Vanity candidates: Say goodbye Carol, Dennis and Al

[Freddie Stubbs]

The lamentations of vanity candidates are many. The term applies to those who continue to insist on media exposure even though all indications are they have little, if any, chance of victory.

Such candidates can become a dangerous distraction. A new haircut, a crisply pressed suit and impassioned remarks to the party faithful can keep a marginal presidential candidate alive, but the exercise will serve only to weaken the eventual primary winner, draining resources and driving him or her toward the fringes. Out of money and saddled with goofy positions is not the place to be when starting a general election campaign, not in today's world of paid television and strategies aimed at winning the moderate center in large swing states such as Ohio.

Among Democrats vying for their party's presidential nomination, Dennis Kucinich has become one of the biggest whiners among vanity candidates. He argues the media are unfairly narrowing the field with obsessive ``horse race'' coverage when all most outlets are doings is reporting the facts: Kucinich has single-digit support among primary voters in key states and is struggling to raise money.

The Cleveland congressman should get out of the presidential race and concentrate on getting re-elected in his district.

more: http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/editorial/7344753.htm

[demnan]

1. I disagree

I'm glad the forum is open and ideas are on the table. How often do most Americans hear from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, anyway? We need to be inclusive of our liberal wing up to and including the party platform or risk losing them to some Green candidate who is willing to represent them.

[OhioStateProgressive]

2. akron...the beacon of progressive thought...pfff(nt)

[helleborient]

3. Last I knew, Democracy is about having choices (n/t)

[el_gato]

4. the one candidate who actually reflects my values DK

he needs to stay in there just to keep the debate democratic
instead of republicrat.

[Racenut20]

5. Not a fan of Dennis....BUT HE MIGHT SAY,

Why don't others like Dean, Lieberman, Edwards, etc etc. get out of the race and leave the primary's to one who actually represents the party in both verb and deed.

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

32. Darn tootin', Racenut

n/t
:)

[MuseRider]

6. VANITY candidates?

Kucinich did not ask to run he was asked to run. So because the "centrists" and the media have decided he should go quietly he should just abandon the people who work for him? Distracting? There are a lot of us out here hanging on to this party by the skin of our teeth because someone finally comes along we can support and people have the nerve to insult us and they also want our votes? Hmmmm. Makes no sense at all. Who else is going to put these ideas out there? Negotiation started from just left of an already pulled to the right center will get you no where my friends.

[dvddrone]

7. Umm..... no thanks.

I like them, Kucinich most of all. I have yet to find an issue on which I disagree with his position. I'm seriously considering voting for Kucinich in the CA primary.

They bring issues and diversity to the table and I think that's important. Carol's the *only* woman in the race (Hello!) and Al's certainly saved more than one debate from mind-numbing dullness. Sharpton used to just be annoying but now I kind of like the guy.

For me, it's not about "the horserace" it's about what they have to say on the issues and whether or not I want to hear it. Right now, I still want to hear from all three of them.

Elizabeth

[MuseRider]

11. If anyone

besides us is watching the debates they will see that this is a party filled with ideas, many are different among the candidates. Whoever may be disgusted by the lock step of the right wing may decide based on this that a vote for the democrat is a vote for new ideas and openness to many opinions. If I try to place myself as a conservative (not an easy thing) I would find this lock step to be very disturbing and I am certain that I would be looking for alternatives. They are all 3 well spoken and have great ideas to bring this country back to the people. To lose them would be a shame and would hurt us in the long run IMO.

[sandnsea]

8. Dennis needs to stay to the end

Al and Lieberman need to go now. Carol, she'll go soon enough because she has not money. That will leave:

Gephardt, Dean, Edwards, Kerry, Clark & Kucinich. That's a debate I want to see.

[helleborient]

12. Why exclude anyone?

I'm not sure I get it...why not have all the voices?

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. Then why not Lyndon LaRouche or Randy Crow?

http://www.randycrow.com

[helleborient]

18. If they would follow the rules of the debate...

And could make the travel commitment, sure, include them.

Or...have a clear set of rules that excludes them...

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. Do you really want a debate with 45 candidates?

There has to be some way of determining who is a serious candidate and who is not.

[sandnsea]

26. They'll go eventually

That's all. Sooner or later it's time to get down to electing a President, not just presenting views from various segments of the party.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

9. I totally agree with this article.

Its time to narrow the field down to the more serious candidates. If they know they can't win, why do they stick around? To take speaking time away from other candidates? It doesn't make sense.

Kucinich, Moseley-Braun, Sharpton, and Lieberman all need to drop out. I know they won't because (aside from Lieberman) they're probably all gunning for the VP nomination.

[lastliberalintexas]

19. Lieberman still leads

in many polls, both statewide and national. Why would he drop out now, before a single vote had been cast?

For that matter, why would any of them drop out before the 1st primary? Who gets to decide who our "serious" candidates are?

Leave it to the voters. After all, they are the ones who are supposed to decide these things.

[Mikhale]

22. Just so you know

you're not quite the last liberal in Texas.

[Mikhale]

21. Dear Canadian Friends

who have more than two parties to choose from in a parliamentary system may be lucky. But, they may not have the same perspective as those 'Yanks' who would be the loudest to scream if Dennis' base of support, both traditional and non-traditional, is divorced from the Democratic Party. Let's put it this way: I endeavor to be the kind of loyal American Democrat Dennis wants me to be.

[redqueen]

23. Welcome to DU, Mikhale!

:hi:

[Rainbowreflect]

10. So to hell with those of us who support someone you decided

is a "vanity Candidate".
I want someone who stand for what I stand for & fights for what is important to me. I will vote for Dennis in the primary even if it is a write in vote. Then I will vote for whomever get the dem nomination aginst bush.

[Kolesar]

13. Hard to believe--the Beacon Journal won a Pulitzer Prize

Obviously, it was not for lame ass unsubstantiated writing like this.

The only "dangerous distraction" Dennis is providing is a distraction from warmonger Bush's unrelenting lie that he protected us from terrorists by invading an Arab country.

[democratreformed]

15. Since when

have most media outlet "just reported the facts"? LOL!!!!!!

[Myra]

16. Guess it's not too surprising

The media whores want fewer outspoken opponents
in the public eye. Just can't swat them away
fast enough. Give the 'Merkan sheeple fewer voices
and choices, quick! That's what they need!

[democratreformed]

17. Also,

I think it is up to the people to decide who is a viable candidat - NOT the media.

[loyalsister]

20. Include Leiberman

and I agree. I like what Moseley Braun has to say, quite often. Sharpton gets some good one liners in occassionally. But as for Leiberman and DK, the presidential primary is not supposed to be a soapbox for moralizing or grandstanding. Since the ask supporters for time and effort, I firmly believe that people should run if they expect to have a chance to be elected and\or get things done (sometimes people run as place holders to force the opposition to spend money and political capital. I hope neither has that in mind). Neither has a chance.

[NNadir]

29. Let them have some primary defeats first.

There is normally not this much attention to Presidential candidates this far in advance. Certainly it is not ordinary for them to be raising as much money as they have this early. (Bush was an exception; he had his bribe machine going early and the bribers got everything they asked from the bribee.) The reason is that most people of good will have been paying attention this year; this is the worst danger to our republic since the civil war.

I think it's perfectly appropriate for these candidates to remain in the race, even if it's just to assuage their egos. None of them have been defeated as of yet in a formal vote. Some of them have impassioned supporters, even if they number very few. Not everyone is as selfless and realistic as Bob Graham.

Once a few primary votes have been held, I hope that the candidates who are marginal will 'fess up and quit. In the meantime they serve to steel the candidate who will prevail against the negativity that will surely come from that 300 million dollars in bribes that has been collected for 2004.

[Padraig18]

25. It's too early for anyone else to drop out

Not a vote has been cast. If they have the commitment and the cash, they should stay in. The more voices there are giving * and the GOP holy hell, the better.

[Zomby Woof]

27. goofy positions?

Funny, I thought it was this backwards, self-centered, xenophobic, racist, greedy, war-mongering, empty, plastic, soulless, bourgeois American culture that was goofy, and passing up a chance at REAL greatness by NOT voting for those candidates, rather than the corporatized manufactured empty suit kind approved by Disney and Time Warner. Check your local listings.

[xJlM]

28. You need to learn the facts before you spout off like that

Dennis Kucinich will have no problem being re-elected to his House seat if he doesn't run for president.

We haven't even had the first primary yet, and you want folks to leave the race? Should I laugh at you, or just ignore you...?

[Desertrose]

30. what a buncha crap that passes for journalism

I love it when someone else determines who should and shouldn't run...and vanity?? dennis Kucinich?? I thought he answered Judy Woodfluff quite well on Inside Politics today on just that topic...


http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0311/25/ip.00.html
WOODRUFF: Congressman, I want to ask you about some criticism that you and your campaign press secretary have leveled at that time news media toward their coverage of your campaign, saying essentially the media had given you short (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

I want to quote an Ohio newspaper today, the "Akron Beacon Journal," which bluntly today editorializes "Vanity candidates" -- and they include you -- "can be a distraction." But "the exercise will serve only to weaken the eventual primary winner, draining resources and driving him or her toward the fringes." It says you should get out of the race and concentrate on getting reelected in your congressional district.

KUCINICH: Well, they don't really represent the people that I represent. And let me say this, that I want to know why it's a vanity candidacy when I'm calling for the end of the occupation of Iraq, which I think is something that many Americans agree with.

You know, why is this a marginal candidacy when I'm calling for universal single payer healthcare, Medicare for all? You know, where are all of the other candidates in calling for tuition-free college education? You know, I'm calling for end of tax cuts to the wealthy and end of war and the end of this occupation.

Now, I think that when people hear what I have to say, they are ready to vote for me. So I'm glad to see, Judy, that you're giving me this chance to get my message out.

You know, I've been in Congress now for four terms. I'm co-chair of the largest caucus in the Democratic Party. And I've been leading the effort in the Congress to challenge the administration's march towards war.


Vanity candidate...what a bunch of crap...

[MrSoundAndVision]

31. Dennis is a whiner? Am I a whiner coward?

You're all frontal lobe, you know.

I've said it to others I'll say it to you: lowsy formulaist. Can't look at the issues and decide for yourself, so you echo the right wing media. Poor follower.

I say, and more importantly Kucinich says, that slave labor, even under the umbrella of the WTO, is wrong, and we should fight against it, not compromise with it.

[jiacinto]

33. Well

I agree.