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Kucinich spends the bulk of his speech detailing his world view, telling those gathered that understanding what a person thinks and believes means understanding what a person will do. "I believe the purpose of our society is not just to sustain ourselves but to lift up others." Moving on to foreign policy, "The world exists as one, it is interdependent, yet we act as if we are all seperate. That way of thinking leads directly to war." Although he is best known for his active and consistent opposition to the war in Iraq in Congress, the Congressman from Ohio sees his mission in metaphysical terms.
His politics are about changing the psyche, and the nature, of American society. Namely, Kucinich believes that the nation must move from a place of fear and terror to a place of hope and compassion. Only then will we be able to actively embrace the world community and start the hard workof solving our world's real problems. Dennis Kucinich believes that the world can work together to prevent war, disarm and destroy all nuclear weapons, and end poverty. All we to do is we start believing in the great potential for food that all humans have.
Kucinich also detailed his plan for the nation. American soldiers would be brought home from Iraq. The United States would sign the Kyoto Protocol and the many other other international treaties it has neglected to sign, actively taking its place as a world citizen. Kucinich would also work to create a single payer, universal healthcare system operated by the government which would effectively shut down the corporate system of healthcare he labels as "profit driven". Kucinich is not the type of candidate who relies on empty slogans and he invites the crowd to view his "12 Point Plan for Iraq" at his campaign website. He also promises they will find plenty of information on Mr. Kucinich's healthcare proposals and his plan to create a Department of Peace.
Kucinich also believes that we are on the way to war with Iran. Fielding a question about the possibility of impeachment, Kucinich states that the closer President Bush moves towards a new war with Iran, the closer he steps towards impeachment. Another voice calls for Kucinich's position on immigration, and the Congressman states the "The whole thing about America is that we are a nation of many people." He launches into a charasmatic account of his grandparents immigration, saying his family name aquired the letter "h" from Ellis island officials who said it made the name easier to pronounce in English. Kucinich goes on to quote the poem engraved on the plaque at the base of the statue of liberty, beginning with "Give us your tired masses..."
A Maine resident wearing pictures of Iraqi children on her shirt asks what Mr. Kucinich will do to punish those responsible for the Iraq war. After promising to hold the responsible parties to account, Kucinich embarks on a personal story from a visit to Lebanon. During last summer's war, Kucinich and some like minded individuals traveled to Lebanon to survey a site where Israeli forces has bombed an apartment building, killing numerous civilians. He recalls weeping at the site of a makeshift graveyard decorated with photographs of the victims and being comforted by a Lebanese man whose family lay buried nearby. Soon the ensemble was brought to the bombed out apartment building and surrounded by locals who Kucinich claims pledged that their dislike for the American and Israeli authorities did not also fall upon the people of those nations, who they loved as brothers and sisters. Kucinich closes with an invitation for everyone present to join his campiagn and help realize the great human potential reflected by the Lebanese people he had met on that journey.
Dennis Kucinich is an enigma in the Democratic party, an unflinching liberal who has been discounted at the national level but has through some mix of charisma and vision survived 40 years of American politics and 35 elections. His persistence has won him the support of a small army of grassroots supporters stretching across the nation. In 2004 Kucinich typically fell below the five percent mark in most of the presidential primaries, but made his mark on the map in states like Maine where he earned a third place showing behind John Kerry and Howard Dean. In 2008, with the war in Iraq vying for first place among the issues, Kucinich enjoys the unique position of having opposed the war from the start.
Q: Which candidates will you vote for?
"Kucinich is a possibility. Anyone who is interested in eliminating Americ's military-industrial complex that is driving politicians to make more wars." Tim Urbanski, a 46 year old financial controller from Newburyport, Massachussetts.
"Why do we like Dennis? Let me count the ways. Having bird-dogged Dodds and listened to Hillary one thing that pops out this time around is there are a lot of apologists running - we're sorry we were misled. Well, 21 senators don't have to make that apology, and 132 members of the House don't have to make that apology. One wonders if these two and some others were so easily misled, what is it to keep them from being misled again?" - Pat Frisella, NH resident
"As someone who is deeply concerned about the environment, I always support a green democrat like Dennis. We need more truthful politicians like Dennis in Washington. There are so many issues that will effect the future in need of discussion." - Kevin Ronko, age 38 year old musician from New Hampshire.
"Beyond the establishment are numerous Americans who realize the creativity and potential of human beings to solve conflict. Dennis Kucinich calls upon us all to take our enormous capacities as human beings to a higher ground, toward peacemaking and human development." Kevin DeJesus, a PHD Candidate at York University.
"Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Both are charismatic and have a good chance to sway the population towards a better direction." A 44 year old women from New Hampshire.
Q: What direction do you think America is headed in?
"I'd like to think that we are approaching a tipping point, that more people will start to participate in their communities and recognize our connections to people elsewhere." - Hope Rideout, a 23 year old para-educator from Dover, New Hampshire.
"We are in a cultural malaise. As Allen Ginsberg once said, 'Whoever controls the language, the images, controls the race.'" - Wayne Athurton, a 56 year old poet,artis, and art editor from Elliot, Maine.
What issues are most important to your decisions as a voter?
"No more wars of aggression. Take care of home first." Michele Cook, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
"The war in Iraq is my first concern. I am also concerned about the status of gay rights." Rahul Siraprasad, a 31 year old grad student from Portmouth, New Hampshire.
You can also see video of the event recorded by grassroots v-blogger Michele Bair here:
http://blip.tv/file/...
http://blip.tv/file/...
http://blip.tv/file/...
The author, David Anderson, is a grad student at the university of New Hampshire and political correspondent for American Public Media's Gather.com.
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