Ok, I'll admit it - there's no use hiding it. I'm a closet Kucinich fan. I voted for him in the last primary, which my husband still kids me for.

He's utterly unelectable, but I think he's the one I want. For one thing, he's not afraid to have an opinion about something - about a lot of things, actually. While Hillary, Barack and John are trying to be as bland as possible, Dennis hasn't backed down - he's not trying to appeal to the masses - he just wants to be honest with the American people. How refreshing!

I like him, I like his wife - I read an article on how they met and I think it's charming. I like the way he looks - sure, it's not "Presidential", but he has a certain everyman je ne sais quoi. Accessible, I guess I'd call it.

One of my friends e mailed me the other day to tell me how much she likes him, but she's afraid only me, her and her mother would vote for him.

But that's just it. I'm smart enough to know I'm not that unique. If there's me, there are others out there who are like me and thinking the same thoughts.

If we would be honest about how we felt, like Kucinich has been, then maybe he would stand a chance.

So I'm taking my first step - I'm going to Meetup.com and getting together with other Kucinichites in my area.

And I urge the others like me to come out, come out wherever you are!

Salonistas, please read the link in the article about when Kucinich was Mayor of Cleveland. He ran Cleveland into the ground. He was a disaster.

One of the gigantic problems with Kucinich then was the guy he put in charge of Cleveland's finances (details in the link). I went to college with that guy, and that guy was not very smart, and he was not cool at all.

I am terrified that Dennis might bring that guy back, or might bring back somebody like him. Dennis K. is just right in the US House of Representatives. Leave him there. He is a high-achieving kook with a too-cute-for-him wife.

What's scary is I used to consider myself a moderate Republican and now I find that whenever I take a poll/questionaire of my positions, the candidate that I most closely align to is Dennis. I now realize I'm a progressive (post 9/11) and I wish Kucunich had a chance.

What's even more bothersome is my Republican boss agrees on practically every issue with me and thinks that Guiliani is his man.

What sucks is if he had Romney's looks, he might be a contender.

I am sorry, but I can't vote for a candidate for President just because I agree with him, I have to also think that he will be able to govern. (In Kucinich's case, I agree more with many of the other candidates anyway.)

If I agree with a a candidate, but he can't govern effectively, it doesn't do me much good (see Jimmy Carter).

Kucinich seems like an OK guy, but it is kind of sad that he is supposed to be the progressive candidate. He is no Feingold or Wellstone.

As anyone better informed than you knows, Kucinich passed a monumental test of character by making his "messy" decision as mayor, he didn't bring up the UNIDENTIFIED flying object before Corporate Whore Timmy asked about it, and Kucinich NEVER said he believes in aliens.

His "hippie-dippy" supports far exceed you in moral courage, as you admittedly don't have enough to defy corporate America by voting for the candidate you know is best. Furthermore, your willingness to so dishonestly smear a great man in such a lame, pathetic way exposes your desperate but ever unfulfilled need for sexual gratification, a need that has clearly resulted in delusional thoughts and feelings of paranoia. You're probably just frustrated that his "big goofy head" floats toward someone much more attractive than you.

Not that I plan to vote for him. That would be crazy.

I noticed the headline of this article and thought great, they're finally taking DK seriously. Should be a good read ...

... and as usual I was wrong.

I had hoped for an honest examination of why DK isn't doing better in the '08 race for the Whitehouse, considering that his views are so much in tune with progressives in this country. And what do we get?

Pure crap, MSM level nonsense with absolutely no discussion of the why behind DK's diminishing campaign.

Rebecca Traister literally and simply repeats the exact same statement made on Salon's War Room a few months back - ie when people choose the important issues and what to do about them rather than the candidate behind the issues, DK's positions are held by the vast majority of Democratic voters by a large margin.

Instead we get a repeat of this insanity as a full article.

*sigh*

Salon, you can do better than this, no wait, "should" do better than this pap.

I came up Dennis, Dennis, and Dennis. Dodd also scored high, which I had sort of suspected but now have confirmed. So I like two dudes who won't win. I'll still vote for one of them in the primary just to send a message--which I'm sure will be heard loud and clear by the frontrunners!

Other interesting aspect is that Rudy the Booty came up highest out of the Repugnicans. Seems he is both the most insufferable (well, at least tied--with all the others!) and the least objectionable of that crew. How scary is that?

1) His positions are earnestly left-wing, and we are a Nation At War. That means we don't have time to play peacenik when the Evil Islamofascists are coming to get us. Unfortunately, the right has painted us into that box and we seem happy to remain there.

2) He is short and skinny and meek-voiced, and doesn't look "Presidential."

The election of a President is more of an emotional bit of theatrics than we all want to believe. We say we care about issues, but we vote based on emotions.

Anyone who disagrees with me should remember that the MSM has spent time actually asking whether Giuliani's baldness would hinder his campaign. Thompson, He Who Cannot Keep Supporters Awake, got and instant credibility surge from voters because he's six foot five. It only fizzled when folks realized he's sleepwalking through this thing.

Romney looks like Ken and we all love his hair so maybe his Mormonism won't be as big a factor?...

Ah, we deserve the leaders we vote in.