Kucinich still could be factor in presidential race
I'm glad to see people finally realizing this. Originally published in the Miami Herald
Posted on Fri, Mar. 12, 2004
PERSPECTIVE: Kucinich still could be factor in presidential race
MALIA RULON
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - A long shot in the presidential race, Rep. Dennis Kucinich may yet be a player in the Democratic Party's bid for the White House.
Ohio is widely seen as one of the most important battleground states for the 2004 election. Cuyahoga County, which includes Kucinich's hometown of Cleveland, is a must-win region because it boasts the state's highest percentage of Democratic voters.
That means if Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry wins the Democratic Party's nomination, which he is expected to do, he still may need Kucinich's help to win Ohio in November.
"Cleveland is key, and within Cleveland, Kucinich is key," said John Edgell, a former chief of staff for Kucinich who is now a Washington lobbyist.
The state's longest-serving Democratic member of Congress agreed.
"Turnout in Cleveland is critical and I think Dennis Kucinich and (Cleveland Congresswoman) Stephanie Tubbs Jones are essential in that," said Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo.
Kerry asked the Ohio lawmakers to help his campaign in a closed-door meeting with members of the U.S. House on Thursday, Kaptur said.
"We as a delegation are committed to that," she said.
Kucinich still hasn't quit his own race in the presidential primary, but said his ultimate goal is helping the Democratic Party regain the White House.
"The issue now isn't of who the nominee is. The people have spoken. Now, the issue is what does the Democratic Party stand for?" Kucinich said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press.
Kucinich agreed that Cleveland will play an important role in November and pointed to Democrat Al Gore's strong showing in that area before the former vice president decided to pull out of the state in the 2000 race.
"Historically, you've got to come out of Cuyahoga County with a huge vote," Kucinich said. "That's my back yard. That's me. That's where I'm working."
Paul Beck, a political science professor from Ohio State University, said that if Kucinich can provide any kind of advantage to the Democratic nominee in Cleveland, they'll have to court him.
"They obviously would want to approach him and try to get his help," Beck said.
Fellow OSU political science professor Herb Asher, who has studied state politics for 30 years, said former Sen. John Glenn and Rep. Louis Stokes also could play important roles in helping Kerry win the state.
"Probably another critical element will be how active the mayors are since we have Democratic mayors in all the large Ohio cities," Asher said.
Beyond Ohio, Kucinich still could have a role in the race because he's able to attract the most liberal voters in the Democratic Party, including the ones who are most likely to splinter off and vote for independent candidate Ralph Nader.
Nader ran as a Green Party nominee in 2000 and has been widely criticized for siphoning votes away from Gore. Kucinich is ideologically similar to Nader on economic and social issues.
"His new prominence ... is going to help with those folks who are concerned that we've left those progressives behind," said Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Dan Trevas. "Dennis will be outstanding with that."
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