Kucinich draws crowd, cheers in Carrboro
Originally published in the Herald Sun
Kucinich draws crowd, cheers in Carrboro
BY ERIC FERRERI : The Herald-Sun
Apr 4, 2004 : 10:17 pm ET
CARRBORO -- Even in this giddy crowd of sun-worshipping optimists, it was hard to find anyone Sunday willing to admit that their candidate for president, Dennis Kucinich, really had a shot at the Democratic nomination.
To many attending Kucinich's afternoon campaign stop at the local farmers' market, the point was to show support.
Kucinich rolled into town to the cheers of several hundred people, many in lawn chairs enjoying the warm sun, others lolling on the grass eating picnic lunches behind the market's gazebo. It was festive, it was cheerful, and it was hopeful. His local supporters hoped the rally would help Kucinich drum up some support for the state's April 17 Democratic presidential caucus.
No matter that Kucinich's chances at overtaking Democratic frontrunner John Kerry were nil.
"I would be surprised if anyone seriously thought that he could be the Democratic nominee," said Eric Hodge of Carrboro. "It's more about him having an effect on the process."
Kucinich, a U.S. representative from Ohio, is running on a progressive platform that includes the elimination of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the creation of a national health care program. His success nationally has been limited.
In stopping by Sunday, Kucinich picked up a nifty proclamation -- April 4 is now, officially, Dennis Kucinich Day in Carrboro -- and appeared to inspire the masses.
He spoke emphatically for about 15 minutes, his voice never wavering as he trumpeted his key issues and took several swipes at the Bush administration.
He called for the U.S. to pull its troops out of Iraq in favor of United Nations peacekeepers, adding that the nation should relinquish its oil contracts there as well.
He pointed to the atrocities in the Iraqi city of Fallujah earlier this week -- in which four Americans were killed and their bodies publicly mutilated -- as evidence that military intervention wasn't working.
"We're getting deeper and deeper into this, rather than getting on a path out," he said. "The whole world is waiting to see if America is going to take a new direction. You cannot create peace through the force of arms."
Once finished, Kucinich received a rousing standing ovation.
John Crane of Raleigh was another who wasn't fooling himself into thinking his favorite candidate could overtake Kerry. But Crane said he hoped Kucinich could play a role in crafting the Democratic Party's platform. The problem, Crane said, was that Kucinich had been marginalized by the media, so much so that it was hard to find out what he believed.
"He's a legitimate candidate. He's been in Congress for four terms," Crane said. "He's gotten totally ignored by mainstream news. If people knew his policies, he'd have more support."
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