# Dennis Kucinich announces for president (again) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 12, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877 "2006-12-12T22:18:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/21 "2006-12-15T21:30:03Z")
Of course, it’s not necessarily a quixotic effort even if he has no hope of winning and knows it. He could still have a beneficial effect. From [_The Nation:_](http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070101/nichols)] > [@](#): > > Still, Kucinich’s candidacy merits attention because his presence in the debates–which should be assured by his status as a former mayor of Cleveland and a six-term Congressman re-elected this year with 66 percent of the vote–should sharpen the discussion among Democrats regarding the war. As Kucinich rightly points out, that sharpening is needed in a party that still struggles with the question of an exit strategy. > > This time around, many antiwar Democrats focused on the potential candidacy of Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, an early and consistent opponent of the war. But after the election Feingold decided to remain in the Senate, where he will chair key subcommittees on the Constitution and Africa. > > Kucinich has decided to try to fill the void, saying he will bring a blunt antiwar message to the campaign trail and to every debate. In particular, he will take on Democrats who have voted to keep funding the war. Kucinich argues that Congress should provide the money for an orderly withdrawal of US troops from Iraq but that it should not continue to meet Defense Department demands for continued funding of a long-term military presence there. “Unless and until Congress decides to force a new direction by cutting off funds, the United States will continue to occupy Iraq and have a destabilizing presence in the Middle East region,” argues Kucinich, who wants Democrats to challenge supplemental funding requests from the Pentagon. If whoever ultimately gets the nomination is forced to copy that position or something like it, we (and the Iraqis) shall be much better off than if DK had sat this one out. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/22 "2006-12-16T07:04:39Z")
He’s announced he’s running? This can’t be right. Santa would never allow it until after the holidays. The elves are all busy making all those toys this time of year. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/23 "2006-12-17T19:07:02Z")
[QUOTE=foolsguinea] Uh, no? Removing the “clutter” is what makes Presidential primaries in my home state meaningless! “Oh, Missouri, that’s just like Iowa, right?” :mad: [/QUOTE] It depends on which part of Missouri you’re in–West Illinois, East Kansas, North Arkansas, or South Iowa. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/24 "2006-12-18T20:10:49Z")
Well, he’s my congressman. I disagree with some of his positions, and I did not vote for him. But I will say that I respect him and we could do worse. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/25 "2006-12-18T20:23:05Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] I’m glad he’s running. He’s going to give Harold Stassen a run for the money for the record number of White House runs. [/QUOTE] I thought Henry Clay held that title. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/26 "2006-12-18T21:47:40Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Santa would never allow it until after the holidays. [/QUOTE] You lost me on that one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/27 "2006-12-18T21:49:56Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] I’m glad he’s running. He’s going to give Harold Stassen a run for the money for the record number of White House runs. [/QUOTE] Don’t jump the gun, this is only DK’s second run. He’s not even in Henry Clay’s class yet. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/28 "2006-12-18T21:55:49Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Don’t jump the gun, this is only DK’s second run. He’s not even in Henry Clay’s class yet. [/QUOTE] Beat ya to it, but I was wrong, at least according to **Hal Briston’s** [post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8068181&postcount=32) in the Simpsons Christmas episode thread. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/29 "2006-12-18T22:13:08Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] You lost me on that one. 🙂 [/QUOTE] It’s a snarky reference to DK’s “elven” [physical appearance](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Denniskucinich.jpg) . . . I **think**. . . ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/30 "2006-12-19T00:34:20Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] It’s a snarky reference to DK’s “elven” [physical appearance](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Denniskucinich.jpg) . . . I **think**. . . [/QUOTE] Looks sort of like [Henry Clay](http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/fi/000000a5.jpg) to me. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/31 "2006-12-19T00:40:03Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Any chance this will be less of a quixotic effort than his 2004 run? [/QUOTE] In response to the OP, probably not. He’s just to stand up, nice guy, can’t we all just get along to live in the real world. I wish it were different. Somewhere between Howard Dean’s refusal to debate lowering the cost of prescription drugs, “Because you just can’t” and Dennis Kucinich, “Won’t you even _try?_” lies trvth. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/32 "2006-12-19T00:50:58Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] In response to the OP, probably not. He’s just to stand up, nice guy, can’t we all just get along to live in the real world. I wish it were different. [/QUOTE] Mebbeso, but see post #21. Gotta move them goalposts! There’s more than one **kind** of victory! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/33 "2006-12-19T00:52:34Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Looks sort of like [Henry Clay](http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/fi/000000a5.jpg) to me. [/QUOTE] Well, that’s not as discouraging a comparison as it sounds . . . Clay never **won** the presidency, but at least he was always taken seriously, and the Whig “American System” policies found a new and successful incarnation in the Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/34 "2006-12-19T01:00:40Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Mebbeso, but see post #21. [/QUOTE] I think he will be saying, “If we are going to leave, let’s not screw around. Leave now!”, the Republicans will be saying some version of stay the course/don’t look like wimps/sacrifice in vain, and the guy who wins will maintain, “we screwed up their country. We need to fix it.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/35 "2006-12-19T01:02:27Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] I think he will be saying, “If we are going to leave, let’s not screw around. Leave now!”, the Republicans will be saying some version of stay the course/don’t look like wimps/sacrifice in vain, and the guy who wins will maintain, “we screwed up their country. We need to fix it.” [/QUOTE] How exactly would that differ from “stay the course”? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/36 "2006-12-19T01:15:53Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] You lost me on that one. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Just picture him in a floppy green felt hat and shoes with little bells on them. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/37 "2006-12-19T01:18:21Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Just picture him in a floppy green felt hat and shoes with little bells on them. [/QUOTE] Fits W better. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/38 "2006-12-19T01:48:50Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] How exactly would that differ from “stay the course”? [/QUOTE] If I knew that, _I’d_ run. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/39 "2006-12-19T08:03:13Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Fits W better. [/QUOTE] No, sorry. I’m no fan of W, but DK is much more of a cartoon character. ---
**Author:** ![Satyagrahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@Satyagrahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satyagrahi)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877/40 "2006-12-19T18:11:49Z")
I don’t know much of what he’s done in the last decade or two but, back when he was still wet behind those big ears, and mayor of Cleveland, Dennis won my heart by saying this on the national news: “Life isn’t a funeral march to the grave. It’s a polka!” We need more politicians like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-kucinich-announces-for-president-again/383877.md?page=3)