Gravel or Kucinich?

[Bicoastal]

If the primary was tomorrow and they were the only two candidates....who would you cast your vote for?

[Maddy McCall]

1. If a frog had wings...

I don't know enough about Gravel to even consider voting for him. :shrug:

[NoPasaran]

2. Sometimes you feel like a nut

[postulater]

6. Our local newspaper had that photo

on the front page on the day my wife and I got married.

Hell did freeze over that day. Jan. 26 and about -10F.

[ashling]

3. Gravel makes Kucinich look downright mainstream

LOL

[Alexander]

4. Kucinich doesn't support a flat tax like Gravel.

I like Gravel's passion and one-liners but some of his ideas are not very well-thought out.

[Mz Pip]

5. Gravel reminds me of

that guy that ran with Perot. :shrug:

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Suich]

31. That's exactly what I thought!

Mr. Gravel was born in 1930. Here's a thread from earlier:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x779368

Don't know if you saw it or not........

:)

[high density]

7. Don't know much about Gravel beyond "Fair Tax"

But that's about all I need to know...

[AliceBlitzstein]

8. These two were ignored and given BS questions

Notice how Brian Williams said "Thank you Senator" to all of the candidates except Kucinich and Gravel, who got at most "Your time is up." They also cut them both out of the camera for many of the group shots. MSNBC was so biased I thought I was watching the Chinese Communist Party News Network.

Richardson struck back with refusing to answer a BS question about "Castro's Cuba" and answered a "Presidential" question about war, ignoring Brian William's silly commentary, that was masterful. Obama ditched some dumb question and talked about responding to terrorism, and Gravel's "potted plant" comment did not go unnoticed.

All the candidates did a good job dealing with idiot moderator Brian Williams, and wow did Gravel put some perspective on things. He was right about the tactics that are available if the Democrats are serious about ending the war.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

9. If the primary was tomorrow and these were the only two candidates,

I would look to see if I had accidentally engaged my Infinite Improbability Drive, and hope that I had dressed accordingly for the strange world on which I had landed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Thanks for the fish and all of that

this is the best comment so far on this

[ReadTomPaine]

24. If a small potted plant lands next to you..

run!

;)

[SmellsLikeDeanSpirit]

11. I voted for Gravel, but I'd happily have both of them.

I just like Mike's "I'm mad as hell and I ain't going to take it anymore" style. Mike was easily the highlight of the night not only in style but in substance.

Although I did think DK had the best line of the night something to the affect of "stopping global warming and global warring."

[dave_p]

15. Mad as hell

"I just like Mike's 'I'm mad as hell and I ain't going to take it anymore' style."

Me too. Question is, after the hell everyone's been through these past years whey weren't they all mad as hell and not going to take it anymore?

[dfgrbac]

34. There top tier was not mad as hell because ...

They are members of the Imperial (don't rock the boat) elite. In other words, keep the people in the dark and under control.

[question everything]

12. Neither. Will be another loser

four more years of Republican White House and perhaps the beginning of the end of the Democratic party.

Wait, OK, let's have only these two. This will ensure the drafting of Gore to save us from ourselves.

Just a reminder: the President is the Commander in Chief and these two bozos showed yesterday that they have no desire to be one.

[dave_p]

14. Fightin' spirit

They're doomed to lose and take the party with them? I thought you were "question everything"?

You sure as hell lose if you don't fight for it. These two are fighters. Don't confuse appeasement of warmongering with real fight.

[dave_p]

13. DK

Kucinich. Gravel is a fine man with profound insights that offer America a better future and a more secure position in the world, but sadly his tax scheme sucks. Kucinich is distinguished by his breathtakingly fearless and consistent critique of the warmongering mentality that's exposed the US to global antipathy and a failed war.

Kucinich-Gravel. Gravel-Kucinich. I'd be happy with either. Obama too. Ditch the GOP Lite, I don't want four more years.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Don1]

17. Isn't it against the rules to bash Democrats around here?

Isn't it or did they change the rules?

[Bucky]

22. Hmmm. Interesting question. At what point does no bashing mean "no criticizing"?

I think the expression of a general opinion is cool. What you can't do is call a Democrat a nazi or similar invective. Disaster, while not very nice, seems like a fair assessment to make if one really feels that way. I'm sure you don't want the mods policing peoples' actual opinions, do you?

[Don1]

18. These guys should run together.

They would make an awesome team.

[dave_p]

19. Yes

Enough of "balanced tickets": Run somebody decent with a crypto-GOP slimeball? It's time Democrats stuck to their beliefs and actually founght a campaign. It's be a first in my memory: "We're just like them, but nicer" kinda loses some of its luster in these circumstances.

If they don't kick butt, don't bother with them. There's one issue here - forget whining about the plight of the "middle class" (every other country calls them working class, btw, but they're not so terrified of the notion), the oh-so-poor farmer who owns half of Kansas or the down-at-heel local avionics manufacturer, it's about whether the US wants to play a civilized role in the world or be an international pariah. Another Democrat war presidency we can live without.

[NoPasaran]

21. Maybe in a three-legged race

As candidates all they would achieve is four more years of republican tyranny.

[mtnsnake]

20. I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should support Kucinich, period, in the primaries.

He's the only true peace candidate (maybe Gravel, too).

He's the only one passionate about impeachment.

He's for diplomacy over anything else.

Why this man doesn't get more recognition is beyond belief. It's a shame, really.

[dfgrbac]

23. Gravel all the way!

Four years ago, I voted for Dennis Kucinich in the primary. He was the only one expressing my views. This time I have two candidates expressing my views, and Mike Gravel does it best.

I have been supporting Gravel's National Initiative for Democracy ever since it started a few years ago. The reason is that our political system has now become so corrupted that only we the people can save it through our own action. No matter who we elect of the top tier candidates, we will continue down the same path to destruction because the system is rigged against us. We must change it ourselves, and Mike Gravel gives us a way to do that.

[SOS]

25. Is Gravel really running for President?

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION: Did this idea of running for president just occur to you when you woke up one morning and looked in the mirror?

GRAVEL: No, that gentleman sitting right there called me a year ago February--his name is Jeff Peters --and he said, Mike, the only way you're going to make the national initiative known, you're going to have to run for president. And I says you're out of your mind. In no way, shape do I want to run for president. And about five months later I came to the conclusion that it is the only way.

So Gravel is "running" to push his National Initiative for Democracy. Before signing up, it might be prudent to find out what Gravel is promoting:

"National Initiative for Democracy, a legislative package sponsored by The Democracy Foundation (www.ni4d.us), a non-profit IRS 501 C (3) corporation, that includes an Amendment to the Constitution and a Federal Law. The Democracy Amendment 1) amends the Constitution asserting the legislative powers of the people, 2) outlaws the use of monies not from natural persons in initiative elections, 3) creates an Electoral Trust (vital to maintain citizen lawmaking independent of representative government) and defines the role of its trustees, and 4) legitimizes the national election conducted by Philadelphia II, a non-profit IRS 501 C (4) corporation, giving Americans the opportunity to vote on the National Initiative."

If past if prologue, it doesn't look promising:

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION: Well let me ask you about your third Senate race; what happened there? Why weren't you re-elected?

GRAVEL: Well for the very simple reason that I'd slowly alienated almost all of the people who had supported me before. Secondly, I didn't really want to run, but I had no place to go.

(interview took place 4/17/07)

[ChiciB1]

26. Sorry, Messages From Both are Spot On... But America or Amerika

ain't gonna get CLOSE to either one! We need some SUPER repair that will take YEARS, before this type of "liberalism" will be palatable!

Most Congressmen and Senators KNOW this is Political Suicide! McGovern is the MOST wonderful, fantastic, intelligent person I ever supported, but even BEFORE BFEE... he got slaughtered!!!

With Limpballs, Coulter, Hannity and all the rest, both of these people are simply fodder for their cause!! And unfortunately, Clinton (Hillary) is also included here too.... they salivate when they think about her being our nominee! Perhaps the do even more than SALIVATE!

[jcrew2001]

27. Kooch

I like the Kooch's wife,she's pretty.

[Colobo]

28. I would stay home.

[Phoonzang]

29. I'd stay home...

..and drink myself into a stupor. Neither candidate has a change in hell of winning. If I HAD to pick, I guess Gravel. He's not as much of a long-shot (putting it politely) as the K-man.

[joshcryer]

30. Oh Kucinich. :)

Been watching Kucinich videos for the last few hours. I respect him more than any of the other candidates. I wish he didn't have such a huge uphill battle. If he gains in the polls I may well have to campaign for him.

[Jelybe903]

32. Only on True Personality

My impression only...Mike Gavel represents politics "old style" The you got to listen! Ram it down your throat ! My way or the highway...Dosn't he get it...republican or democrat we have all had enough of that mentality in government...explain it to me...tell me why...give me a reasonable stance to understand your point and I'll attempt to listen to your side. But if you try to tell me that thats the way it is...because I said so...I'm going to prove to you why your wrong! In this case no support.

Mr. Gavel may as well stop right here and give any money he raised for his campaigned back..cause it ain't happening!

[dfgrbac]

35. Don't count your chickens.

We'll see if it happens.

And by the way, without democracy we as a nation are lost. And with our continued aggression, probably so is the rest of the world.

[stuartrida]

33. I'd hold my nose and vote for Kucinich if nominated

but he is my least favorite candidate.