Why does Dennis Kucinich have problems in national elections?

[SidneyCarton]

Could it be that he's too honest for his own good? These days a successful politician on the national stage seems to need to be able to tell any particular group of people exactly what they want to hear in order to get elected. As a result, we find an astonishing number of narcissistic, amoral characters inhabiting the higher echelons of government. As Congressman Kucinich has a reputation of saying what he thinks, regardless of the climate surrounding him (a laudable quality, don't get me wrong) he is placed at an immediate disadvantage in comparison to his competition. Another problem with brutal honesty deals with his target audience. Americans are not kind to tellers of unpleasant truths. As a nation we aren't known for our honesty with ourselves, let alone others, so when a man comes up to us and tells us what we don't want to hear, we rarely reward him with high elected office.

What do y'all think?

[lindisfarne]

1. Carter had the same problem with honesty. He dared to tell us to pursue alternative energy sources &

stop wasting energy. We the immature public don't want to be told there's a cost to our actions. The Iran hostages were only the straw that broke the camel's back.

[Captain Hilts]

13. True, but he punched enough of the right tickets, USNA, Navy, governor that he got a hearing...

but folks didn't listen.

[elocs]

2. It's called reality and the real world. Welcome to it.

The reality is that in the real political world DK has risen as high as he will ever go.

[Ron Green]

10. See post #3 to enhance your answer.

[SidneyCarton]

16. That's my point, thank you for summarizing it.

[I Have A Dream]

3. He's not tall and good looking.

Americans are a shallow people for the most part.

:(

[redqueen]

7. Really? Just Americans?

[Captain Hilts]

15. Not just the US. But parliamentary systems make it easier for a skilled politician

to get to the top even if they aren't attractive or particularly charismatic.

Gordon Brown, John Major and likely Thatcher could never have been elected US prez.

Hell, nowadays Churchill couldn't be elected US prez.

[atreides1]

20. No

But the discussion is about an American Congressman, so putting Bersculoni in the mix just doesn't make a lot of sense.

[Hello_Kitty]

23. So is Dennis. He's married to a gorgeous woman half his age.

What was stopping him from falling in love with a frumpy matron?

[redqueen]

25. Heheheh.

:)

[YOY]

27. Not at all like that hunky Gingrich...

Props to Bill Maher.

[SidneyCarton]

34. Newt however is only really attractive to self-important rw nerds like himself

who style themselves as anti-intellectual intellectuals. (Yes that is an oxymoron, but his rabid followers tend to be morons, so...)

[lindisfarne]

28. Humans in general respond to this. If Obama hadn't been a person who smiled so much, he may not have

been elected. If he'd be 5 feet 4 inches, it's doubtful he would have been elected.

That's not to detract from his intelligence, analytic ability, people skills, and so on. But across the votes of a million people, it's going to add some votes.

There's a lot of research in this area and these things do influence people.

Across our population, on average, the taller you are, the more you get paid, for example.

[Ohio Joe]

33. 100% correct - nt

[Auggie]

51. Hate to say it, but I believe that's one reason. The other is that

the corporate-controlled MSM either ignores him or labels him a "nut". Remember the Democratic debates? He got the UFO question.

[glinda]

57. Yes. That is the first impression. Then some people do not take him seriously secondly.

Human animals start on the first "visual" reaction then go on sorting it out from there. This is sad but true.

[Bozita]

4. He doesn't sing from the corporate-owned MSM songbook.

[groovedaddy]

5. It's his message and confrontation of the powers that be, very evident in the way msm

ignores him, for the most part. Notice what happened when John Edwards message shifted from '04 to '08. He started sounding more like Kucinich, hence was given less and less coverage by msm.
It's the message, not the man!

[Winterblues]

6. Didn't he lose his Mayor job for some ethical complaints?

:shrug: I do indeed like what he says but he just doesn't seem to have the weight to throw around to accomplish much. Clinton was Impeached with no co-sponsors on the articles of Impeachment, Kucinich had fourteen co-sponsors and yet allowed the bill to languish and die in committee.

[redqueen]

11. No! Do some research.

Christ.

[S_E_Fudd]

85. No ...but he was a very poor mayor...

And barely survived a recall...

Folks here will tell you he was just sticking up for the little guy, but he was impetious, brash, rude to subordinates and made some every bizarre and disastrous appointments to city agencies...

[Bluenorthwest]

97. And that is why the same people keep sending him to

Congress?

[S_E_Fudd]

98. The fact that W was elected to the white house...

And people like Tom Coburn and Saxby Chambliss are sent to the senate is proof incompetents are sent to congress all the time...

Kucinich is a gadfly with little to no record of accomplishment,...that is why he never gets anywhere...

[quiller4]

108. He treated his subordinates as badly as he treats his peers and current staff.

I'm glad he votes the way he does but I'd never vote for him.

[redqueen]

121. Rude to subordinates? What's that about?

Anyway... actually no... he was doing his job, looking out for the interests of the citizens who elected him.

But if you call it "impetious" (lol) to stand up to powerful bullies and their allies in banking who try to steamroll you into fucking the citizens over, then yeah, he was "impetious".

*roffle*

Oh and hey, welcome to DU.

[Captain Hilts]

8. He's short and looks like Bat Boy. Look at the ribbing Dukakis got for being short and furry.

Sorry, it's the visual. People want tall leaders with deep voices.

[babylonsister]

24. Carter got elected, and he was nothing to write home about. Just sayin'. nt

[SidneyCarton]

41. Carter's problems were two-fold and had little to do with his looks

1. He inherited the collective mess of economic and geopolitical fallout from our adventures in SE Asia and other regions.

2. His opponent in 1980 was arguably the least honest candidate, with the most viciously amoral staff that ever ran for office (prior to 2000)

[NashVegas]

63. He Does Not Look Like Bat Boy

[Hydra]

9. He has problems because he's not part of the noise machine

Quite frankly, I'm surprised he's allowed to speak on most occasions. I'm always happy to hear him, though.

[lamp_shade]

12. Bookmarking.

:popcorn:

[redqueen]

14. Humans are pack animals. Followers by nature.

Look around you. The evidence is everywhere. People prefer to do what "society" says is ok. Doing otherwise might jeopardize them as a member of the group.

It's sad, but people are still very primitive thinkers. Things are changing, but change like that is glacial.

[SidneyCarton]

18. Pack Animals, yeah that sounds about right.

We don't like to think of ourselves in that way (probably comes from the fact that we eat a lot of them) but it's true.

[RaleighNCDUer]

77. We eat herd animals, not pack animals. Pack animals we just kill,

so as to cut down on the competition. Unfortunately, that usually means each other.

[SidneyCarton]

78. You're right, and I think that describing us as a "herd" is probably more accurate.

[redqueen]

82. I didn't think herds followed leaders.

If so, then perhaps.

[SidneyCarton]

109. What would you call a shepherd?

[redqueen]

114. A human guiding animals.

But apparently herd animals do have leaders within the herd, so it works.

[Codeine]

86. Except for you of course, right?

I hate it when "progressives" do that.

[redqueen]

112. lulz

What, cause I said I was an alien?

:eyes:

I tell you what I hate, boneheadedness.

[ecstatic]

17. He doesn't look or sound the part...but no worries, he's just like the rest

of pols out there.

Have you ever taken the time to read his bio?
And what he did back in the days when running for mayor of Cleveland? His old stances, etc? I liked him a lot in 2003 but things are not always what they seem.

[leeroysphitz]

19. Weak chin. Too short. No snappy catch phrase...

[zipplewrath]

21. Building coalitions

Politics is about building coalitions of supporters. Getting people who might not otherwise cooperate with each other to do so. It's not about being the smartest guy in the room or having a good schtick. It's about getting people to work together. Which is why "community organizing" experience can be useful, or working in a DLC kind of environment. One of the hard parts about accomplishing this is that you have to be able to "pick your battles" and not always be "right" in every conversation. You can "speak truth to power" but you have to be willing not to confront others on any and all issues at any and all times. Kucinich has never learned that frequently, the most effective thing one can do is to say nothing, loudly.

[SidneyCarton]

22. This I do agree with, and I think this would be his primary weakness

It is not enough to tell the truth, you have to get people to follow you and not turn every disagreement into a test of will. If he could not do this, then it wouldn't matter if he was right 100% of the time (which I don't think he is) as it alone is not useful without being able to convince others to work with you.

[ZombieHorde]

26. Because of the way he looks and the fact that he is a different.

People vote for flesh. Appearances are more important than reality.

The corporations won't sponsor him because he might change something that matters to them.

[WilliamPitt]

29. $$$$

It's hard to be competitive anywhere if you don't have the campaign cash to build up organizations in key states. If you want to be competitive as a Democrat, you need to be able to build campaign organizations in at least a dozen states. That takes tall money - headquarters, signs, buttons, media contacts, transportation, housing, food, phone banks, direct-mail flyers, lists of voter names and addresses by precinct - and that's on day one.

It's $$$$. Period, end of file.

[Davis_X_Machina]

30. His supporters...

...are hard to deal with in the context of run-of-the-mill politics. Short on practical smarts.

His forces kept the 2004 Maine State Democratic convention in session so long with their resolution calling for the creation of a state Department of Peace that there was some question about the absence of a quorum when the reason why most of us were there, the resolution calling for the impeachment of Bush, finally came to the floor.

Narcissism's a two-way street.

[SidneyCarton]

31. Fair enough...

Though supporters do not necessarily reflect the values of the candidate, consider some of the more rabid PUMA's, these people claimed to support Secretary (then Senator) Clinton, while basically repudiating all that she stood for. That the supporters can be off-putting, (and in your situation they certainly were) sounds like a problem with what Congressman Kucinich seems to be promising to his followers.

[redqueen]

35. Yep. (nt)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

32. Because He's A Looney Tune?

:shrug:

[SidneyCarton]

36. OMC drawing fire on the right flank!!!

:popcorn:

[scheming daemons]

40. +1

[wuushew]

101. -1

[endarkenment]

120. I am so shocked that you would say that. How out of character.

[timtom]

37. He has been aggressively and obviously marginalized

by MSM and agents provocateur. It was so clear in the 2004 debate and following. It is NOT a case of "any number can play". Kucinich stood up to the PTB. Obama, on the other hand, is from the Chicago political arena.

Money talks. America, lacking critical thinking skills, will never get a candidate who can offer substantive change.

And there's always the JFK syndrome...

[SidneyCarton]

38. What is it with the invocation of Chicago politicians?

Surely they can't all be these crooked antichrists of corruption that you and others have implied? Had Obama come from Omaha instead of Chicago, would we all be talking about how corrupt Nebraskan politics are?

[timtom]

89. No, you could be right.

Chicago political machine -- I'm sure it's just a few bad apples.

No, actually, the name is an icon of powerful political machinery.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/12/obama-chicago-p.html

Just one analysis. I'm sure that there's nothing to see really -- just a bad rap (since the 1930's).

[ChipperbackDemocrat]

39. Its pretty simple

1. He's an honest man. This is a man who was shown a grand political future, all he has to do was the do the bidding of the rich...and he said "no".
2. He's an ugly man. Lets be real. He's not from central casting.
3. He's a broke man. He doesn't have money, and doesn't curry favor with the people who can raise the money,

[hayu_lol]

55. Dennis has achieved his pinnacle of the Peter...

Principal at work. He has been in the House for about 15 years. In that time, he has only gotten one...repeat...ONE bill passed.

He is much like Kerry...both stand up from time to time and talk about things that may or may not be of interest. Diebold is in his home territory yet Dennis did nothing to investigate the voting problems caused by this Ohio-based company.

His marriage(candidates just 'gotta' be married)to his underage Limey Hippy Chick was of no importance to the electorate.

Dennis is a frequent speaker, a frequent writer of inconsequential bills, but never fights for support for anything. He essentially is a loner maverick and is treated accordingly on a national scale. Past time for Dennis Do-Nothing to retire.

Like Nader, Kucinich is a perpetual 3% candidate.

For those who feel he is another messiah...do some research.

Dennis was at his peak when he handled a power company problem in Cleveland as Mayor.

[Echo In Light]

42. So obvious as to why corp America would never present DK as "electable" for us to "elect"

Another aspect of how our "elections" are a complete sham, and only continue on as usual because of the large % of suckers who need to buy into the deception for a host of individuated and collective reasons and inducements.

[SidneyCarton]

44. If you really believe this, then why are you still here?

New Zealand is very nice this time of year, as are any number of actually functioning democracies, if you really believe you live in a tyranny that cannot be overthrown, would it not be logical to emigrate, rather than remain in chains?

[Echo In Light]

53. Almost happened a few yrs back, but difficult to manage financially, and w/family ties

My wife's, and my own. My folks wouldn't like not seeing their grand daughter. Anyway, we had the $ at one point, but do not now.

But yes, eventually we'd love to leave this doomed country.

[SidneyCarton]

56. Sorry to hear it, where would you go?

[Echo In Light]

62. At the time it was either Canada or Switzerland - the 1st choice was the compromise..

...thinking it would be easier/closer to go back and visit. Although I wanted Netherlands/Switzerland, as I've heard so many + things. Either way it would be very difficult to just up and leave not knowing what type of living conditions one would find, employment, etc. You'd have to really map it all out ahead of time and hope there weren't too many curve balls encountered.

[Fire1]

43. In our society you've got to play the game. Don't play the

game you don't win. Just that simple.

[SidneyCarton]

46. Yes, I mentioned that upthread

Honesty, when wedded to massive stubbornness, which the Congressman also has, would make it hard for him to get anything done.

[graywarrior]

45. He's small in stature, has a weird haircut, and annoying voice

He's not a senator or a governor. He's too far to the left. He's not an enabler. He speaks the truth.

[SidneyCarton]

47. A weird haircut?

I'll have you know madam, that his haircut is all the rage on Vulcan! And the Duck has told me he likes it too.

[graywarrior]

64. What he does not have and needs desperately is a duck's ass haircut.

Add a pack of smokes rolled up in the sleeve of his t-shirt and he's cool as a moose.

[WI_DEM]

48. because he keeps running for president instead of senator or governor

basically members of the house don't have much luck in presidential elections. He isn't a statewide name even in Ohio (which he also always loses in the primaries for president). I've said this many times--DK would be taken seriously if he won a statewide election in Ohio. He should have run for either Governor or Senator in 2006 when both were open.

[SidneyCarton]

50. His ambition outdistances his capabilities

suggests a degree of arrogance, doesn't it?

[The Blue Flower]

49. I worked on his campaign on 04

I deeply admire Dennis' honesty and intelligence, and when I first heard him speak, I saw a man of great stature. I heard him speak more than a dozen times and love what he said and the energy he inspired. But I came to believe he simply doesn't have the political skills to organize properly, and he seemed to have a tin ear when it came to critical decision-making on the best use of the organization he did have. When he was asked about UFO's, he should have seen what would happen if he answered the way he did. During the 08 campaign, the Seattle P-I devoted all of page A-3 to him, mentioning virtually nothing about his political stance and writing only about his UFO sighting.

I think his marriage to a woman just a few years older than his daughter made him look like just another guy going through a midlife crisis, despite the fact that he's supposed to be so highly evolved. Flame if you will, but I was very much on his side, still agree with him on everything, and laud his courage. When he speaks publicly, he's very charismatic and creates great energy, but just can't seem to get it together politically, even to pull together support for his positions in Congress. I think it's sad, and there's no point in making blanket generalizations about it being about his looks.

[SidneyCarton]

52. No flames from me, I think you bring up excellent points

n/t

[redqueen]

54. Best answer yet.

Besides mine, of course. :P

[SidneyCarton]

58. All that talent and modest too?

:P

[redqueen]

61. ...

:7

[Kingofalldems]

59. Freepers posing as Democrats hate him

[SidneyCarton]

60. That's a pretty powerful accusation, do you have any facts to back it up?

[Freddie Stubbs]

68. Freepers posing as Democrats online pretend to be Kucinich supporters

Which is why he appears to have so much online support, but does so poorly in Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses.

[RaleighNCDUer]

84. I think you are right, in part -

I believe there are a great many RWers who pose as lefties on-line in an attempt to discredit the left.
The make outrageous statements, take extreme positions, and try to say that "we" all believe this, so as to prod the centrists into denouncing the lefties, driving a wedge between us.

[Kingofalldems]

93. Oh the irony-Funny you showed up

I am not a supporter of Kucinich but I will show him the respect he deserves.

[unpossibles]

65. This will not be a popular answer, but here's my take

He simply does not represent the majority of Americans on too many issues.

Personally, I like him on many things (although not all), but I don't really represent America at large either. In other words, despite me and you thinking he'd make a good President, if he doesn't appeal to most Americans, then he doesn't appeal to most Americans.

Do I think the media shuts him out? Yes, but they also shut out the likes of Ron Paul, another person who I feel is a bit more extreme than most Americans are. I don't think either is fair or good for the nation: both of them and probably many independent candidates would benefit from having an actual more honest media, but it still boils down to "do enough people support his platform?" and I think the answer would be "no."

[SidneyCarton]

66. I think you're probably right.

I don't necessarily think he'd make a good President, and many of the posters upthread have said what I think as well. It doesn't matter how often he's right (it's easy to be right after the fact anyway) if he could not work the system in such a manner to govern effectively. Being right alone will not make one a good President, it does help however.

[unpossibles]

69. good point nt

[NYC Democrat]

87. DING DING DING!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

[RaleighNCDUer]

90. And I think the answer is 'yes' - he just seem incapable of presenting it well.

I will never forget in the primaries, the labor forum for the candidates where they all spoke and got varying amounts of applause, but Kucinich was the ONLY one to get cheers with his speech. The majority in the country want universal health care - either a public option or single payer. So does DK. The majority believe that DADT should be repealed. So does DK.

On item after item he IS in line with the majority of the public. When you talk issues, not 'left' or 'right', the public tends much more left than they think they are. The people would support his platform, if they were honestly told what it was, but he fails to get the message out, the media obfuscates his positions and calls him 'radical', and he IS short and funny looking.

[unpossibles]

96. Oh, I agree that on some issues he is very aligned with America

but imo, his stance on gun control alone will sink his chances. And there are some other things that people will just not agree to.

[NashVegas]

67. Because He's Happy In His Role of Stalking Horse

Kucinich is old enough to have been around long enough to understand why some candidates go onto the nomination - and POTUS office - while others fall by the road.

If he truly wanted the presidency, he would NEVER have cut the deals he did in Iowa 2004, when he corralled his voters to keep Dean from winning, and in 2008, when he shipped his people over to Obama.

The moment he cut those deals and publicized them, he announced to everyone he wasn't going to challenge the party establishment, and everyone knows it except a few straggling dreamers who refuse to see past his neat tricks.

[XemaSab]

94. And to expand on your posts, he sent his voters over to DLC Edwards in Iowa in 2004

n/t

[ContinentalOp]

70. Because he's an odd little elf who believes in UFOs.

:shrug:

[RaleighNCDUer]

71. We can't HANDLE the truth!

(Channeling Col. Jessup)

[Yukari Yakumo]

72. His problems are many.

1. He lacks political acumen needed to be even thought of as a contender.
He has very few friends in Washington. He has never demonstrated the skill he would need to be even considered an average President. That skill would be the ability to compromise. If you examine his tenure as Cleveland's mayor, you'd realize he would be a left-wing version of Chimpenfurher.

2. He lacks the competency to run a remotely efficient campaign.
His campaign is inefficient and seemed to have been planned poorly. However, it also seemed to be an excuse for something else. '04 seemed like he was trolling for dates. And '08? Well, look where he campaigned, places such as Hawaii. '08 wasn't a campaign, it was an excuse to go on vacation on the donors' dime.

3. He stuck his foot in his mouth way too many times to be thought of as serious.
The UFO incident, his association with celebrity loon Shirley MacLaine, his strange policies (Dept. of Peace, among many others)...

4. He's a flip-flopper of the worst sort, and opportunistic one.
Guess who was anti-choice and anti-stem cell research until barely a week before announcing his '04 campaign.

[SidneyCarton]

75. Fascinating, thank you for your input.

[redqueen]

80. 1. What about his tenure as mayor makes you say he'd be a left-wing "Chimpenfurher"?

2. :rofl: Meanwhile, back in realityland... he actually has lots of support in Hawaii, and campaigned in other, much less exotic locales. Nice try though.

3. Yeah.

4. What other issues did he flip flop on?

[Yukari Yakumo]

104. Why his tenure as mayor makes you say he'd be a left-wing "Chimpenfurher"

From The American Mayor by Melvin G. Holli

Only thirty-one years old when elected, Cleveland's "boy mayor" had failings that were not the sins of venality or graft for personal gain, but rather matters of style, temperament, and bad judgment in office. Kucinich earned seventh place the hard way: by his abrasive, intemperate, and chaotic administration. He barely survived a recall vote just ten months in office, then disappeared for five weeks, reportedly recuperating from an ulcer. When he got back into the political fray, his demagogic rhetoric and slash-and-burn political style got him into serious trouble when he stubbornly refused to compromise and led Cleveland into financial default in late 1978 - the first major city to default since the Great Depression. That led also to Kucinich's defeat and exit from executive office. <...> Bad judgment, demagoguery, and default also spelled political failure in the eyes of twenty-five of our experts, who ranked Dennis, whom the press called "Dennis the Menace", as seventh-worst.

Bad judgment, demagoguery, financial irresponsibility... Who does that remind you of?

[redqueen]

111. Surprisingly fact-free. Got a link for that?

Also, you do know the reasons for, and the results of, that stubborn refuse to compromise, don't you?

Please say yes.

[flvegan]

73. Because Americans need a pile of things to bitch about.

Yeah, DK has problems with organizing, raising money. He's in the House and not the Senate. As far as him being short and goofy looking...W got elected twice, and Dennis can actually speak competent English. McCain is as short and twice as goofy looking.

But c'mon, we're all a bunch of sheep that believe what our politicians promise when they campaign. We choked down all the "change" we could handle thrown at us from Hillary and Obama. Now we're shocked SHOCKED that Obama isn't what he campaigned exactly. Well, let's imagine if folks were faced with the premise of Dennis delivering as we were faced with Obama delivering.

Troops coming home, wars ending. How do I bitch about the wars and the cost and the deaths and W?

Supporting gay marriage. How will I bitch about equality and the civil rights of people I know, love and care about?

Slam dunks on the SCOTUS. How will I bitch about the future of Roe v Wade, women's rights, justice?

That whole health care thing. How will I continue to bitch about that? That's a huge bone of contention.

Accountability and prosecuting Bush, et al. How will I live not being able to continue to bitch about Bush/Cheney/Rove?

Imagine having a President that basically tells the religious right to sit down and shut the fuck up. You think that the murderers of doctors would NOT be charged with terrorism or the genesis of a law that extends the definition of terrorism to cover that sort of thing with Kucinich at the helm?

Would Kucinich have been 100% successful? We'll never know. Well, maybe in 2016 we'll get to see him try.

I could go on and on, but this is already too many words. We Americans live to bitch and complain about every possible thing. God forbid we lose that.

I don't mean for this to take away from Obama. I'm glad we have a dem president, and I know he's a thousand times better than our alternative. But I did vote for Kucinich when I had the chance, because frankly, I'm sick of bitching.

[SidneyCarton]

76. Fair enough, and you make your point eloquently and forcefully

I have to agree, we love to gripe, we could be handed Paradise and we'd gripe about the texture of the ambrosia, or some such nonsense.

[zulchzulu]

74. He seems to not be able to get people to actually help him run decently

I've known Kucinich supporters from 2004 and 2008 that go out in the street with signs they buy, buttons they buy, materials they print out and large banners they get produced and go to farmer's markets and other events.

Always great people... it just seems like the main HQ doesn't appreciate them...

I do remember back in 2003 in the fall when Kucinich was going to speak at the Fighting Bob Fest in Baraboo, WI (I have video somewhere...) and I knew the guy who was going to pick him and his campaign manager at the Madison airport and take him back and forth to the event (50 miles each way). When he picked him up and tried to exchange niceties, Kucinich was a real prick and basically just told him to drive and not talk. This guy footed the drive and paid for the gas. On the way back, the guy was told just to drive... and both Kucinich and his CM just read stuff and barely said anything. The guy lost interest in his campaign after that.

That said, who knows what's in store...

[monkshood]

105. a person might think it is all about the money and media....

....until you join the campaign. Huge amounts of money wasted, volunteers ignored, bad decisions like not campaigning in Iowa. There was a great online action center this time around but campaign ignored the thousands of volunteers, we were just talking to ourselves. Meanwhile on DU and other alternative news sites where there are thousands of activists, not too many were actually helping and many were instead supporting John Edwards, who worked to sell the Iraq war with a speech straight from Cheney.

After campaigning for Kucinich in 2004 and 2008, I came to the conclusion that as much as the volunteers wanted him to win, he really wasn't trying. Like someone up thread said, he didn't even help challenge the election in 2004 when it was stolen in his state. There have been many times when the left needed him to lead and he was nowhere to be found. At this point I think the entire US Congress was chosen and planted by the powers that be, including Kucinich whose job it is to attract the motivated activists and lead them to nowhere.

I too have met him in person and was shocked by the fact that he was not what I thought he would be. He evaded important questions about the Downing Street Memos and what activists could actually do to create change. It seemed that he only came to our town to raise money. He even verbally attacked a woman for asking about why he didn't fight the stolen election. I left with a horribly depressed feeling like 'shit, he's just one of them too'. I thought he was different, a real man of the people...but instead he seemed like another actor.

[fascisthunter]

79. most bashing the man hate the left in general

it not about the man, but about ideology. Just read the obvious posts above... they have nothing but generalized insults to throw at him. Nothing rational... why? Because then they'd have to come out into the iopen and admit they are far to the right.

To answer your question: lack of financial support, and that includes the media.

[Individualist]

83. Precisely!

DLC hates the left.

[marmar]

92. That's my general sense of it too.....

The ones who label him a looney and attack him most vociferously tend to do the same to liberals in general.

[XemaSab]

95. If most democrats are too far to the right to appreciate DK

then what does that say about the man?

[fascisthunter]

110. who said they were Democrats... they could be

I'll also include republican-like corpoprate whores who do reside in the democratic party.

[nadinbrzezinski]

81. We even told him in 2004 in Hawaii

he SUCKS at the 30 second bumper sticker shtick.

He really sucks at it.

It is a skill... and he does not have it.

[LiberalFighter]

88. Because he is a US Representative. Not a Governor or even a Senator.

He only has to worry about getting elected by those in his district. He hasn't been tested on anything close on the national level.

The only way a US Representative would have a chance to win is if both nominees were Representatives.

The only way a US Representative would have a chance to even be a nominee is if they had just served as the Vice President. And I don't think many if any have even served as Vice President after just being a Representative.

[SoCalDem]

91. He's not a "commanding presence"

He's made comments about UFOs. Early-on, he was marginalized by the media, made light of, and you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Big, tall handsome men (and cute women) get a second look sometimes, but small nebbishy guys rarely do.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

99. Politics in America is decided by salesmanship rather than ideology.

It's rare, indeed, that the best person is elected to the White House. It is even rarer that they are elected because they are the best qualified. And, even rarer that they are elected because of ideology.

Kucinich is further handicapped because he tells the truth. Which is regarded by most successful politicians as a commodity that mostly serves as a detriment to success...and is highly plastic.

[Bluenorthwest]

100. Because the American voter need a huge hype machine

and that hype machine is controlled by people who are threatened by Dennis's policies. The DNC treats him like a nut, as does the media, for the same reasons they portrayed Howard Dean as a screaming rage monster.

[Jennicut]

102. Maybe because he seems a bit strange?

I don't if I have a problem with his ideas as much as his overall wackiness factor is high. Why didn't Mike Gravel or Ron Paul get more support? Why did Ross Perot not win in 1992?

[Bluenorthwest]

103. Americans fear anyone of any difference

and some are even proud to announce such attitudes.

[Freddie Stubbs]

106. What could be more different than a biracial guy with an islamic-sounding name?

A woman would be different too, but we had one of those, and she placed a close second to Obama in the Democratic primaries.

[Echo In Light]

116. Especially left-leaning difference, though. THAT'S the key factor

America is far more militant/authoritarian than what many care to admit.

[redqueen]

117. 50 years of corporate propaganda have paid off extremely well. (nt)

[Echo In Light]

118. Yes. It 'normalizes' those anti-human, greed based, corporate "values."

[mvd]

107. It's not just Dennis

No person as liberal as he is has had a reasonable chance at winning the Democratic nomination lately. Maybe we just need Obama to succeed, and then people will be more open.

[Kaleva]

113. He has no Elvis in him

[Spike89]

115. Doesn't work well with others

For better or worse, we have a party system and despite media storylines focused on the individuals, it is a party nomination that we are talking about. Dennis doesn't play the party game...he doesn't trade votes. He won't vote for the good and acheivable over the great and unreachable.

I wish his policies were law, but he doesn't have the skills to build a coalition to make that happen. In fact, he has a better chance as a congressman getting something started than he ever would as president. With current and foreseeable politics, Kucinich's role isn't likely to be more than a scold and much needed example of what a left-leaning politician really looks like.

[mvd]

119. I'm not sure we could say what he'd do once President

I do believe he'd be more forceful than President Obama has been, but in Congress, what we see is a "my way" attitude because he can.

That said, I'm fine with him in Congress, because I think he's one of a kind there.

[Spike89]

122. Agreed, I was talking about why he can't get there

The party nomination process is never going to result in a true "out of the blue" winner. You must have an organization and allies within the party. Dennis doesn't have that. He's almost the definition of the outsider. True populism rarely is allowed at the top of the ticket, and never when the populist is known in advance. Heck, even FDR had to originally campaign as basically a republican his 1st term, then "surprised" almost everyone by being much more liberal than he'd campaigned as.

Part of reason some of us who love Dennis' politics but are reluctant to vote for him is the question of whether he could adapt his style if he were president (and would we really want him to?), but that is another topic.