Poll for Kucinich supporters

[mvd]

I am an ABB-type Kucinich supporter. I don't agree with Dean, my favorite of the frontrunners, on all positions - but instead of attacking him on the issues, I want to be positive. I will point out where I disagree, but I won't go negative.

On to the poll - how will fellow Kucinich supporters handle their support if Kucinich isn't the nominee? The question isn't whether you can vote for other candidates - it's whether you can actively support them.

[snoochie]

1. A lot of Greens are supporting him

So I'm not surprised by the results. Bark at Greens all you want, but know it will probably not persuade many to work for (or even vote for) the 'lesser evil'.

[mvd]

2. I can see your point

For me, Kucinich and Braun are clearly the best candidates, and Kucinich is to the left of Braun - so my support goes to Kucinich. As far as the main contenders go, since they are all far apart from Kucinich, I went with who I like the most rather than deciding based on all the positions.

[Gretchen]

13. A lot of Greens support Dean

Personally, I'm an ABB person. When the time comes I'll have a button with the name of who ever wins the primary on it and a matching sign in my window. This election is too important to blow. I'll take a "bush-lite" over a Bush any day. Of, course I'd like for the name I sport in the fall to be Kucinich.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

38. Hate to be brutally honest, but if one supports Dean..

Then I do not believe they are being true to the Green platform. Dean's policy positions are way far right of the Green platform.

Just MHO.

TWL

[LWolf]

24. I'm not surprised by the results, either.

Many 3rd party members have been attracted to Dennis. They left the dems, or never were dems, because they don't trust the party to represent them. They won't vote for the democrat because of Bush; they'll vote for the democrat if he/she represents their vision. I've talked to many of them at meetups.

I'll vote for the democrat. Even if I have to hold my nose and gag that vote down, I'll do it.

[cyclezealot]

3. Depends who it is and their issues.

I will not come around to them, but their issues have to make it worth my while. Two prime issues Trade and Health Care. Dean on Health Care the other night. Not satisfactory. Basicaly, he has no plan.Trade. I am skeptical.
That being said. I am proud of DK. His campaign is positive. Kerry,Lieberman.They are not to be trusted. They conduct themselves poorly. Dean supporters don't attack DK. Kerry, Liebermann are vicious in their defeat.
Dean wants more than just my vote, he has to have a plan to resolve my issues. If not. My money and energy have other things to do...By support, I mean my active support.Not just my vote.- I voted in our poll. I could come around to Dean. Could is could. Its up to Dean. But I predict, he is raising a lot of special interest money. He does not need our money anyway. It is not all just small contributions..I think many green type people will respond likewise.
And please. As Studs Terkel says...Stop playing some kind of ideological game, by saying who is the most left. That is categorization and the vicious repugs play a great game of castigating leftist with anti-Americanism..Don'tlet them do it..
Say we are to the far left, you help the repugs to play a game of isolating us from the mainstream..Don't let them do it.
Talk issues about jobs overseas, no health care..Corporate corruption and the stealing of our pensions.. Witness today the Sweet heart deal with the corrupt Enron exec's to get them out of the way before the election.

[Dolphyn]

4. Integrity is the key

I don't think I can bring myself to support Dean, no matter what happens. I just don't trust him. :-(

[MuseRider]

5. Welcome to DU!

It is always good to see a new Kucitizen. Oh, and I do agree with you.

[Zomby Woof]

15. Welcome to DU!

Many of us share your sentiment, and welcome you to DU to help support DK! :hi:

[mvd]

19. Welcome to DU!

You'll find a lot of great Kucinich supporters here. :hi:

[twilight]

29. hi!

:hi:

Welcome to the DU and I agree with you - I don't trust Dean even one little bit myself. Sad really. :(



:dem: :kick:

[JohnKleeb]

6. I'd say I am ABB

[MuseRider]

7. HEY! JohnKleeb!

How you been? Just wanted to say hi, it has been a while since I last talked to you. Sorry to hijack.

[JohnKleeb]

11. doing ok

[LWolf]

8. I can't decide.

Define active, and help me out.

I'm would not spend a lot of time on a different candidate in the general election. My time, $$, and energy is finite, and I'm particular about where it goes. If I am denied the opportunity to spend it on Dennis, I plan to spend it on the senate and the house. While not direct, that is still an important way to support the nominee...to pave the way once elected with more dems in the house and senate.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. I'm with you

I'm tired of voting against the Republican instead of for the Democrat.

If DK isn't the nominee, I'll vote for Whoever, but my energies will go to House races and state offices (we have no Senate races this year in MN).

[mvd]

18. By actively, I mean..

could you donate to a candidate? Work for a candidate? And be enthusiastic about the candidate's campaign?

[LWolf]

23. Ok. I'll try.

This is where I am today. Where I will be in November is anyone's guess, but I predict:

I will not donate to that candidate. (I might toss a few dollars in the way of a few. But they aren't "front runners," so if Dennis doesn't get the nomination, I don't see them getting it, either.) I will not spend too much time working for that candidate, but I would put anti-Bush signs, bumperstickers, etc. out where people could see them. I would talk up why Bush needs to be defeated in my community. As far as enthusiasm goes, I don't know. I know that the bridge has been burned as far as Dean goes; there isn't any enthusiasm for spanning that yawning chasm. As for the others, it depends on who they are. It also depends, quite frankly, on what they have to say about public education and high-stakes testing after receiving the nomination. While I'm not a single-issue voter, there can be no enthusiasm for any candidate who supports high-stakes testing. That's a professional bridge that has been, not just burned, but nuked.

My time, energy, $$, and enthuiasm will go towards re-electing Barbara Boxer, and defeating Howard "Buck" McKeon, my rep in the house; a worthy cause if ever there was one.

[tinanator]

9. Its WAR

If the Democratic Party officially supports the any means necessary approach of Bush familia's invasion, then they can kiss goodbye that principled minority who are steadfastly opposed to violations of international law, common religious beliefs and U.S. constitutional principals. Those who find comfort amongst the military corporatists and Israeli backed puppets being thrust upon them as "major" candidates really have no beef with the Bush White House, and should proceed with the inevitable coronation. Kucinich IS the ONLY honest choice. The rest are just stand ins for the next stolen election debacle. Anyone who truly detests the corporate media, the murderous invasion of Iraq and the brutal attitudes of the pharmaceutical industry towards US citizens can only find hope in one man, this time around. More than that, he offers hope and solutions towards the gamut of problems unleashed on American citizens over the last 55 years by both parties. Is there really anything to discuss?

[rucky]

20. Yes, it IS War

and Kucinich is our best way to win the war, but we need every Democrat out there making sure people go to the polls (and not get turned away) AND the election is fair & clean.

As activists, we can help bring that integrity to the party.

[IndianaGreen]

33. Nomination of a prowar candidate will not be a good idea!

Luckily it appears that none of the candidates that voted for IWR will win the Democratic nomination. It is very unlikely that Dean and Clark will both self-destruct.

The war is the biggie, followed closely by PATRIOT Act.

[tinanator]

35. Bush wont lose to a pro-war Democrat

That is so clearly the case, only a traitor to the cause would suggest differently.

[Paulie]

10. I'm tired of being taken for granted

AAB is fine, but I will not stand any longer for anyone who is sorta like *, admires *, will have similar policies to *, continue any policies of *.

No more GOPlite, no more pink tu-tu's. I want a black and white runoff against *, so people will actually have a CHOICE. No more lesser of so many evils.

If you can't earn my vote, then you derserve what you get. If * gets 4 more years, then how is it different than how people are talking about California with the Gropernator? "Cali DESERVIES the government it voted for!!!" is the war cry for those people, and I see plenty of them SAY they are ABB.....

No one deserves it, and it's the failed policy of being more like the GOP to counter the GOP, that put us where we are today. That may have worked for Clinton, and he did a WONDERFUL job enacting the GOP agenda. No wonder Newt liked the man, he did his job FOR HIM!

[corporatewhore]

14. you might lke these quotes

"Candidates say "vote for me, and I will do so-and-so for you." Few believe them, but more important, a different process is unthinkable: that in their unions, political clubs, and other popular organizations people should formulate their own plans and projects and put forth candidates to represent them. Even more unthinkable is that the general public should have a voice in decisions about investment, production, the character of work, and other basic aspects of life. The minimal conditions for functioning democracy have been removed far beyond thought, a remarkable victory of the doctrinal system." -- Noam Chomsky

"Having to decide between Tweedledum and Tweedledee -- that's not a choice -- that's a threat. Our electoral system favors a two-party race, and we should reject it. We have to start working towards a democratic system that doesn't force people to vote for the lesser of two evils (or the evil of two lessers). We can't keep jumping from election to election, voting for one moron because we're terrified that there's something worse. Now's the time to stop legitimizing this process and take a stand for fundamental, long-term change. It's more important to call attention to the farce of electoral politics than to split-hairs by choosing between Tweedledumb andTweedledee (or The Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and the Doormouse for that matter)."

- The Edible Ballot Society

[ThirdWheelLegend]

16. conditions for functioning democracy have been removed far beyond thought

Great Chomsky quote!

TWL

[LWolf]

25. Great quotes.

Who or what is the edible ballot society?

[youngred]

17. the only candidate I wouldn't "actively" support

would be Lieberman, but I'd still vote ABB for him

[diamondsoul]

21. I can't choose among the options.

My number one priority, as someone else said up-thread, is integrity.

You want my vote, you'd best convince me you're being honest with me. At this point I see three candidates who do that, and only one of them will I actively support in the Primaries.

1) Dennis J. Kucinicn
2) Rev. Al Sharpton
3) Joe Lieberman

*Note there are other essentially honest candidates, however they don't strike me as being particularly brave with their statements. Sort of a beating around the bush (no pun intended) approach that leaves me feeling they lack confidence in their positions.

The number two priority is strong leadership, and only the first two of the three above have shown that quality in any sort of quantity.

In reading over this, I guess I would have to choose number two, and I don't know that I'm ABB anymore.

[tinanator]

22. excellent example

When integrity is the issue, this post exemplifies it perfectly.
Nicely done.

[blm]

26. These polls only work when you do a rollcall of DK supporters.

Too much freeping in this type of poll. All of a sudden, more DK supporters pop up.

[mvd]

28. But there are a lot of DK supporters here

I don't see a problem with it. I was going to post a non-poll, but I wanted to see the overall results. It's my opinion that this poll would probably be less disrupted than a Dean or Clark supporter poll because Kucinich often isn't involved in the wars between supporters here.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[revcarol]

30. Strange how some come out of the "bushes"

I won't contribute one dime to any other candidate. Will work TIRELESSLY to defeat my oil-man Congressman Pearce. ALL my money (snicker, what money?) will go to the Democratic candidate here and in drips and drabs to other worthwhile or endangered House or Senate Dems.

Always knew there was another use for clothespins besides hanging clothes. I will use one.

I want to think positively about any candidate I devote my time and energy to, and lying, waffling, pandering, NAFTA, Axciom, no universal health care, and stomping on the little guy just doesn't hack it...I am a DEMOCRAT.

[MuseRider]

31. I like your style!

I am a DEMOCRAT! This is my plan. I have several options if Kucinich does not get the nomination, several I could vote and possibly send something small to (I actually already have before I bonded with the DK campaign) but for most of them I will have to hold back a gag when I vote. I have a local friend running for state office and a state aquaintence running to beat one of our republican congressmen. That is where I will do my work.

[DemBones DemBones]

36. Why are there so many people talking as if

they were in preschool? :eyes:

[leftbend]

32. Dennis is getting full support from me

Dennis gets the donations, time, spirit and anything else I can give. I can support someone else, but it won't be with the same enthusiasm. I too am tired of my vote being taken for granted and this is the last time I promise to vote Democratic no matter who the nominee may be. Only because it is ABB.
Peace

[ThirdWheelLegend]

34. Option 3, certain candidates....still no obvious choice

I could see myself getting excited about Al Sharpton. Donations, pass out flyers.

Kerry, Edwards, Braun I could vote for in the general election.

My vote is still far from gauranteed ABB. I cannot compromise my principles to a party that fo years has been trying to compromise my principles for me.

TWL

[Zomby Woof]

37. ZombyDKick