When is Ohio's primary?

It seems to me that Kucinich would be well-past done on the national campaign trail with more than enough time to campaign for the primary, if the primary is anytime after April.

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by: Unabridged @ Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 14:19:04 PM UTC

March

same day as the Presidential primary.

in 2004, I thin Kucinich got like 25% in his CD in the Presidential primary

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by: RBH @ Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 14:33:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Don Quixote rides again!

Kucinich presidential run likely will end in time for him to refocus on the House primary, but that may not make a difference.  Have seen polls that the Democrats in the district are simply fed up with his inattention to the district caused by his Don Quixote like fascination with running for the White House.

I suspect he is in very real trouble and might well be taken out in the primary, and it is entirely self inflicted.  The district Democrats don't have policy issues with him per say, it is effectiveness issues.  They feel abandoned by him on Capitol Hill and they have had enough.  Should he survive the primary somehow he should be fine against which ever sacrificial lamb the GOP throws at him.

Won't shed crocodile tears for him if he is defeated either as he really is not very effective, and his merging of Catholicism with New Age spiritual beliefs really does make him one odd bird so to speak.

"My name's Dr. Multimillionaire and I kicked your ass." -- Rep. Steve Kagen D-WI to Karl Rove

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by: walja @ Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 16:57:30 PM UTC

Well, if Kucinich was in "real trouble" and "might well be taken out in the primary"...

... it didn't happen in 2008, "self inflicted" or otherwise.  You lot can try again in 2010 if it be your thing.  As for the general, even though some describe Trakas (forgive me if I misspelled that) as not exactly your typical sacrificial lamb, I suspect he will beat him, as well.

Don't worry, you won't be pressed on whether or not you planned to shed "crocodile tears" even if he had lost, which thanks to both his local and national bases of support, he didn't.  We still have use for our "odd bird", if that's OK with you.

Two more years for "Don Quixote"!  Congratulations!

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by: Bluer Ohio @ Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 20:33:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What "huge implications"?

Did I go to sleep and miss Dennis Kucinich being relevant to anything?

Good riddance, for heaven's sake. The man is a laughingstock and Cleveland ought to be embarrassed.

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by: ColoDem @ Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 19:40:50 PM UTC

Well...

Huge implications for Dennis.  Who knows.  Maybe Special K will have to skip a Prez debate or two.

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by: James L. @ Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 20:07:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

LOL

Dude, I think he's got ya there. :)

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by: DavidNYC @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 01:05:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Apparently not "embarassed" enough...

to ditch their "laughingstock" just yet.

Sorry, we think he's still relevant.  He managed to get the impeachment bill on its way to debate, even if most Dems were too cowardly to do it, and reality-challenged Repubs had to dare the Dems to actually hold Bush accountable for his numerous crimes.  Too bad Steny Hoyer, Mr. Beltway Boy himself, undermined that completely, making the Dems once again look like a bunch of wimps who will allow the Repubs to get away with just about everything, and will undercut Pelosi every time she attempts to hold them accountable.

But you go...  ignore the kind of things Hoyer does and take all your anger out on Kucinich.  I'm sure that will make you feel better... bullies traditionally find scapegoats for their true problems because they don't have the courage to face and defeat them, and would rather find a convenient whipping boy.

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by: Bluer Ohio @ Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 20:39:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I just love how...

... these primary challenger seem intent on purging the House of its progressives.  First Cynthia McKinney, now Dennis Kucinich.  So many complain that the Democrats don't do enough to challenge Bush, but those voices that have the courage to do so get the message that they are "crazy"... that they are "embarassments";  no wonder Nancy Pelosi "took impeachment off the table".

I just wish the people backing these primary challengers would turn their focus on primary-ing out the most conservative Dems in the House, not to mention the Senate.  For all the grass and netroots effort put into Ned Lamont's primary challenge in CT-SEN, Lieberman is still the Senate (and probably will be till 2012), something that won't be able to be said about Dennis Kucinich in the House if efforts like DePiero's succeed.

Meanwhile, Dianne Feinstein has gone without ever having gotten a serious primary challenge, even as she has voted for the war, CAFTA, every version of the Patriot Act since 2001 onward, and voted to send the judicial nomination of Southwick out of committee to the Senate floor; and that's only the tip of the iceberg of Republican-lite votes she's cast, after being reelected time and again from a state as blue as California.

Memo to these primary challengers -- perhaps it would be smart to purge the Congress of the Bush enablers before going after the progressives, even if said progressives don't always meet certain people's definition of charisma.

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by: Bluer Ohio @ Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 20:39:20 PM UTC

Ridiculous revisionism

Cynthia McKinney is about to run as the VP candidate for the Green Party in 2008.  What a loyal Progressive Democrat.  Anyone recall what true Progressive Ralph Nader did to America and Democrats in 2000? Anyone who assults Police officers doing their duty is an embarrassment to Democrats and Progressives everywhere.  She got what she deserved. 

Kucinich is not being challenged in the primary because his is "progressive" he is being challenged because he is ignoring his district while tilting at political windmills and the needs of the district are being ignored. 

So your shallow analysis is about a suspect as Fred Thompson's claim on Hannity and Colmes that Iranians are killing Americans in Iraq "As we speak".

Give me a freaking break.

If they behaved in office, and did their job, McKinney would still be in Congress, and Kucinich would not be facing a contested primary.

To claim it is motivated by an effort to purge Progressives is ludicrous.  Get a grip dude.

"My name's Dr. Multimillionaire and I kicked your ass." -- Rep. Steve Kagen D-WI to Karl Rove

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by: walja @ Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 21:27:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

three times primaried out

Much of  what you say is probably correct, and few would wish to champion all the controversies with which she was associated. But one might note that the Georgia Party tried three times to primary her out of her seat in Congress (twice, successfully), and when the voters returned her for her sixth term, the Democratic caucus refused to restore her seniority. So it is a little bit disingenuous to complain that she might, after all that, be "disloyal" to the party. She turned a deaf ear to the Green Party's attempts to recruit her, before the Democrats threw her out, according to Wikipedia. The evidence suggests she would have preferred to remain in Congress, as a Democrat.

I don't miss the way she frequently either blurted out things herself that revealed deplorable opinions, or was surrounded by people who expressed deplorable opinions. But she was a consistent, early, and loud opponent of Republican military adventurism, and I did like that.

I was worried about Congressman Johnson, at first, but he does seem to be doing a good job.

Complaining that "they" mount primary challenges to progressives, instead of to conservative Democrats, isn't right, either. It's not the same "they." In each district different factors are usually at work. And some credible primary challenges to conservative Democrats have certainly been mounted in recent cycles. This cycle, Al Wynn may lose to one. I hope he does.

Half the population believes our electoral system is broken. The other half believes it is fixed. Wakeuplaughing.com  

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by: Christopher Walker @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 11:03:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

McKinney lost me when she attacked a Police officer

I would have voted McKinney over Denise Majette, for example, as Majette was a complete homophobe, and I do not vote for homophobes, Democrat or Republican.

However, once McKinney physically attacked another person that was unacceptable.  Her violent act indicates an emotional instability that I will not accept in public officials when given an acceptable alternative, and Hank Johnson was an acceptable alternative who has actually exceeded my expectations so far.


"My name's Dr. Multimillionaire and I kicked your ass." -- Rep. Steve Kagen D-WI to Karl Rove

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by: walja @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 21:30:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

on the same page I think

Hank Johnson was an acceptable alternative who has actually exceeded my expectations so far.

Well, I think I'd agree with that.

Half the population believes our electoral system is broken. The other half believes it is fixed. Wakeuplaughing.com  

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by: Christopher Walker @ Sun Sep 09, 2007 at 12:43:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

flirting with Greens for money?

Ron at Politics1.com may have shed some light on this in his morning posting: the Greens are helping her pay off her campaign debts.

http://www.politics1...

Maybe she's just stringing them along.
She's basically out of the picture in any case. 

Half the population believes our electoral system is broken. The other half believes it is fixed. Wakeuplaughing.com  

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by: Christopher Walker @ Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 16:07:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Umm actually

I'm quite glad that we got rid of Cynthia McKinney... talk about tarnishing the Democratic brand by making news of being completely anti-semetic or by assaulting a capitol police guard... and our replacement? Actually, he's more progressive than she is, and he probably didn't have to spend much money to take her out anyways.

I think most Democrats' problem with Kucinich is not his voting record per say, but the fact that they think he's a shitty representative to their district, probably after neglecting them for what will be 3 years after running for president. I don't necessarily agree with it in this case, but I do respect people for trying to become the better representative.

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by: KainIIIC @ Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 21:29:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

are you concerned that Congress

is full of anti-Palestinian bigots?

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by: Carl Nyberg @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 19:35:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You are equating . . .

. . . anti-Semitism with Israel policy.  The two are NOT synonymous.  Cynthia McKinney regularly blamed her local travails-- having absolutely nothing to do with America's foreign policy toward Israel or any other nation-- on "the Jews."  When she lost a primary to Denise Majette a few years back, she openly stated that "the Jews" were responsible for her loss, meaning Jewish citizens of THIS country.  Make no mistake: Cynthia McKinney is a blatant anti-Semite, and we, as Democrats, are better off without her!

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by: The Caped Composer @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 20:16:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

you don't think U.S. policy is bigoted

against Palestinians? U.S. policy denies Palestinians their basic human rights, no?

Do you have a reference for your claim about Cynthia McKinney blaming "the Jews" or is it just something you heard from someone trying to manipulate you against a politician because of her views on Israel/Palestine?

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by: Carl Nyberg @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 20:30:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You'll have to find another blog

On which to debate US policy. This is a horserace politics blog.

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by: DavidNYC @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 22:08:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

you didn't object to the comment about

McKinney being anti-semitic, but you're gonna complain about the statement asking for supporting evidence?

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by: Carl Nyberg @ Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 02:38:44 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

A few things

1) If you think you will score points by trying to trap me in what you (wrongly) perceive as a hypocritical move, you are mistaken.

2) It was amply clear, by my use of the word "policy," that I was referring to this remark of yours, not your remarks about McKinney: "you don't think U.S. policy is bigoted against Palestinians? U.S. policy denies Palestinians their basic human rights, no?"

3) The fact that you chose to willfully ignore your attempt to discuss the merits of alleged U.S. policy here - by instead claiming I was responding to your remarks about McKinney - speaks very poorly of your honesty.

I have no obligation to be patient with you or kind toward you for any reason. It goes without saying that I would have no problem whatsoever banning you should I choose to do so. If you wish to avoid that fate, I suggest that you respect this site and the wishes of its proprietor.

Again, this is not a site about policy. This is a site about horserace politics. If you want to discuss policy, go elsewhere.

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by: DavidNYC @ Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 03:44:51 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeesh

Hank Johnson is the 9th-most progressive member of the Democratic caucus.

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by: DavidNYC @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 18:20:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Might want to check that ranking again...

In any case, Progressive Punch is not a reliable gauge of who is progressive and who isn't.  For example, if they had a more stable methodology, Hank Johnson wouldn't now rank as the 50th.  Or perhaps when he realized that he no longer needed to reassure the voters who repeatedly put Cynthia into office (because he was more and more secure for reelection, especially after Cynthia announced that she was no longer going to contest her former district), he began to show his true colors.  I expect him to sink lower and lower as time goes by.

And that's something that doesn't surprise me, considering I knew someone in Cynthia's district who knew what Hank was about before Johnson won, and his inevitable slide further and further down PP's ranking is par for the course for his type.  I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes one of the people the CBC Monitor has to follow closely after not too much longer.

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by: Bluer Ohio @ Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 20:25:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

McKinney is a difficult boss

but I fully support her as being an important voice on foreign policy issues.

I have much less respect for Kucinich. He's a relatively ineffective legislator. I also feel that Kucinich is the stopped-clock of Left Wing politics. He keeps repeating a knee-jerk Lefty analysis. Sometimes he's right, but it's more by happenstance than thoughtful analysis.

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by: Carl Nyberg @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 19:33:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

McKinney????

That anti-Semitic lunatic???  I'm astonished that any self-respecting Democrat has any kind words to say about her!

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by: The Caped Composer @ Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 19:56:06 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Israel bullies portray McKinney

as anti-semitic to intimidate others who would criticize Israel.

You are either a chump or a liar.

What has McKinney said about anti-semitism?

"Anyone who makes blanket denunciations of Jews or 'the Jew' is certainly not a supporter of mine, not a staff member, not a consultant to, nor is welcome to be a volunteer in my campaign."

Anyone who uses suspect allegations of anti-semitism should have a credibility problem in the Dem primary.

Have Clinton, Obama and Edwards denounced people who make bad-faith allegations of anti-semitism?

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by: Carl Nyberg @ Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 02:45:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thank God!

Cleveland can do a lot better than that left-wingnut Kucinich. He is a disgrace to the DEM party and every time I see him, I consider becoming an independent.

I can only hope that Mr. Kucinich goes into a lovely and quiet retirement, far away from politics!

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by: bonncaruso @ Sun Sep 09, 2007 at 11:09:41 AM UTC

Kucinich makes you want to become an indie?

You can't be for real.  The guy has zero sway.

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by: James L. @ Sun Sep 09, 2007 at 16:42:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Kucinich and Indies

But he can open his mouth enough to do damage to the DEMS. I am just sick of seeing the radical frings elements of both parties trying (in the case of the GOP, succeeding) in hijacking the party...

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by: bonncaruso @ Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 14:53:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well, you're going to have to try again in 2010...

... as far as hoping Cleveland "does better" than that "left-wingnut", because they just put him back in for another two years.  Keep hoping for that "lovely and quite retirement, far away from politics", though.  While you do that, we will remain vigilant, defending him from far-right and corporate-based attacks.

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by: Bluer Ohio @ Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 20:28:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]