Kucinich Loses House Seat in Ohio

[wormyguy]

So the argument is "Kucinich used to be similar to Kaptur therefore he should have lost to Kaptur."  Somewhat circular, no?

[Oakvale]

So the argument is "Kucinich used to be similar to Kaptur therefore he should have lost to Kaptur."  Somewhat circular, no?

No, the argument is that Kucinich is one of the most shameless opportunists in Congress, literally 'pals around' with murderous dictators, and thus deserved to lose to Kaptur. Hell, he deserved to lose, period.

How Kucinich managed to reinvent himself as some kind of paragon of liberal integrity is beyond me, but it happened.

[bgwah]

If Kucinich's goal was to just get re-elected indefinitely, then he obviously wouldn't have taken the stances he did.

[wormyguy]

If Kucinich's goal was to just get re-elected indefinitely, then he obviously wouldn't have taken the stances he did.

And if his shift was purely to fuel his presidential campaigns, he would've flip-flopped back after '08.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

I don't hate Kucinich at all. Nor do I disapprove of Gaddafi quite as much as I do of those who clamored for his murder. I just like Kaptur better than the Natural Law Party. Besides, Cleveland already has a fine Representative in Marcia Fudge. Toledo doesn't.

I agree 100%

[ModerateCoward]

What with the Kucinich bashing going on in not only this particular thread but the forum?

His "support" for Gaddafi. It's quite ridiculous.

My issue with him has nothing to do with that (though it is quite repulsive). I don't care for him because he's a political chameleon whose only consistent belief throughout his career is that he should be re-elected. He's a lot like Mitt Romney.

Umm....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayoral_administration_of_Dennis_Kucinich

Instead of reading the whitewhashed version of his administration as uploaded by his staffers to Wikipedia, I would recommend this: http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/the-king-of-spin/Content?oid=1503534

Yet almost 30 years later, Kucinich has managed to recast this period as his greatest triumph. In the revised telling, this isn't a story of a mayor who hurled the city into chaos with startling swiftness. It's a rewritten David and Goliath tale, with Kucinich playing the role as the only man with the cojones to stand up to corruption and nefarious corporations. His presidential campaign paints a man of sturdy principles, unsinkable optimism, and untainted liberal bona fides — a mythology now being regurgitated by everyone from supporters to the national media.

But if history tells us anything, it's that Kucinich will play any role to his advantage — be it race-baiter or liberal purist — only to spin himself a new image the next day. It's a formula that hasn't changed in 40 years.

Soon he was running for Congress, having cast aside his reputation as boy bombaster for the more palatable image of good West Side Catholic. The new Kucinich wasn't a career politician, but a working man himself — pro-labor, pro-family — and naturally against anything his constituents loathed, be it abortion or flag-burning, the morning-after pill or gay marriage.

The myth of the Muny Light fight became his new mantra, with campaign workers passing out bright yellow bumper stickers that read, "Because he was right."

With his run for president, Kucinich is no longer catering to the blue-collar West Side, but the American left. He's no longer anti-gay, anti-abortion Cleveland Catholic, but a pro-choice, anti-war vegan bent on being the most liberal of the Democratic field. Ask supporters for his greatest accomplishments, and they'll inevitably raise the myth of Muny Light. But Kucinich carefully avoids the rest of his past.

etc., etc.

And your article isn't biased at all(read the entire thing). It's basically doing the same thing as all the right-wingers who say Obama is responsible for all this mess. There were existing problems in Cleveland when he became mayor. All the cities were declining in the 70s in US.

[Sibboleth]

The truth wrt Kucinich's term as Mayor is somewhere in between.

[Governor Scott]

He changed his mind on one major issue.  One!  Kaptur has been consistent in her conservative views.

[ModerateCoward]

The truth wrt Kucinich's term as Mayor is somewhere in between.

It's pretty obvious he isn't the best fit to be an executive, but he is good champion of left-wing causes, and that's why he was good to have in Congress. This also shows fault with entire representation system of US, local representatives should be non-political if we are going to have locally elected representatives whose entire job is to bring pork to the district, national issues should be decided by a Parliament where people vote for parties and ideologies.

[Paul Kemp]

Kucinich has always been a joke. Hopefully this is the last we'll hear of him.

[wormyguy]

I love how all our "moderate" Dems are so in favor of a woman whose main claim to fame in her early years in congress was that she was a frequent call-in guest on Chuck Harder's Alex Jones-esque radio talk show.

[ModerateCoward]

I love how all our "moderate" Dems are so in favor of a woman whose main claim to fame in her early years in congress was that she was a frequent call-in guest on Chuck Harder's Alex Jones-esque radio talk show.

You have to understand though, the very principled would make poor executives.

[Meeker]

What with the Kucinich bashing going on in not only this particular thread but the forum?

His "support" for Gaddafi. It's quite ridiculous.

My issue with him has nothing to do with that (though it is quite repulsive). I don't care for him because he's a political chameleon whose only consistent belief throughout his career is that he should be re-elected. He's a lot like Mitt Romney.

Umm....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayoral_administration_of_Dennis_Kucinich

Instead of reading the whitewhashed version of his administration as uploaded by his staffers to Wikipedia, I would recommend this: http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/the-king-of-spin/Content?oid=1503534

Yet almost 30 years later, Kucinich has managed to recast this period as his greatest triumph. In the revised telling, this isn't a story of a mayor who hurled the city into chaos with startling swiftness. It's a rewritten David and Goliath tale, with Kucinich playing the role as the only man with the cojones to stand up to corruption and nefarious corporations. His presidential campaign paints a man of sturdy principles, unsinkable optimism, and untainted liberal bona fides — a mythology now being regurgitated by everyone from supporters to the national media.

But if history tells us anything, it's that Kucinich will play any role to his advantage — be it race-baiter or liberal purist — only to spin himself a new image the next day. It's a formula that hasn't changed in 40 years.

Soon he was running for Congress, having cast aside his reputation as boy bombaster for the more palatable image of good West Side Catholic. The new Kucinich wasn't a career politician, but a working man himself — pro-labor, pro-family — and naturally against anything his constituents loathed, be it abortion or flag-burning, the morning-after pill or gay marriage.

The myth of the Muny Light fight became his new mantra, with campaign workers passing out bright yellow bumper stickers that read, "Because he was right."

With his run for president, Kucinich is no longer catering to the blue-collar West Side, but the American left. He's no longer anti-gay, anti-abortion Cleveland Catholic, but a pro-choice, anti-war vegan bent on being the most liberal of the Democratic field. Ask supporters for his greatest accomplishments, and they'll inevitably raise the myth of Muny Light. But Kucinich carefully avoids the rest of his past.

etc., etc.

And your article isn't biased at all(read the entire thing). It's basically doing the same thing as all the right-wingers who say Obama is responsible for all this mess. There were existing problems in Cleveland when he became mayor. All the cities were declining in the 70s in US.

And all the absurdly unqualified staffing choices? Appointing a 24-year-old woman with no police experience Chief of Police? Appointing a budget director who wasn't smart enough to take into account inflation? The paranoid and confrontational manner towards anyone who wouldn't pledge their support to Kucinich? That was all someone else's fault? Get real.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

He changed his mind on one major issue.  One!  Kaptur has been consistent in her conservative views.

This is laughable. While Kaptur is indeed consistently conservative record on abortion, she's been consistently liberal on almost all, if not all, other issues.

Beside, she's been far more valuable Congressperson than Dennis ever was.

I liked Dennis, but with choice between him and Kaptur, I'd always choose Kaptur.

[There Are Some Remedies Worse Than The Disease]

I think it's enough to point out that he showed a remarkable degree of... I think 'extreme misjudgment' sounds right... with regards to that whole issue.

This. Even if he was misquoted, which certainly isn't implausible consider the source is the Syrian state media outlet, it still begs the question why he was even paying a friendly visit to Assad in the first place.

[© Tweed the Younger]

RIP

[TJ in Wisco]

If you guys up there in Washington State want him, you can have him

[Governor Scott]

He changed his mind on one major issue.  One!  Kaptur has been consistent in her conservative views.

This is laughable. While Kaptur is indeed consistently conservative record on abortion, she's been consistently liberal on almost all, if not all, other issues.

Beside, she's been far more valuable Congressperson than Dennis ever was.

I liked Dennis, but with choice between him and Kaptur, I'd always choose Kaptur.

Kaptur is anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-PATRIOT ACT, pro-war, and pro-Keystone Pipeline, anti-DREAM ACT, and is an overall supporter of the establishment.  Kucinich tried to sue Obama's administration when he illegally brought us to war with the Libyan government; Kaptur did not.  No self-respecting progressive should support this woman.

[bgwah]

Would it be possible for Kucinich to run as a write-in or independent? It would be pretty hilarious if Joe the Plumber managed to win due to a split vote.

[redcommander]

He changed his mind on one major issue.  One!  Kaptur has been consistent in her conservative views.

This is laughable. While Kaptur is indeed consistently conservative record on abortion, she's been consistently liberal on almost all, if not all, other issues.

Beside, she's been far more valuable Congressperson than Dennis ever was.

I liked Dennis, but with choice between him and Kaptur, I'd always choose Kaptur.

Kaptur is anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-PATRIOT ACT, pro-war, and pro-Keystone Pipeline, anti-DREAM ACT, and is an overall supporter of the establishment.  Kucinich tried to sue Obama's administration when he illegally brought us to war with the Libyan government; Kaptur did not.  No self-respecting progressive should support this woman.

Wow I didn't know she was such a DINO. I'll have to think carefully between supporting her and Joe the Plumber.

[Vasall des Midas]

If you guys up there in Washington State want him, you can have him

In Dennis' dreams. Of course, that flirtation presumably cost him votes in this primary.

[TJ in Wisco]

If you guys up there in Washington State want him, you can have him

In Dennis' dreams. Of course, that flirtation presumably cost him votes in this primary.

Of course it did. Refusing to answer questions about the possibility of running in Washington a couple days before the primary isn't a great position to be in, especially for a guy whose career was built upon remembering his "forgotton people" on the west side of Cleveland. Kucinich still managed close to 75% in Cuyahoga County but I can't imagine that his flirtation did anything but hurt.

[I'm JewCon in name only.]

I saw a comment that Jean Schmidt lost...


I think She should run as an independent...

Proud Mean Jean supporter here...

[Frodo]

Glad to see that Rep. Marcy Kaptur kept her seat -now the way is clear for Dennis Kucinich to become the new face of the Green Party.