Serious question: Why should Kucinich be taken more seriously than Gravel?

I like Kucinich, but I have to wonder why there was an outrage that he did not allowed to participate in the debate last night, but no one seemed to be upset about Gravel not participating.

When observed a caucus in Des Moines there were two Gravel supporters but no Kucinich supporters.

What makes Kucinich viable and Gravel not? There are a handful of other candidates out there in the Democratic primary that are shut out as well, what makes Kucinich different.

I'm not trying to marginalize Kucinich I just want to know why him and not some of the other candidates who are polling at less the 3 percent?

told he couldn't participate.

Everyone I know is favorable towards Kucinich if not outright committed.
Nobody is particularly excited about Gravel, but I deeply respect his achievements.
But this election isnt about those issues, is it?
Thats so 2006.

the goal posts. Kucinich also has many more supporters, single digits in polls, but still...he shows up.

Dennis Kucinich is the funny little man with UFO stories and a hot wife. Mike Gravel is older and speaks in a quieter, if firmer, voice. The media and the bloggers and such get more mileage out of the former.

like vote integrity and following the Constitution. Frankly, I gave Gravel a chance, but he wasn't good at articulating his positions on things, and hasn't gone out on a limb for things like recounts, etc.

PLUS Kucinich was invited to the debates because he fit the criteria--until MSNBC changed the criteria at the last minute to exclude him. If they had invited Gravel and then withdrew the invitation, I would be just as incensed.

Widely considered to be the best representative of truly progressive values, even if his presentation isn't the slickest up there.

They invited the top 4 vote-getters (in the poll they did) to participate in the debate, then renegged, saying they only wanted the top 3 after all. I think that's why it's such an issue.

I didnt speak because he wasnt my candidate...

He has more high-profile endorsements?

More supporters? (I know you saw fewer at that one event... but I don't know that that's the case everywhere.)

But the difference is not huge.

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I was very upset to find Gravel just dropped from further debates, and said so in letters to the organizers.

I resent the hell out of being told who deserves to be heard and who my choices are. :mad:

Why did he tell his Iowa supporters in '04 to caucus for Edwards, if he didn't reach the magic 15% level, when the candidate in '04 who's views most closely matched his own was Dean's?

Why, this year, did he tell his supporters in Iowa to caucus for Obama, if the candidate who's views more closely matched his own was Edwards?

What kind of a movement is Kucinich trying to build, is he trying to build a progressive movement or is he trying to build a Kucinich movement?

He's dead on on so many other things such as the immigration, he had me when he told the questioner that he resented his characterization of immigrants as "illegal immigrants," or "illegals." But if he wants supporters of other candidates to join in on his crusade, he and some of his spokespeople need to take their "I'm the only real progressive" or "I'm the only real democrat in this race" somewhere else.

named Ruby Duby, my wife, the comment posted under her name is actually my comment. Two posters using one computer, my apologies.

My comment:

I have some questions about Kucinich also

Why did he tell his Iowa supporters in '04 to caucus for Edwards, if he didn't reach the magic 15% level, when the candidate in '04 who's views most closely matched his own was Dean's?

Why, this year, did he tell his supporters in Iowa to caucus for Obama, if the candidate who's views more closely matched his own was Edwards?

What kind of a movement is Kucinich trying to build, is he trying to build a progressive movement or is he trying to build a Kucinich movement?

He's dead on on so many other things such as the immigration, he had me when he told the questioner that he resented his characterization of immigrants as "illegal immigrants," or "illegals." But if he wants supporters of other candidates to join in on his crusade, he and some of his spokespeople need to take their "I'm the only real progressive" or "I'm the only real democrat in this race" somewhere else.

Sorry--I like a lot of what Gravel had to say, but those ridiculous videos of his--nobody could post those things and reasonably expect to be taken seriously.