Presidential candidate makes his case to Beverly voters
Originally published in the Beverly Citizen
Presidential candidate makes his case to Beverly voters
By Bobby Gates / rgates@cnc.com
Thursday, September 4, 2003
Beverly got a dose of presidential campaign politics last week as a Cabot Street restaurant drew a Democratic hopeful to the city for lunch.
Arriving later than planned at Organic Garden, U.S. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, D-Ohio, greeted local supporters who had gathered in anticipation of his arrival. He was on his way from Boston to Portsmouth, N.H., where he was opening a campaign office.
The long-shot candidate first made a name for himself in the 1970s when, at 31, he was the youngest person ever elected mayor of a major city when he was elected mayor of Cleveland.
In the campaign for the Democratic nomination for president, Kucinich, 56, drew attention to himself when he vociferously opposed the war in Iraq.
Clare Ritchie of Salem said she first discovered Kucinich about a year ago when she watched a video about him loaned to her by a friend.
"When I saw it, I said he must be our next president," she said, while standing on the Cabot Street sidewalk under the mid-day sun waiting for Kucinich to arrive. The 69-year-old campaign volunteer is retired and is now working nearly full time as Kucinich's North Shore campaign coordinator.
Caren R. Morningstar of Beverly said she had never met Kucinich or heard him speak, but agrees with what he stands for. While she wasn't sure what made him different from some of the Democratic frontrunners, the registered Democrat said she's been forwarded e-mails about the Kucinich campaign during the past several months.
"I really agree with every word in the literature," she said, minutes before Kucinich's arrival in Beverly in the cramped back seat of a gold Saturn station wagon.
Kucinich's hopes to make college more affordable, create a socialized healthcare system, lower the military budget in order to spend more money on education and make sure Social Security works.
When Kucinich arrived, he eagerly greeted a crowd of supporters that swelled over time from a handful of diehards to about 75 people.
"The campaign grew from the west to the east," Kucinich said, as he shook hands with supporters. He touted his support of establishing a single-payer healthcare system that would ensure all "medically necessary" procedures would be covered by the government.
"No more people worrying about premiums, deductibles and co-pays," he said.
Kucinich, in speaking to supporters, took aim at President George W. Bush.
"We've got to challenge him every step of the way," Kucinich said. "That's what this campaign is all about."
After speaking to his supporters for several minutes on the sidewalk, Kucinich sat down in the dimly lit restaurant where he ordered fresh coconut, Miso soup and California rolls.
"This place has a great reputation as being a community restaurant with fresh organic food," he said between sips of his soup.
"This is delicious," he said. "I'll be back."
Outside, Barry M. Abel said he was recently recruited to the Kucinich campaign by his friend, Tom Gale. Both men are from Beverly.
Sporting a blue Kucinich T-shirt, Abel said although the campaign is still in the early stages, he has already spent some time with the Ohio Congressman campaigning in New Hampshire's Monadnock Region.
What he liked most about Kucinich was his sincerity.
"I think he can pull this off," he said, adding that the mainstream press is not willing to let anyone know about Kucinich's campaign.
Gale, a peace activist, said Kucinich's introduction of legislation to establish a Department of Peace got him involved in the campaign.
After meeting Kucinich, Gale remained convinced he'd found his candidate.
"I just shook his hand and what a firm handshake," Gale said.
Shaun Hayes of Beverly called Kucinich an "admirable man," but said he hasn't chosen his candidate and also likes Howard Dean.
"Howard's not perfect but he's running away at the polls right now," Hayes said, referring to recent New Hampshire polls showing that the former Vermont governor had a 21-point lead over his closest competitor, U.S. Sen. John Kerry.
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