I really want to vote Kucinich in the primaries, as I agree with him the most. Obama runs a close second. The problem is the media has basically pegged Clinton as the nominee already. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party also has a reputation for “picking the wrong horse” — and I think Clinton would be that type of choice. She could win, sure, but I don’t think she is different enough from anyone on the Republican side to really make a difference. Her health care ideas seem a little off to me, she basically supports the war in Iraq, is in the pocket of the big lobbies, etc… I wouldn’t be able to support Clinton in the general election.
This is the problem I have with our two-party system. When the primaries are over, I’m left with a choice of one candidate I don’t want to be my president versus another candidate I want to be my president a little bit less. Where is the candidate that I can vote for without leaving that nasty taste in my mouth, while helping to ensure that the really bad candidate doesn’t make it to the White House? Seems like the third-party candidates only wind up taking votes from the lesser of two evils candidate, which leaves us with the really bad guy.
Kucinich seems to be ignored unless they are talking about the fact that he claims to have seen a UFO (a claim something like 2/3rds of Americans also make) or talking about his ridiculously hot wife. I don’t see a chance for Kucinich to win the primary, and as much as I want to vote for him I will probably have to vote for Obama just to give someone other than Clinton a shot at winning the primaries. I would rather have Obama than Clinton. In fact, I’d be almost equally happy with either Obama or Kucinich. The Smart Select 2008 President Chooser puts Kucinich at 88% and Obama at 82% for me. Clinton comes in at 77%, below Joseph Biden (80%) and Chris Dodd (78%). Not surprisingly, the closest Republican candidate for me is Ron Paul at 51%. Needless to say, I’ll be voting Democrat (or Independent, or write-in) again for this election.
It’s a real shame that Clinton has already been called the candidate to beat as it makes it even more difficult for Obama or Kucinich, or anyone else for that matter, to get the support and media coverage needed to come from behind. These things have a sort of exponential trend upwards as the media throws a lot of attention behind the supposed front runner. The opposition helps by targeting a particular candidate, thereby implying that that particular candidate is the biggest threat to them, and inversely the best candidate for their opposition. The Republicans have certainly been doing this with Clinton.
Once again I’m probably going to get stuck voting against someone I really don’t like, rather than supporting a viable candidate I can get behind.
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I agree with you 100%. I’m for Kucinich too, but it looks like Hillary will get the nomination. I don’t see how, she flip flops, she’s corrupt, she doesn’t look like a commander in chief when she gets her husband to defend her, she rigs questions, she voted for the Kyl-Lieberman bill… just all the wrong qualities of a presidential candidate for me.
I’ll have to vote Obama too to try to sway votes away from her. It just baffles me how fricken popular she is although she clearly doesn’t represent what the Democrats need. It depresses me that she’ll probably be the one I vote for in the general. Oh how I wish people would look up and see all the things wrong with her and vote someone else.
I don’t know what to do, really. If it looks like Clinton is going to win it regardless, I may just write Kucinich in for the General as well.