I’ve been supporting Kucinich all year – technically I’m supporting him still, although of course I’ll vote for Kerry in November. I’m painfully aware of how little support DJK has managed to drum up this year, and why:
First, he’s a nerd. He looks like a middle-aged Alfred E. Neumann with dark hair. He’s a vegan, and that’s a little out there even for me. Some of his rhetoric is a little New Agey. (Not compared to, say, the people in the Natural Law Party, but who pays any attention to them?)
Second, he’s too far to the left. He represents the views of a minority wing of the Democratic Party – a very substantial minority, to be sure, possibly a large enough minority to split off and form its own party, but still a minority. And even that minority want an electable candidate, and we are painfully aware that we are far to the left of the mainstream of opinion among the American people at this period. No leftist, no liberal, no Democrat wants to risk losing this election.
When Kucinich started running, I remember thinking, “I like this guy, he would make the best president we’ve had since Truman, and I’m going to fight to get his message out there. But if he actually gets the nomination, he’ll lose as surely as McGovern lost in 1972, and for the same reason: Because the American people are not ready for a sharp turn to the left.”
And then commentators started comparing that middle-of-the-road, pro-gun-rights, upper-crust preppie Dean to McGovern! Which shows just how conservative the political center-of-gravity is in the U.S. right now. Anyway, the Democratic voters in the early-primary states ultimately decided to, as one commentator put it, “Date a Dean, marry a Kerry.” I.e., start out with the dangerous, exciting guy, but settle down with a safe, solid one.
I just hope Kucinich stays in Congress for a long time to come.