Dennis Kucinich!!! What a Splendid American. What a Splendid Candidate

Me and my significant other and the kids (9 and 14) goit to meet him today when he came to Massachusetts.

We decided to take the drive up there to Springfield to see him and it was a wonderful experience.

He is a man with BIG and BEAUTIFUL Ideas and ways to implement him.

I got to walk him part of the way to his car, an suv with funny looking security dude and handlers and a mustachioed driver, and tell him that at the debate tomorrow he needs to hit home that we will be stuck in the quagmire of Iraq FOREVER if we do not elect him.


After his speech he spotted me and the wife and kids (we were standing on the steps right behind him) and since ours were about the only kids in the crowd he came right to us and extended his hand to the kids and my wife, who was swooning (she loves DK).

My son (9) mustered the nerve to get an autograph on a flier signed only "Dennis"

Later in the day I had a court pretrial conference with 4 other attorneys and several well-educated (college grads or MA's) and I told them that I had just been to see DK speak and been to a DK rally.

NOT ONE OF THEM KNEW WHO HE WAS. THEY HAD NOT SEEN THE DEBATES.

THEY HAD NO CLUE WHO DENNIS KUCINICH WAS!!! 4 Attorneys. 2 or 3 MA's. ALL professionals.

We are in deep shit.

I guess if Kerry gets elected I should consider us lucky (compared to what we have now) because America is a land of ignoramuses.

Think it was Curtis Mayfield who said (in "If there's a Hell below we're all gonna go" on Curtis LIVE): "Educated fools from uneducated schools."

We are in deep doodoo. If 6 out of 6 professionals have never even heard of DK (in a random sample) then we are truly in worse shape than I imagined.

They will probably follow the sheep to Kerry.

I used to think I needed to vote Dean, then Edwards to beat Kerry in my primary (coming up). But after seeing DK up close and persoanl - and touching his hand - and watching him sing My Country Tis of thee on a download with his prayer for peace. -- I think I have to vote for him.

I want to stop Kerry and I may have to vote Edwards --- but I sure wish that DK could get some more delegates.

You did your part today, plus a bit.

he is great

sorry had to brag :bounce:

He's a better candidate than most of us deserve with the vision of a country in which we all want to live.

And he will get more delegates, you can count on it.

I will never get to see him most likely. Kansas - no one ever comes here. Thank you for your good words and for posting for those of us who have to seek out DK info. I have seen him only on the videos and that was enough to hook me. He is amazing and we are so lucky to have him running and speaking for us.

FROM THE KUCINICH LIST:

This week's topic: A BROKERED CONVENTION

This week I met several people who came down from Seattle to help get out the vote in California. I found out that Kucinich got 25% of the vote in counties - whole counties! - where there was a strong door-to-door campaign - and in one woman's precinct, he got 48%! Note to self: One-on-one discussion is the key to overcoming a media blackout.

I also learned how convoluted the delegate selection process is in the different states, and why Kucinich could well end up with far more than the delegates he has now... Kucinich isn't worried about the delegate count: He knows it will probably be a brokered convention in July.

For one thing, the delegate counts you hear about in the media are merely projections based on the statewide votes: Kerry gets 40% in Wisconsin; they give him 40% of Wisconsin's delegates. Kucinich gets 3%; they give him no delegates, because you have to get 15 percent of the vote to get even one delegate.

Two very important things they don't take into account: (1) The 15% minimum applies to each *congressional district* as well as the statewide tallies; and (2) Some states, such as Iowa and Washington, will take weeks to select their delegates, because they do not select them by direct vote; instead, they select county delegates, who then convene and select state delegates, who then convene to select delegates for the national convention in July. So
we won't have a final count for months, and it could change radically between now and then.

Here's another reason Kucinich isn't worried about his small delegate count: With 500 or so delegates projected for Kerry, and over 2,300 needed to win the nomination, he would have to get virtually all of the remaining state primary delegates, as well as most of the 800 or so
superdelegates, to win on the first vote, because he's only been getting 40-50% of the vote in the primaries so far.

All of the Dean delegates - and he's asking his supporters to vote for him anyway, even though he dropped out - and all of the delegates that were split by candidates that didn't get the required 15% vote - cannot go to Kerry on the first vote. Repeat: The "floater" delegates (my term, not the party's) cannot vote for Kerry on the first ballot at the convention. They cannot because delegates are pledged to vote only for their candidate on the first ballot, and these are not Kerry delegates.

Therefore, the nominee will not be selected on the first ballot. For the first time since 1952, this will be a "brokered convention."

You see, after the first ballot, delegates are not bound to vote for the candidate who sent them. But they can negotiate: If you want our block of delegates, you have to give us our plank in the party platform that the nominee runs on. Or you have to pledge to appoint our candidate to your cabinet if you win. And so on.

So, as Dennis says, this is the 135th mile of a 500-mile race, and a lot can happen between now and then. Who would have expected that Dean - who burned through the entire $41 million he raised last year in Iowa and New Hampshire alone - would have crashed
so spectacularly?

A lot can happen between now and the July convention. This is your once-in-a lifetime chance to vote for an honest politician. I guarantee you will not regret it.

Vote for Dennis Kucinich for President. He is absolutely incorruptable, a man of and for the people, the Abe Lincoln of our time. He is exactly what we have all been waiting for.

Pat Soberanis

Welcome to DU! :hi:

This needs to be repeated often!

"Vote for Dennis Kucinich for President. He is absolutely incorruptable, a man of and for the people, the Abe Lincoln of our time. He is exactly what we have all been waiting for."

I find that once people know about him (and learn more about him), they're willing to support him. And getting to see him speak is just the icing on the cake!

I finally got to meet him last weekend, even though I've performed at events where he spoke and have been working on the campaign since last September. He truly is an amazing person and quite unlike any other candidates for higher office I've ever encountered.

Glad you got to meet him, and tell six MORE people about him, too!

I was already hooked long before I finally saw him in person this past Saturday -- but WOW! What a presence! What an intellect! What a spirit!

He embodies the very FINEST of human ideals, he calls on us to make America the true shining beacon that she was meant to be!

For the common good, we ALL ought to be voting for Dennis!

sw

Especially for educated fools like myself!

playing in the woods in the country at a Black Country Club and Camp.

Man was that heaven. Outdoors 1972. Summertime.

He was freshly broken up from the Impressions and was on a three day bill with Eddie Kendricks. Whatta weekend.

pretty universal. People hear him, and there is no one else who comes close. Meet him and talk to him, and you can't choose anyone else.

seventhson, you have an incredible opportunity. In politics, who knows if it will ever come again. This time, just this once, in this primary election 2004, you can vote FOR someone, instead of voting AGAINST someone.

I've spent a lifetime voting AGAINST people. I cannot express how profoundly it moves me that, for the first time in my 43 years, I can vote FOR a splendid American, and a splendid candidate.

I will cast my vote on Tuesday with heartfelt gratitude to Dennis Kucinich for giving me that opportunity, and giving me a reason to keep hope alive.

"This time, just this once, in this primary election 2004, you can vote FOR someone, instead of voting AGAINST someone."

We CAN make a difference! We CAN make ourselves heard! Onward to the convention!

sw

It's time to unplug the media. It's time to relegate them to their proper place; one of service, not control. It's time to point out that we can cast our vote for the best candidate whether or not they intend to "recognize" him.

Even after he gets 30% in HI, they still cringe at having to mention him and some do not mention Kucinich at all.

The media must do their part to ignore Kucinich because when people have a chance to hear him speak and listen and understand his ideas they want to support him. That is dangerous for the corporate controllers of this country.

TWL

Your interaction with him went JUST as I thought it would! I am so happy for you, for me, for all of us.

There is not one candidate out there with the depth or vision of Kucinich. I am very sorry that Dean and Kucinich did not work and are not working more closely together. Together those two could have & kicked & still could kick serious DLC butt!

I hope somehow they will because

I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy for you my friend!

I am so glad your whole family got to meet him...quite the experience, isn't it?

And you got to speak with him...good point about the debates...am sure looking forward to Dennis getting some serious face time on them.

Maybe the lawyers you shared with will get the message...I sure hope so...Kucinich is so special...like LWolf and other shave said...how exciting to vote FOR someone....I waited a LOOONG time for this!!

Glad you got to meet him and are giving him your vote...Dennis is quite an exceptional man!

good on ya seventhson!!!

Peace
DR

to my 2yr old! The running joke is she says "Dennis 'Cinich" more often than she says "Daddy"! LOL The night he was on Craig Kilborne, she was up late so I crawled into my bed with her to watch- Kilborne said "Dennis Kucinich" and then took a good 10 minutes to get through his monologue, plus another couple of minutes for a commercial break before Dennis was called out- during all of which my 2 yr old was having a fit because she wanted to see "Dennis! Dennis 'Cinich!!"

When Dennis walked out she stopped instantly and said "Wookit'dere! 'S Dennis! Dennis 'Cinich!"

Heh! Momma is raising her up right!

What a big smile it brought for me! Warm my heart, kids do. My two kids also know Kucinich on sight and one has even told her teacher that her mom wants Dennis Kucinich to be the President. :D

And he still does.

"FUCK BUSH" Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

I voted absentee in California, because I work on Tuesday nights. Plus I wanted to get it over with. I hope he picks up some momentum from his strong showing in Hawaii. I also had the pleasure of meeting him at a rally in Santa Ana.

Maybe he should be considered for VP if he doesn't earn the momination. After all, it is very rare for a candidate to win the presidency without carrying Ohio! Dennis would put Ohio back in the blue column.

:)

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

I voted for DK absentee here in California the other day too! I suspect he has a lot more support than anyone knows or cares to admit!

I think he has a real chance!

:D

DENNIS J. KUCINICH FOR PRESIDENT 2004!!!!





:dem: :kick:

I knew in July 2002, that this is the man I would be supporting for Pres. should he decide to run. Everything he has done and said so far, only reinforces that convition.

Meeting him was phenominal. Anyone that says he is an uninspired speaker is only judging from the debates where he is severely hampered. Let him go on his own for several minutes and prepare to be converted!!

This is the real thing. No waffling, no sitting the fence, no apologies.

:hi:

....but, yeah, I agree!

I've been interested in Kucinich since I first saw him on the Tom Synder how way back in the 1970s. Kucinich has had one of the most remarkable combacks in US politics considering how reviled he was in Cleveland.

Now he's running for President. I know its highly unlikely he will win, but I plan on voting for him as he has the platform that I most agree with. And I really the guy, too..he's got alot of passion and fire in the belly, and he's a great speaker.

So, yeah, when the Ohio primary rolls around next week I'm pulling the lever (or whatever you call it nowadays) for Kucinich.

to DU! Always nice to see another Kucinich support, and at the moment, especially one from Ohio!

Welcome to DU!

:hi: :hi: :hi:

:toast:

And thanks for your support for Dennis... you have good taste! :)

Kanary

indeed most educated professionals have yet to hear of Dennis Kucinich

WTF? That changed real quick - at least with my in-laws: chalk up 6 more votes for DK.

voters!:evilgrin: :toast:

Inspiring, he is, and I can only imagine (with the help of wonderful posts like these) how much more fantastic it would be to hear his message delivered in person.

:loveya:

Thanks so much for the description of the event, and I'm not surprised at ALL that your collegaues hadn't heard of him.

The media is very good at their job of manufacturing consent, eh?

...and reading posts like this makes me so proud to be a delegate!

Go, Dennis, go!
:kick:

Kucinich is a 'splendid' candidate indeed!!!

GO DK!

TWL

splendid candidate indeed

Even as a strong Kerry supporter, I voted for Dennis in the primary. I believe in the guys who aren't afraid to fight corruption. That's why I support both Kerry and Kucinich. This year I will be happy to be able to vote for them both.

Now people like you are what make it possible for me to be ABB in November.:pals: :yourock:

I always knew you liked DK and respected him but I did not know you planned on voting for him in the primary. Thank you, you have done a lot to educate people here about him and about Kerry.

Thanks for sharing that.

I love DK. :loveya:

At least vote for Kucinich in the primaries. Everyone is so ABB they're afraid to vote their choice, otherwise he'd be way ahead. Plus he is getting zero media coverage.

Can't believe I strung that adjective with that verb but it's so true. Everyone and anyone who has heard him speak feels the same. I cast my absentee as well in CA. I hope he does well. And I am so glad that DK is in it until the end.

I fell in love after actually hearing him speak once.

Anyone that can compare to DK. I love the guy. I confess that I'm worried that a vote for Kucinich would leave bush in charge; especially since so many people don't even know who DK is!!! My sister, who claims to be a progressive and another friend and my youngest adult daughter DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS!! (they know now lol)

I guess the guy with the most money wins????!!!! Damnit! Beyond that, people are just so caught up in their everyday lives that they don't take any time to find out what's going on around them!!!! It infuriates me to no end. I want to vote DK. If Kerry and Edwards are neck n neck, I'll vote Edwards. If Kerry is far ahead, I'll vote DK. I read that suggestion on DU home page the other day.

Reading this board you would almost think that DK has a shot at the nomination. Maybe on Republican Underground they're still bemoaning Pat Robertson's campaign.

;-)

It's because Truth wins.

And the truth is, Dennis Kucinich stands head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. He owns the issues. He's got the record. And he's our best choice for the democratic nominee.

:hi: Welcome to DU.