Is Kucinich still running in the primaries?

If not has he officially dropped out?

And if not do you think he will at the convention?

as far as I know.

He actually won a couple of counties in the NC caucuses

regarding primaries?

I know the answer - it means nothing. Like the people here who crowed that he "won" Maui. I looked it up: he got a few hundred votes.

is all it takes to garner 15% and gain National delegates.

Your continuous condescension is duly noted and dismissed.

So what exactly is your point, other than to be condescending and divisive?

:shrug:

is equivalent to Gore's or Kennedy's?

I don't see it.

And I repeat my assertion that "winning a county" doesn't mean squat in a primary election.

Winning "a few" counties can mean the difference between getting a national delegate and NOT getting a national delegate.

Like Dennis has said, the nomination is all but sewn up, but we, as a party, STILL have to decide which direction we're going to go in the future.

Under the DLC/"New Democrat" policies, we've lost both houses of Congress. We've lost more governorships. Our ranks in state legislatures is at its lowest point since 1962. The only "bright spots" were Clinton's pluralities in 1992 & 1996, and Gore's squeeker in 2000. The party has become a caricature of what it was, more interesting in "getting along" with the right-wing Republican agenda than challenging it for the reactionary tripe that it really is.

We need a Democratic party that's not afraid to STAND UP for itself, and the beliefs that have made us strong in the past: workers' rights, livable wages, fair trade, a sane foreign policy and a health care for everyone.

It's not just about this election. It's about keeping this party relevant to its constituency, and keeping it alive for the future.

winning DELEGATES is what counts... not winning counties.

that being said, DK has less than 1% of the delegates. That is not a position from which one dictates the party platform.

All he's saying is that the party should not abandon the things that it has traditionally stood for in order to get a few votes from the corporatists.

We used to have a plank in our platform for single-payer, universal healthcare. That one disappeared in the 1990s. We used to have a plank supporting livable wages for EVERYONE. That, too, has gone the way of the dodo.

Most of us know that there's a snowballs chance in hell of these planks getting in the platform, but the mere fact that we're bringing them up and still talking about them keeps them on the table for debate.

Also, although DK has 1% of the delegates, most Democrats align more with his platform than Kerry's, I'd bet. There's a lot of Dean, Edwards, Clark and probably even Kerry delegates who don't agree with Kerry's position on NAFTA, and want trade agreements with more protection for workers.

Kerry may be the default nominee, but he was only the first choice of ±35% of the voters in the first half of the primaries. If Kerry wants Democrats to support him with more than our votes, he needs to be aware of this.

Otherwise he's got a long battle ahead of him.

But you do have a voice to influence,and that is what is important. I contributed to my state party platform and sometimes all that is needed is a vision and the ability to get the word out!

He is still running. Last Saturday he picked up four more national delegates in North Carolina. He has been campaigning a lot in Oregon and will likely pick up a good number of national delegates in their May 18th primary. This weekend he will be campaigning in Pennsylvania ahead of their primary next Tuesday. After the convention he will support the democratic nominee as he has said all along.

www.kucinich.us

There's an issues survey on the front page that we could stand some more responses to, and some petitions that could stand some more signatures, if you're so inclined.

for the people...

Wish Kerry would put as much effort into connecting with people the way DK does.


Peace
DR

like me and the many others who voted for him.

He comes across to me as very intelligent, thoughtful, well spoken and likeable. I'm don't know why he didn't do better.

* because there's still states that have not had their primaries yet.

* because nobody else is addressing the issues the way he is.

* because his voice and platform represent that of many Democratic voters-- despite their votes in the primaries and caucuses.

I'm still active in his campaign, as are many others who are going to their state (and national) conventions for DK. The campaign does not end until the National Convention, when DK will endorse the eventual nominee.

Oh, and a big huge KICK for

* Universal, Single-Payer Healthcare,
* A sane, streamlined military budget,
* A cabinet-level Department of Peace,
* Living wages and a full-employment economy,
* An end to unfair trade agreements like NAFTA and the coporatocracy of the WTO.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

The issue now is how many delegates can he get to influence the platform. There are a lot of people who think we have to be Republicans to beat Republicans. The more delegates Dennis gets, the more likely the platform is to reflect Democratic values.

Indiana primary is on May 4.

and he's still my guy. He's our Alan Keys.

www.kucinich.us

I am really impressed that he is continuing to fight for us. I knew he would stay in there.

the very first words I see on his website are "He's the people's voice". How is a man who failed to get even double figures of the vote the 'voice of the people'? His exit strategy seems incredibly lame to me, I think even Bush's is better. We need to stay in Iraq and as much as I don't want us too nothing will change that fact. We need a large number of troops there and no amount of diplomacy will get that many international troops. We can't get out of Iraq in the way DK suggests.

--unless we commit to using repressive measures that would make Saddam look like Mother Teresa.

He promissed his supporters that he would stay in until the convention, and he's honoring that promise.

Many of his supporters are new activists to the party. In my state (MN, where DK got 17% statewide), DK supporters have moved into several high-level leadership positions in the party, and will be affecting its vision and platform for many years to come.

Even though he's not the nominee, he's still spreading his message, and making sure his issues stay on the table.

As far as Iraq goes, even Kerry and Bush's messages are getting closer to what Dennis was saying a year ago. As long as the US remains in control of the country-- militarily, economically and socially-- there will NEVER be "stability". As long as the population perceives the US as an occupying army, we'll still see "uprisings" and "resistance" to our presence.

The US needs to relinquish its controlling interest in the country, and allow the Iraqis to run it themselves, with the help of the UN and other third parties.

As long as we're in control, it won't get better.

How is a man who failed to get even double figures of the vote the 'voice of the people'?

In my city, he received 45% of the vote. He received 25% of the vote in my congressional district. He received 22% in my precinct.

Statewide (Minnesota), he received 17%. He received solid double digits in Washington, Maine, Alaska and Hawaii. He also received 40% in some counties in Iowa.

Just because the mainstream media doesn't report it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Because he is actually HELPING Kerry unlike Nader. DK is trying to bring voters back into the party unlike Nader who is trying to get them to vote for him instead of Kerry.

the campaign has changed its focus. He is campaigning for votes to support issues at the convention; not because he expects to win the nomination. He states daily that Kerry has the nomination.

The more votes, the more delegates, the stronger the voice at the convention. The point is to have an impact on the platform, since the candidate has already been chosen.

One of the things the campaign is currently working on is circulating petitions, hoping to take many democratic signatures to the convention concerning universal health care, Iraq, The Patriot Act (Civil Rights), A Department of Peace and Jobs/Trade, (NAFTA/WTO).

You can read and sign the petitions here, and thanks for your support!

http://www.kucinich.us/VolunteerAction/petitions.php

http://www.kucinich.us/VolunteerAction/petitions.php

Petitions to the Democratic Party


The Kucinich Campaign wants to make sure that Bush is defeated this year. But a weak Democratic Party that fails to meet today's challenges won't win the election.

To help align the party platform with the values of most Democratic voters, we are collecting signatures for 5 petitions, reflecting our most urgent national priorities:

-Iraq,
-Health Care,
-The Patriot Act (Civil Rights),
-A Department of Peace and
-Jobs/Trade, (NAFTA/WTO).

-Our goal is to present a million signatures to the Democratic Party
Platform Committee when they meet at the end of June, as a complement to our efforts on the ground at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

Please sign these online petitions and email the links to others on your list. Then download the PDF versions, print them out and get as many signatures as you can.

Return signed Petitions to the Cleveland office by June 1st.
Get a few pages filled, mail them in and start working on another set.
You are the Grassroots. YOU Make it Happen!



http://www.kucinich.us/

I'm pretty much left out of that list, along with thousands of other people.

After all this, it's discouraging to know I don't count.

Kanary

that there's no sense in running for the Democratic nomination after the convention...? :)

:hi: