Kucinich says he's in race for long haul
A story that's been written a thousand times, each journalist apparently imagining that he's the only one who's thought of it. At least this one actually mentions Kucinich's second place showing in Hawaii, an event that is apparently unknown to the rest of the media. Originally published in the Akron Beacon Journal
Posted on Sun, Feb. 29, 2004
Kucinich says he's in race for long haul
Despite poor showing in primaries, Democrat from Ohio has hope
By Carl Chancellor
Beacon Journal staff writer
It seemed strangely fitting that after his surprising second-place finish in the Hawaii caucus, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich hung out with the Planetary Bandits, a popular Maui rock/jazz fusion band.
Most political pundits believed that Kucinich at best had his head in the stars, and more than likely was a bit spacy to even consider a run for the presidency of the United States.
But almost halfway through the primary season, Kucinich is still in the race after more heavily touted and financed candidates have thrown in the towel.
``This election is far from over. There's still a long way to go, and no one has wrapped it up yet. It's still anyone's election,'' proclaimed Kucinich as he sat in the rear of a passenger van heading to one of several campaign stops in Cleveland last week.
Certainly there is a lot to be said for unbridled optimism, but when does reality settle in?
Kucinich's second-place finish in Hawaii earned him six delegates to the Democratic convention this summer. After a full two months of primary and caucus contests, Kucinich has a grand total of eight delegates.
Front-runner Sen. John Kerry has 676. North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who has been surging as of late, has 199. Even the Rev. Al Sharpton, considered the other long shot in the race, has 16 delegates.
Up until the Hawaii caucus, Kucinich had registered more than single digits only one time, when he garnered 16 percent of the vote in Maine.
In Ohio, his home turf, Kucinich is predicted to pull 7 percent to 11 percent of the vote.
Kucinich refused to predict how he would do Tuesday in Ohio, other than to say that the goal is ``to get some delegates.''
The 5-foot-6-inch Kucinich loves to compare himself to the famed racehorse Seabiscuit, who was known for coming from behind to win. Kucinich often tells detractors that just like Seabiscuit, ``We're a little bit small and have little spindly legs, but we're going to burst from the back of the pack and take this race.''
Not only is the Kucinich campaign polling in the single digits, but his fund-raising efforts also lag far behind the front-runners. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Kerry has raised $28 million, Edwards $14.5 million, and Kucinich $6.2 million.
Despite the obstacles, Kucinich continues to insist that he is not only electable, but that he also can beat Bush.
On his Web site -- www.kucinich.us -- Kucinich notes that he has ``repeatedly defeated entrenched incumbents.'' He points to his victory in 1977 that made him Cleveland's youngest mayor, his election in 1994 to the Ohio Senate, and most recently in 1996, when he beat the Republican incumbent Martin Hoke to win his congressional seat.
``I'm in this all the way. It's important that America has a candidate that will get this country out of Iraq, out of the WTO and out of NAFTA... who has a plan for universal, not-for-profit health care....
``My campaign is for the soul of the Democratic party, and I will keep Democrats true to that soul.... The soul is jobs. The soul is health care. The soul is peace,'' he said.
Rick Farmer, professor of political science at the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, said that even if Kucinich fails to win many delegates during the primary process, he successfully transformed himself into a national figure.
``This presidential run has given him a platform to talk about his issues. He wouldn't have had the opportunity to talk about those issues in the same way if he hadn't made this run,'' said Farmer. He said Kucinich has become the spokesman for the progressive/liberal agenda.
``He has built himself a national platform and has raised his profile significantly. I would say that Dennis Kucinich is almost, and I stress almost, a household word in America. That wasn't the case before this campaign,'' Farmer said.
So what's in Kucinich's future?
Despite his insistence that he can still be his party's presidential nominee, Kucinich will most likely be returned to Congress in the fall despite facing a primary challenge from Democrat George Pulling.
There are also four Republicans on the ballot Tuesday who are hoping for a chance at Kucinich's 10th Congressional District seat, but none appears to be a serious threat to beat him in November.
There has been speculation among some political watchers and even from those within the Kucinich camp that the congressman may be looking past the Democratic presidential nomination to a run for a statewide office, including a possible bid in 2006 for the U.S. Senate seat held by Mike DeWine.
Kucinich refuses to address such speculation, insisting that he is focused only on his presidential bid.
``My candidacy gives people real choice.... This primary can still turn.... When this started there were 10 and now there are four. When it's three, I will be one of the three. When it gets down to two, I will be one them....
``Just like Seabiscuit, I can go the distance.''
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