Convention Report: Reactions from Kucinich's Supporters after the Delivery of his Speech
A convention report from the Kucinich website:
With the thrill of long anticipation, after a full and active week, hundreds of Kucinich supporters had the pleasure of hearing Dennis Kucinich address the Democratic Convention at the Fleet Center in Boston on Wednesday night.
Viewing the speech on tv sets installed in the halls of Emmanuel College, the standing- room-only crowd had to quickly establish some rules: "We had a former teacher there who threatened to give us a long time out if we dared to even cheer. So we were very contained. But inside there were tears, and it was just this urge, this energy that had to get released, but we couldn't because we did not want to miss a word. We waved our hands in the air instead," said Jim Carpenter of Milwaukee, Wisconsin .
"The way Dennis opened his arms and looked at all the people before he started delivering his speech was so wonderful, so fantastic. He included all the Democrats and said that we are all one. He was smiling so beautifully, I think he embraced the whole group, every color and every persuasion," said Bunny Daubner of Vermont. "How he said that the right and the left and the center were all part of the Democratic Party, was very unifying," she added.
Carpenter, who is also a member of the Backbone Campaign, said "I think he did a magnificent job in walking on the tight rope that he was forced to do. Dennis used the word courage many times, so in my mind I kept substituting the word backbone for courage." Carpenter agrees that the only way to continue the progressive movement is through unity with John Kerry. "I can wait for tomorrow [when the new organization Progressive Democrats for America will be announced] to continue this work. I'm just so energized to continue working on changing this world. We have no other choice, and we owe it to our grandchildren," he said.
"I have heard Dennis make more direct statements," said David Trotter of Seattle, Washington, "but the one thing that he did do tonight was to send a lot of strong messages to the party, to the Kerry people and the DNC that we are here to stay; that we are going to be pushing on very strong issues, on the peace issue, on the jobs issues, on health care issues, and that we are not going to let those go." For Trotter, when
Dennis said in tonight's speech, "We will carry Kerry and Kerry will carry us," it meant that John Kerry must now answer to the Kucinich supporters who will help him win this election.
Tad Daley, former Kucinich Issues Director, felt that Kucinich belted a "homerun" for his supporters: "I think Dennis clearly indicated that our mission is to work our tails off to get John Kerry elected on November 2 and then to get up on the morning of November 3 and start working like crazy to make John Kerry the kind of president that we want him to be." Daley believes that the vision Kucinich articulated "eventually will lead to our peace and our passion permanently prevailing. We all won tonight, because we are on the road to a better world and a brighter future. The kind of things that this campaign is all about will come to fruition one day," he said. "This year may belong to others, but this century belongs to us."
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