Why Dennis quit

[cali]

Dennis quit for a simple reason. There is some absurd speculation going on as to why he quit. Here's the bottom line: Dennis is in a tough race to be the dem candidate in his Congressional district, and he quit to focus on the race. He's been open about this. And god knows, it would be awful if he didn't win. We need him like crazy in the House- and we've never needed him more:

Kucinich Abandons White House Bid
By THOMAS J. SHEERAN – 19 hours ago

CLEVELAND (AP) — Democrat Dennis Kucinich abandoned his presidential bid Friday to focus on a tough race for re-election to Congress.

Kucinich, speaking at a union hall, told supporters who chanted "Dennis, Dennis," that he would work to keep his campaign promises, not as president, but as a member of the U.S. House.

"I won't be president, but I can continue to fight for these important issues as the United States congressman representing the community that is first in my heart, Cleveland, Ohio," he said.

Kucinich made an urgent appeal on his Web site this week for congressional campaign contributions as "the only candidate who can't be bought — 'cause he's not for sale."

<snip>

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hvqZApX0MAbUfw6405YqTDVR-9MAD8UD1OJG0

[B Calm]

1. Thanks, I think I will donate to his reelection campaign, we need him

in congress!

[cali]

2. I'm going to do the same thing!

I can't imagine him losing this race. It would really suck.

[caseycoon]

3. Thanks cali

We definitely can't afford to lose him in the House!

[madrchsod]

4. if i had a dime i would

the people in his district should come over to mine...hastret resigned and the guy who is replacing him is a complete right wing psycho that makes denny h look like a statesman.

[cali]

7. yikes. that's alarming.

Is there a viable dem running? Is it possible to win that district? As I recall, it's a pretty red district.

[Eagle_Eye]

5. The Honorable Dennis Kucinich, congressman from Ohio, quit because of money

It is a sad fact that the quality of the candidate has an insignificant role in elections compared to the quantity of money raised.

Hillary has a superb edge in fund raising followed by Obama.

We are going to see Hillary as the next president, Obama as VP and Edwards in the cabinet.

[cali]

8. He quit because he realized that he didn't have a chance

to become the nominee, and is in a tough fight for the nomination in his congressional race. It's right in the article I posted, and Dennis said the same thing.

[B Calm]

9. So we'll end up with the best government corporations can buy.

No thanks, I'm voting for John Edwards..

[Eagle_Eye]

12. You have got that right, money talks

Little guys like me cannot compete with groups that can fund their ideas with millions of $$$.

The best I can do is to keep myself informed and never, ever vote republican.

[Adelante]

6. absurd speculation

I'll say :crazy:

(I can't even believe something I just read in another thread.)

GO DENNIS!!

[TomClash]

10. He wasn't getting any votes

Why give up your House seat to be Don Quixote?

[windoe]

11. Dennis Kucinich exposed the true power structure

in the US.
Many people (including me) underestimated what it would take to undo the damage that was done to the US from the inside. Unfortunately in order for anyone to stand against pure corruption with unlimited money sources, media coverage and secrecy, he or she would need a network of powerful altruistic friends in a lot of key places, plus the active participation of the constituency. At this time progressives are only building strength, awareness and numbers, and the ground gained in the Fall of 2008 will be just the start.
I hoped that the 'silent majority' would rise up and back Dennis Kucinich in sheer numbers and honest money. I had to be reminded again of how far behind the physical world is to the world of ideas. There is a gap.
Dennis Kucinich asked America to wake up and smell the coffee, and I am afraid most people just hit the snooze alarm.

[elaineb]

17. Brilliant post

Sums it up perfectly. Although I'll take a small bit of issue with the last sentence--because of Kucinich's lack of huge donations at the start of the race, (as the frontrunners received), his message never really got out in the first place, except to the small number of Americans who were watching the early debates. He certainly wasn't covered in the mainstream media outside the debates. Rather than saying that America as a whole hit the snooze alarm, I'd say that the majority of Americans have been asleep for many years, and that Kucinich never was allowed the chance (that the big-money candidates were given) to wake them up.

What disturbs me is the number of politically-aware Democrats, who ought to have been receptive to his message, knowing perfectly well what he stands for, who chose to "hit the snooze alarm". It's incredible that any Democrat on this board who's been complaining for years about the abuses done to our Constitution, government, and society by the Bush administration should say one negative thing against Kucinich. Fine, choose someone else as your candidate if you want to defer to someone else's judgment as to what makes an "electable" candidate or if you believe Kucinich is too idealistic and uncompromising, but I will never forgive the posters here who have taken continuous swipes at someone who is standing up for the best of our ideals and for the Democratic tradition without apologies. As far as that goes, I have more faith in the American people as a whole being receptive to Kucinich's positions (if a majority of Americans actually knew what they were) than I do in the small but dedicated group of Kucinich-bashers on this forum.

[tritsofme]

13. I just thought he wanted to get a head start on his 2012 presidential campaign.

However, coming here if Kucinich were to lose the primary would be greatly amusing to me.

[cyclezealot]

15. Kucinich's main rival in Cleveland

raised like 200K in two months. The speed with which Cimperman raised that kind of dough says, he's a shill. Could he have gotten that kind of cash from Karl Rove. Campaign cash can be laundered in an attempt to disconnect it from it's real donors. / Congressional campaigns can be like presidential races. Special interest money can buy a congressional seat also. And a district's constituents can be suckered in by outside influences.

[tritsofme]

16. Maybe voters are fed up with having a part-time congressman.

While having him spend the rest of his time on a doomed presidential campaign that was over before it started.

[cyclezealot]

18. check congresspedia

part of his problem in running for president. His Congressional duties came first. He has a better voting attendence record than compared to the majority who are not running for president. His absentee rate was like less than 20percent absentee rate. Hillary's is like 35Percent. I know I need confirm such. But that is darn close last check. Besides, when he runs for president he very well represents the interests of Cleveland at the national level. He has nothing to feel quilty for.

[cyclezealot]

19. wrong . considerably under 20%.

Missed Votes
Dennis Kucinich has missed 139 votes (11.5%) during the current Congress. See a list of his missed votes since 1991 or see a full list of vote missers.

Voting with Party

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/k000336/

[Hart2008]

14. Once the media black out hits, it's hard to get any traction.

Dennis fought the good fight.

I salute him!

:patriot: