Let Dennis Debate
Originally published in the Nation
editorial | posted October 4, 2007 (October 22, 2007 issue)
Let Dennis Debate
Dennis Kucinich concluded his smart, pointed yet good-humored participation in the latest Democratic presidential debate by telling the crowd at Dartmouth College that they could have a President who has consistently opposed the war in Iraq, defended civil liberties and fought for single-payer healthcare. "Or," he said, "you can have a President who is tall." Unfortunately, the next President is likely to be of a different stature than the Congressman from Cleveland. But it is far too early to elbow Kucinich off the debate platform. It is troubling that a former big-city mayor, veteran Congressman and one of the earliest and most consistent critics of a war opposed by the vast majority of Americans has already been excluded from some high-profile candidate forums. And it is unacceptable that political and media "deciders" are beginning to angle for more exclusive debates.
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