Following the campaign, November 25
From Karin Caifa:
IOWA PUSH
The campaign’s Iowa political director, John Friedrich, told me outside Monday’s debate that the Kucinich bid continues to chug along in the state. “Once again, we have at least as large a group as any other candidate showing we have passionate grass-roots support here in Iowa,” Friedrich said, signaling to the two dozen or so supporters braving the cold to hold Kucinich campaign signs and greet the candidate upon his arrival. The target for this campaign, as it is for most candidates, is the wealth of Iowa’s undecided voters. “With all the undecided people in Iowa, those that hear all the messages that are concerned about getting out of Iraq or putting more money into domestic needs are going to continue to come over this way,” Friedrich said. “And that’s why we’re getting a lot of new supporters in the last couple of weeks from his last visit here, a lot of new students especially.” As for a strategy in the dwindling weeks before the caucus, Friedrich said, “I think it’s like everybody else. Just keep putting your candidate in front of all those undecided voters. Let them hear the messages. ... The biggest thing for our campaign has always been that people haven’t been real familiar with Dennis Kucinich and his message so when people are finding out about him on the war, on NAFTA, on health care, especially those three issues, he stacks up very well.” The campaign is banking on Iowa voters’ tendency to “vote with their heart,” as opposed to listening to pollsters and pundits. I asked Kucinich post-debate the one message he hoped Iowa voters took away from his performance. “That I now stand alone in insisting that the United States end the occupation,” he replied. Even fellow anti-war candidate Howard Dean gave him onstage props for his voting against the war in Congress; Kucinich hopes voters will too.
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