Reserve University, 1973.
- Cleveland Clerk of Municipal Courts, 1975-77;
- Mayor of Cleveland, 1977-79 (elected in 1977; defeated for re-election in 1979);

[...] In November 1979, with just about all of Cleveland's newspapers and television and radio stations--as well as industry--united against him, Kucinich was defeated for re-election

- Radio talk show host, 1979 & 1989;
- Lecturer, 1980-83;
- Energy Consultant,1986-94;
- TV News Reporter, 1989-92.

(1992-95 ?? -- couldn't find any info)

- State Senator, 1995-97;
- US Congressman, 1997-present (elected in 1996, re-elected in 1998, 2000 & 2002).

You may disagree with his politics. I do as well. But your cynicism about the public sector is facile know-it-all-ism. First of all, the public sector is not just the private sector minus competition and competence. It's a whole other thing, which requires real skills. Secondly, if you want to know if Kucinich has lost touch, it's stupid to try to resolve this question by measuring how long he's been in politics. Ask what he's done while he was there.

I'm from an upper-middle-class background. I have always worked in the private sector -- computer-related jobs, never dealing with the public. I suppose I am an 'entrepreneur' of sorts. I'm only so-so at managing people, even those that are technically PAID to cooperate with me.

Contrast me with Kucinich. By any measure, has been building coalitions since he was in his early 20s. Not with $2,000-a-head dinners, as George W. Bush has done since day one of his political career, but by knocking on doors in working-class districts.

So who would make the better president? Me or Kucinich? Obviously the Congressman, if nothing other than the fact that I'm a Canadian. ;)

By: Dee

Dee — Fri, 22 Aug 2003 18:59:16 +0000

Richard says-"It�s my impression that Kucinich is a career politician whose connections to life in the private sector are way, way back in the past."

I'm not sure why that has any bearing on whether he understands the struggles of the working population. In fact I can't say he's really a career politician in the way I'm interpreting your use of the phrase. He did take 15 years off from politics between Mayor of Cleveland and Congressional Rep. Technically he's only really been "career politician" for 8 years now. I think I'd be more inclined to agree if Kucinich were a Senator since Senate terms are 4 years instead of the 2 yr terms of Reps. If you tally it all up, he's spent more time in the private sector than in politics in his working life, to date.

"It�s also my impression that�s he running for re-election to his congressional seat and therefore isn�t taking this presidential campaign all that seriously."

Now why would you presume that? If he doesn't get the nomination he does have to have a fallback job. I don't think making sure you have a secondary plan if the first one doesn't work is the same as not taking a bid for election seriously.

"It�s also my impression that Kucinich has been a career politician for all of his adult life, and therefore has no more connection to the day-to-day reality of working for a living than the Kennedys and Rockefellers."

Ok, just because of this, I went back and did the math. I had to know if your assessment is accurate or not. According to the time frame I managed to look at, Kucinich has been working at least since age 17. He's now 56, I believe, since his birthdate is in October. That's approximately 40 years of time he's had to have been working. Now, calculating just his terms in elected office, it comes out to 18 years of that time. If you include failed election efforts, it comes out to more like 22 years, but even so, that tells me he's still got a pretty good grasp of the realities of living in the private sector.

"I also think he�s a vegetarian, and I personally would never vote for a man who doesn�t enjoy a good steak."

He's actually Vegan, not vegetarian. (laughing) Richard, for all the back and forth, disagreement and barbs, you're pretty ok. Thanks for the chuckle.

By: Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett — Fri, 22 Aug 2003 06:32:30 +0000

Somebody said there are two kinds of people in the world, those who think there are two kinds of people and those who don't.

I'd rather be one who defies classification, which is what this MikeA entity is trying to say, albeit in his own crude little way.

By: Tom McMahon

Tom McMahon — Thu, 21 Aug 2003 20:15:28 +0000

Richard Bennett, you've been called an "idiot" in these comments. But fear not, as a brave Type 1 (no Apple ad yet either) I shall rise to defend you! Even if you are a Type 2. Or is being called a "Type 2" worse than "an idiot"? ;-)