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| Kucinich Juggernaut ready to roll all the way to the White House |
| 2007-02-26 |
| KUCINICH/SHARPTON 2008 Washington -- Dennis Kucinich registers at a meager 2 percent in early Democratic presidential polls, but the anti-war congressman from Cleveland hopes to change that in a hurry. His secret weapon? Screaming, raving lunatics! While Howard Dean had "Dean- iacs" who fueled the surprise surge of his 2004 presidential campaign, Kucinich claims a cadre of 100,000 volunteers around the country who are eager to open their wallets and spread his message. Call them Kucinistas, if you will. How about Kookistas? Lots of them are anti-war activists. There's a large contingent of former Ralph Nader-ites. Many say they don't particularly care if Kucinich wins: They're out to make a point. He's a loser, we're losers... it's a good fit. "It's kind of quixotic, but I'm happy to be on board," says Richmond, Va., actor Scott Wichmann, who believes Kucinich's early, steadfast opposition to the Iraq war will win him votes. "If people say he's tilting at windmills, that's fine: I'll ride Sancho Panza next to him." The actor Scott Wichmann? Kucinich's campaign has its highest number of supporters in California, the fund-raising hub of his 2004 effort, says Evan Moody, a former intern in Kucinich's congressional office who is orchestrating his nationwide volunteer effort. More than an eighth of the $8.2 million that Kucinich raised from individuals in 2004 came from California, according to PoliticalMoneyLine. 8.2 million! How much insanity is out there? Since Kucinich announced his 2008 run in December, 20,000 people have signed up as volunteers on the Internet or at events Kucinich attended, Moody says. The 80,000 other names on his list carried over from Kucinich's prior congressional and presidential runs. Moody says he already had weeded out names from the earlier lists that were not deemed "potentially useful." E. Normous Johnson, Craven Moorehead, Breakinta Holmes, Heywood Jablome... "An increase in the number of peace activists around the country has really helped the campaign," adds Marcos Rubinstein, who handles field operations for Kucinich in Dubuque, Iowa. "Now, people are coming out of the woodwork and saying, 'I support your guy.' " I also beleve in the tooth fairy. And I'd like to be a fire engine... Kucinich placed behind John Kerry and John Edwards in Ohio's 2004 presidential primary, and a January poll of Ohio voters conducted by Quinnipiac University showed Kucinich with just 2 percent support in the state, well behind Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Edwards, Kerry and Al Gore. Yeah, but it was closer then it looked... Burke said even Kucinich doubts he can become president. Burke hypothesized that the congressman is running to keep his name before the public in case he decides to run for another office, like U.S. Senate, and to have his views represented in the debates. Yes, I'm sure he'll do really well once he has to run out of his moonbat district. But Kucinich volunteer Mike Hersh of Wheaton, Md., says Kucinich could vault into the top tier of Democratic candidates if he registers among the top three or four candidates in an early primary. He says that could happen if voters learn of Kucinich's steadfast opposition to the Iraq war and his stances on issues that affect the middle class, such as health care and trade. "He has the advantage of being able to say: 'I didn't change my position. I voted right the first time,' " says Hersh, a full-time activist and Web designer. Between the lines reading: Unemployed... Kucinich spent the past week traveling the country to promote his presidential bid and spread his message on such matters as the need for universal health care and a Cabinet-level Department of Peace. He made recruiting trips to many college campuses. Hey, kids. Pretend it's 1968 and I'm Joe McCarthy. No, wait...Eugene McCarthy. That's it ! Him! Jason Gagnon, an engineering graduate student from Dover, N.H., was impressed enough after watching Kucinich speak at the University of New Hampshire on Monday that he signed up as a volunteer. He also saw Obama, the senator from Illinois, speak at his school recently. He described Obama's audience as the " 'I'm liberal because I hate Bush' crowd" - while Kucinich's audience was "people who are going to be liberal no matter what." I am a whackjob, I always was a whackjob, I always will be a whackjob... "Dennis' message is based on hope, not fear," said Gagnon. "When he is talking about what he believes in, it comes straight from the heart, which isn't common these days in politicians." He's the guy to vote for if you thought Jimmy Carter was too much of a warmonger... Gagnon noted that in the 2006 elections, many longshot Democrats around the country, including New Hampshire's Carol Shea Porter and Paul Hodes, ousted established Republican members of Congress. "If New Hampshire can turn around congressional seats in such a surprising manner, I don't see why we can't cast Dennis into the national spotlight," Gagnon said. ...and I don't see why monkeys holding winning Powerball tickets won't fly outta my ass. Soon. Roger Hankey, a home inspector who lives in Eden Prairie, Minn., says he backs Kucinich primarily because of his opposition to the war. Hankey is particularly impressed with Kucinich's plan to start a Department of Peace. "I am really tired of people scoffing," Hankey said of the bill Kucinich has introduced in every congressional session since 2001. Well, ya might wanna get used to it... "He is espousing the views of Dr. Martin Luther King and wanting to implement those ideas on an international level, and I don't hear very many folks scoffing about the effectiveness of Dr. King." What about Ghandi? You forgot Ghandi. "It's not just a matter of ending the war in Iraq, which he's been so good on and so ahead of the curve," added Alice Slater of New York City, who heads a group that promotes nuclear disarmament and says she donated the first Social Security check she ever received to Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign. Good investment. Looks like you're obviously in desperate need of Social Security... "It's understanding that we can't be an empire anymore. It is not helping us. It's not making us secure." I think she should build a Big Giant Puppet of Dennis. Sounds like she's got plenty of time on her hands... Slater, who watched Kucinich sing the labor standard "Sixteen Tons" at a January Rainbow/PUSH meeting, says she's not put off by the fact that Kucinich "doesn't make a good physical impression." Last week, Kucinich twirled with his arms aloft at a Nevada candidates forum, declaring himself to be the candidate with no corporate strings attached. Slater said: "My kids said to me, 'Alice, how can you vote for someone that looks like an elf?' And I'm thinking, you know, this is the year of the Hobbit. What's the difference what they look like? . . . Dennis is head and shoulders above people. He really gets what we have to do to move out of this terrible environment that we're in." Eat a lotta mushrooms a few years back, Alice? Ed Garza, an anti-war Vietnam veteran, is so impressed with Kucinich's stance against the war that he arranged to present him with an "Oscar for Peace" figurine Saturday in California. The mock Oscar is dressed in camouflage and is missing a leg. Wow. That's class... Garza plans to present other peace Oscars today before Hollywood's glitterati assemble for the Academy Awards ceremony. Maybe Al Gore's still in town... He says he's not worried about the congressman's electability and sees Kucinich as someone who is for the people, not the corporations. "All we can do is grass roots and try to get the word out and convince people to vote for him," says Garza, a volunteer for Kucinich in Orange County, "and that if you vote for him, he's electable." Like,...yeah, man. Did you say sumthin about grass, man? |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #7 Ed Garza, an anti-war Vietnam veteran... Translation (for sentient beings): "Ed Garza, who got an admin discharge from bootcamp in 1972 because he kept wettting his bunk at night, and now teaches Marxist Dialectics at a Cleveland-area community college..." |
| Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2007-02-26 23:09 |
| #6 Yeah, tu is RB old school. Was it R-bees Mike K that dated Kuchinish's sister? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-02-26 22:00 |
| #5 Kucinich's campaign has its highest number of supporters in California Gawd what a revolting development. I shoud get extra combat pay for being point man this many years. Drive in San Francisco almost everyday with my American flag, and Wounded Warrior Patch on my PU truck rear window. |
| Posted by: RD 2007-02-26 20:18 |
| #4 With people like these it's all about "Making a Point". They never stop to consider that the Point they are making is they live in a fantasy land. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2007-02-26 19:28 |
| #3 I need to start selling bridges into NYNY |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-02-26 19:01 |
| #2 "Dennis is head and shoulders above people" do these moonbats even THINK about what they're saying? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-02-26 18:55 |
| #1 Truly superb snarketry, tu3031!!! |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2007-02-26 18:53 |