I voted for Dennis Kucinich today

I debated how to vote in the Michigan primary today... uncommitted or Kucinich. In the end I settled on Kucinich, whom I have supported from the start. Is he the ideal progressive candidate? Far from it. He has many flaws. But then I don't believe any candidate is the political messiah. They all have many flaws. But Dennis' positions coincide with mine much more often than do those of the "mainstream" candidates.

* Kucinich was correct on the AUMF

* Kucinich is correct on the Patriot Act

* Kucinich is correct on the MCA

* Kucinich is correct on NCLB

* Kucinich is correct on gay rights

* Kucinich is correct on NAFTA

* Kucinich is correct on torture

* Kucinich is correct on universal healthcare

* Kucinich is correct on Iran

* Kucinich is correct on wiretapping

* Kucinich is correct on the Bush tax policy

* Kucinich is correct on impeachment

Some will say I wasted my vote. I disagree. This way my vote registers. A vote for a "mainstream" candidate hides my vote. There is no way to separate my vote from that of a conservative supporter of the three front runners. After the election the Democratic establishment will take full credit for any victory, as Rahm Emanuel did in 2006. Following their victory in 2006, the Democrats chose to ignore the progressive wing and followed a conservative non-confrontational agenda. Nor will any election loss chastise this group. They will blame some peripheral issue(e.g. Nader in 2000) and continue with politics as usual.

So I have made a small political statement today. One day I hope that there is a Wellstone-type candidate who can rally more support for the left. But for today, Dennis carries the progressive banner and he gets my vote.

•  Nevada Supremes

  have just ruled in the Kuccinish NBC spat in favor of NBC so your candidate won't be appearing.

  by stevej on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:15:46 PM PDT

  •  In tonights debate that is n/t

    by stevej on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:16:21 PM PDT

  •  I am not surprised

    I give DK credit for taking on the corporate media but I can't say that this decision is a real shocker.

    by slatsg on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:19:56 PM PDT

    •  I was surprised

      that the initial decision went in his favor to be honest.

      by stevej on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:23:23 PM PDT

  •  that is just wrong

    Fred Thompson has done worse than Dennis and nobody is telling him he cant be in the debate, or to bow out and tell his supporters to go to someone else.

    I would like to know who made the initial decision.

    by fireflynw on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:42:06 PM PDT

•  Tips for the political left

  by slatsg on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:16:02 PM PDT

  •  I'm with you on this...

    although your choice may be somewhat driven by the peculiarities of Michigan this year...

    by naltikriti on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:24:00 PM PDT

  •  No problem.

    Last I checked DK is still a Democrat.

    by MajorFlaw on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:26:47 PM PDT

•  I wish he were in the debate tonight

  but just heard the Nevada Supreme Court denied him.  I'm not a supporter but appreciate your passion.  

  by klnb1019 on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:16:38 PM PDT

  •  Thanks

    I appreciate your courtesy.

    by slatsg on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:23:31 PM PDT

•  This F**ks

  by army193 on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:20:03 PM PDT

  •  My diary or the court decision?

    ... or perhaps both?

    by slatsg on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:27:55 PM PDT

    •  Corprate America wins

      Now who will Clinton-Edwards-Obama be fighting for? It's not for the America people to hear all sides....

      by army193 on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:47:19 PM PDT

•  Did you write his name in?

  I thought that write-ins of declared candidates won't count - at all.

  Wouldn't it have been better to vote uncommitted, so that if delegates are seated, that a percentage of those delegates would have gone to him?

  That's my understanding anyway.

  by Terre on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:22:32 PM PDT

  •  He was still on the ballot

    As were Senators Clinton and Dodd.

    by slatsg on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:25:03 PM PDT

    •  I think it's interesting how...

      ...so many voters are voting 'uncommitted' rather than cast ballots for Clinton.  I guess a lot of Michigan Democrats remember what things were like when her husband was president.

      by Archangel M on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:41:12 PM PDT

      •  Why would a Clinton supporter

        vote uncommitted if she's on the ballot?  That doesn't make much sense.

        by Terre on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:46:38 PM PDT

    •  Oh phew!

      Would hate to see your vote go for naught.  I had thought the only Dem candidate on the ballot was Clinton.

      Makes me feel much better.

      BTW, GOOD on you!

      by Terre on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:45:25 PM PDT

•  NBC got its way.

  The Nevada supreme court ruled in NBC's favor.

  by Archangel M on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:23:17 PM PDT

  •  Please do not give mojo to this yutz.

    TUs please do the research.

    Thx.

    by MajorFlaw on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:29:16 PM PDT

    •  I looked at the research

      And I gotta tell you, if Archangel is a troll, he's got a lot of company here.   Pretty innocuous comments, in my opinion.

      by SmedleyButlerUSMC on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:48:00 PM PDT

      •  Without doing the research...

        I'm not surprised.  IIRC, you interfered with community moderation by Rec-ing some of this unit's comments against a sea of d0nuts.  Frankly, your opinion isn't worth much.

        by MajorFlaw on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 06:01:36 PM PDT

        •  Look at my reply to SmedleyButlerUSMC...

          Even doing 'research'...one cannot see Archangel's most egregious behavior. There is something up with the Search Option.

          I'm not sweatin' it. Either Archangel will finally figure out how DKos works and adhere to the (in my opinion) quite simple rules (like it or not...Dkos does not abide by the rules on Archangel's own site) and, by doing so, will become a perfectly fine DKos neighbor....

          OR...

          he won't, he will continue the odd troll'ish behavior, and will eventually be given the boot.

          I am totally cool with either outcome.  ;)

          Fight the good fight.

          by carolinadreamer on Wed Jan 16, 2008 at 06:13:23 AM PDT

      •  Well, actually....

        there is something up with the Search option...it does not bring up the more than a dozen  TR's (that I know of) that Archangel got last week. 10 or so in this diary alone. He has butted heads with many long-time DKos memebers recently....and in a bizarre troll'ish fashion.

        So, when doing the normal 'research'...one does not really come up with anything near the full picture. As such, I can understand your take that he is innocuous....because it is based on an incomplete assessment.

        I don't know what is up with 'Search' lately, but...I have also noticed that looking at my own 'Ratings' (I was trying to find a '0' I had dropped on a banned user to recycle it) I can only see Ratings up until last week. The most current few days of Ratings do not show. My guess is that ct is still working out the kinks on the most recent upgrade.  ;)

        Net net...based personal experience (that of MajorFlaw and many others who witnessed said behavior), and on the information at hand (the only information that anyone who did not witness it can readily find)....you are both correct.

        If he continues said troll'ish behavior..it will all come out in the wash.

        C'est la vie.  :)

        by carolinadreamer on Wed Jan 16, 2008 at 06:08:28 AM PDT

•  Hill v. Uncommitted Too close to call now

  Fox reported at 8:25 that the Democratic primary was too close to call!

  by kosophile on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:27:49 PM PDT

  •  HA!

    Unfortunate, but hilarious.

    by little liberal on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:29:40 PM PDT

  •  I am pulling for uncommitted ...

    though I can't seem to find her/his positions on Iraq or the economy.

    by slatsg on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:29:44 PM PDT

    •  Hehehe. n/t

      by Pager on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:33:48 PM PDT

•  Tonight's "Debate" Now A Pillow Fight

  Ya'll enjoy the spectacle of Obama-Clinton cautious and calculating jousting with velvet gloves.

  Predictions on words you will not hear tonight:

  "Peace"

  "Universal single payer"

  "Impeachment"

  by SmedleyButlerUSMC on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 05:44:26 PM PDT

•  Media blackout

  Congrats on your vote for DK. And its not just Kucinich that's been subject to a virtual media blackout; another greatly underreported story has been the DNC's repression of Michigan (and Florida) to support an ancient "me-first" dogma of certain states. The Electoral College is not the only anachronism in our presidential campaigns.

  by esperanto41 on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 06:14:49 PM PDT

•  very disappointed with DNC.

  I thought the DNC was doing great when Howard Dean was elected, however, this primary is really disenchanting me with the Democratic Party.

  Democratic means Democratic..or at least that's what I thought....

  by siamesewonka on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 06:44:11 PM PDT