Election 2004
Democratic Party
Rep. Dennis Kucinich
Ohio
DoB: [don't be confused by European birth date recordings. "8/10/46," is what you'll see listed on the web site, which is confusing because you'd think that Kucinich was born in August. However, be on alert. His birthday is October 8, 1946. The manner in which Europeans and Americans record dates is decidedly different! It's 5:53 PM -- Starcats.] October 8, 1946, Time: 17:53 (-5:00 EST) GMT Time: 22:53
Location: 81W42 41N30 Cleveland -OH- (USA)
Category: Politician
Source: The Gauquelin's data collection: Gauquelin
Report on American Data', 1982
EXPLORATORY CANDIDATE: Congressman Dennis Kucinich -- the Chair of Congressional Progressive Caucus -- was one of the most unexpected names to be floated in the P2004 race. He first saw his name being mentioned as a possible Presidential candidate in the aftermath of a largely unpublicized speech he gave in February 2002 at a gathering of the liberal Americans for Democratic Action group.
In the speech, Kucinich said that it was "patriotic" to dissent against the purported extra-constitutional measures the Bush Administration wanted to use in the War on Terrorism. Someone unknown posted the speech on the net, starting it in public circulation -- and those postings apparently prompted over 23,000 people to email Kucinich urging him to run for President in 2004. Liberal writer Studs Terkel then wrote an article in The Nation suggesting a Kucinich candidacy as the best hope for the left-wing of the Democratic Party. Since then, Kucinich has given speeches in New York and other key primary states. He certainly stands out as one of the only members of Congress to have criticized the US bombing campaign against Afghanistan -- arguing the US response to 9/11 should have something like a police action, not a war. On other issues -- which he uses to define his "holistic worldview" -- Kucinich opposes NAFTA and free trade deals, opposes any privatization of Social Security, stridently opposes nearly all increases in military spending, supports creation of a Department of Peace in the Cabinet, supports stronger environmenal protection laws, and supports universal health care. He also had a solid pro-life record on abortion going back nearly three decades (he even cast votes in past years to criminalize the performing of abortions) -- but seems to have suddently shifted to a pro-choice stance sometime in mid-2002, right around the time he began considering the Presidential contest. Kucinich first came to national prominence in 1977 when he was elected Cleveland Mayor at age 31. A financial crisis forced the city into fiscal default -- and caused Kucinich to lose his 1979 re-election bid. It took 15 more years -- 1994 -- before he was able to re-start his political career by winning a State Senate seat. Two years later, Kucinich was elected to Congress. Now he's looking at the White House. Here's one of his latest statements from mid-2002: "I have a sense of urgency. This is a time when world peace is at stake, when nuclear armament is occurring, when domestic needs, such as health care, are being ignored ... I am trying to be a spokesperson. I have this sense of an unarticulated consciousness that exists in this country and that has been waiting for representation." That encouraged a "Draft Kucinich" movement. And that, in turn, led to Kucinich filing federal paperwork to enter the race in February 2003. While he's unlikely to win the Democratic nomination, Kucinich will use the campaign to articulate this liberal message. Kucinich has also been building ties to the Natural Law Party -- including giving a speech to the NLP at its National HQ in Iowa (and the NLP, in turn, heavily promotes Kucinich for President on the NLP website ). "Congressman Kucinich ... deserves our strong support," wrote NLP Leader John Hagelin in a 2003 statement. In a January 2003 statement that stopped just short of an endorsement, former Green Party nominee Ralph Nader also urged Kucinich to run for President and praised him as "a clearly progressive candidate." Kucinich reported raising a paltry $173,000 as of the close of the March 31, 2003 federal reporting period -- a very low total by any measure.
Kucinich Bio Notes courtesy of politics1.com
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