Kucinich's New Hampshire staff resigns, replaced by staff from national HQ

[sfecap]

Kucinich's New Hampshire staff resigns, replaced by staff from national HQ
By JAMES W. PINDELL
PoliticsNH.com


MANCHESTER, Sept. 19– This week the first and only two New Hampshire staffers for Dennis Kucinich's presidential campaign resigned and have since been replaced by four staffers from the campaign's national headquarters in Cleveland. The changes are indicative of what has occurred with the national campaign.

New England coordinator Trevor Elkins and Merrimack Valley coordinator Ted Wells formally left the campaign Monday pursuing other interests. Elkins has formed an exploratory committee for a run to the Ohio House of Representatives. Wells is looking to start a business in Manchester. The Kucinich's New Hampshire media coordinator has also left her position because she is moving back to California.

Replacing Elkins is Amy Hochadel who comes into New Hampshire from being the national field director of the campaign.

The departures this week in Manchester mirror others in Cleveland. In the past two weeks Kucinich's national campaign manager, a political assistant and his national fund-raiser have all left the campaign.

(more)

http://www.politicsnh.com/archives/pindell/2003/september/9_19kuc.shtml

[Hawkeye-X]

1. *twiddle*

Waiting for the shoe to drop.. not to offend the Kucinich fans -- but when do you guys think Kucinich will finally drop his aspirations and run for Senate against Voinovich. He now has the warchest to do it, and he speaks very well, and we all know Voinovich is one of the most vulnerable Repugs out there.

Hawkeye-X

[Devlzown]

2. He's still my guy for now.

I'd like to see him in a campaign he can win, though. Unless he gets a lot more exposure in the press, I don't see him getting past the first couple of primaries. DK is a quixotic character however, which is one of the qualities I admire the most about him. He may just stick around out of sheer stubbornness. I'll support him until he drops out. After that it'll probably be Dean.

[cyclezealot]

3. Stay with him until the end.

DK ran because of the thousands of calls to his office after C Span ran his "Prayer for America Speech." I was one of those. DK is attracting many Greens to believe the Democratic Party has hope. They will not change.
I too, will not stand for second best. DK got into this campaign not for self but to fight for the needs of people. There are no other solutions but Single Payer to get us out of the insurance company stranglehold, denying needed services to those in need. The economy will not rebound if the WTO drain is not plugged.
If DK is not in the race, my enthusism drops to near zero. The Bush threat is not enough to find better things to do on a Saturday, than work for someone who I do not think has real solutions. I will vote for Bush's opponent, but consume my valued free time of my valued hobbies; don't think so.
If DK is not propelled to the top it is not the fault of DK, but a corrupt political system that denies a voice to those corporate interests it demands must be censored.
In short, my vote and actions will not be transferred to second best, my vote has to be won by supporting issues that I deem critical.
I do not favor Kucinich running for the Senate. Ohio is too hard a nut to crack. Until the 60's Ohio was a right to work state. IT is mostly farmers.. As Bernie Sanders said, he does not choose to be in the Senate. To have to employ all that Senate decorum crap with the likes of Santorum or Lott. No thanks.. He is better served as chair of House Progressive Caucus. There he can say whatever the hell he wants...Or maybe get out of the Congress and be head of the ADA,Common Cause or some like minded advocacy group.
Besides $2M to run for Ohio Senate. You need more like 5-$6,000,000.
With his new found friends, like his pending meeting with the Dalai Lama, he need not think small. There are other positive roles to be found other than being president. And certainly not having to sell out to those that finance the American political system, would be like cutting away that millstone around one's neck.

[diamondsoul]

4. He won't drop out until at least two of the Primaries are over.

Bare minimum. What people fail to realize about Kucinich is that he doesn't do this stuff for himself, he does it for the people who want him as our next President. He LIVES to serve the public, period. That's why his voting record is so close to perfect, it's why he went out of his way to make up for missing the NAACP convention, it's why he hauls himself all over the country and still makes certain he's in the House when a vote is called for (except when House Repubs screw him like they did with the last debate.).

He works for the people, plain and simple, and until the people tell him to get lost he'll stay put and keep on trucking.

[jiacinto]

7. Or run for re-eledction to his seat

I think he would be a good candidate against DeWine in 2006.

[Mairead]

5. This is funny, in its way

It harks back to April, when he'd raised only $175K and everyone was saying Oh he'll be dropping out any second, he's such a no-hoper, what did he ever get in for, he's all but gone.

And here it is, mid-September, and he's still going, starting to get some press, raising money, getting the word out, attracting supporters. :evilgrin:

[diamondsoul]

6. No kidding, and isn't it actually

a testament to the importance of the Kucinich platform that Elkins put his own political aspirations aside to help him? I think so! Shoot, if I were in the area where he's running, he'd likely have won me on that alone!

[Desertrose]

8. Knew about this a few weeks ago...

and all things considered...is it so unusual for staff to change....?

My gut feeling is that the campaign office was getting so busy that some new energy was needed. What I have been hearing is that the campaign is settling in & gearing up....I know they are all really really busy & adding more staff at state & nat'l levels....

why would Dennis quit when he is gaining momentum??

Plus he has repeated he is in for the long haul...I for one, believe him.

:hi: Mairead & Diamondsoul!

Just got back from an AWESOME Peace Day DK House Party!!!!!

DR