Im going to put on my flamesuit and ask

[LSK]

How can a candidate be considered serious when he does not have any offices in arguably the most important state in the primaries??? How is he running any organization? How does the expect to GOTV? Where does he expect to run his phone banks? How will he decide where to send canvassers? This is just mindboggling to me. Who is running that campaign?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3099155

[Fresh_Start]

1. Duck quickly, the DK-bots will come after your head NT

NT

[ronnykmarshall]

18. Bots?

God I hate that term.

[hayu_lol]

2. Great question: Can I hold the fire extinguisher?

Actually, the question has come up already a time or two.

The answer usually comes up: But, but, but, its a national campaign and Dennis is a national candidate.

Someone forgot to tell the people of Iowa.

[LSK]

4. Iowa would be the only hope for someone polling low like DK

A win there would springboard him as a serious contender. Edwards knows this. Obama and Hillary as frontrunners do not need Iowa as much as those who are behind in the polls.

[IA_Seth]

6. So...

Should Iowan's have a say in how NH goes about choosing who THEY want as the Democratic nominee? Should we have a say in how your home state decides on YOUR nominee?

This whole "national campaign" shit is for the birds. Iowans are busy selecting who Iowans want as the Democratic nominee, not trying to tell the other states how to make their decisions.

If Kucinich can't bother to put up ONE office in Iowa. ONE! How can he be taken as a serious candidate in Iowa's caucus? He can't.

[1corona4u]

17. AMEN.

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. Yeah, I defend Kucinich on that national criteria myself

but while doing so I also believe that his lack of any campaign in Iowa is good evidence for why progressives should not throw in their lot with him during this presidential race.

Whather or not Kucinich was allowed into this debate, the folks of Iowa know when they are being ignored and usually respond accordingly. And those are real lumps they give to those who are found wanting. If an underfunded candidate can't make any progress in a small retail politics state like Iowa, they essentially have zilch chance to win the nomination.

[marylanddem]

3. I agree.

[Heidi]

5. Could it be that this candidate's appeal is that he declines to run a traditional campaign?

Respectfully submitted,

Heidi (extending the white-gloved hand of progressive friendship and understanding)

[LSK]

10. how is it appealing that a candidate does not want to GOTV?

I am not talking about a media blitz and constant TV ads.

I am talking about phone banking, canvassing, getting your candidate from one event to the next.

This is about people and organization, not big media.



No flames Heidi, just saying...

:hi:

[Occam Bandage]

22. His appeal is that he isn't building a ground-up support network?

[asdjrocky]

7. Ok, I'm with you-

I'm getting kind of tired of taking grief from people who's candidate isn't really in it to win the race.

There I said it. Now, a deep cleansing breath.

[skipos]

8. There are more candidates seeking the Dem nomination than the 8 we hear about

You do have to draw the line somewhere. Where it is, I don't know. Kucinich in or out doesn't make a big difference to me, as he doesn't have much support (offline) anyway. If he had Ron Paul's level of grassroots support, he should definitely be in.

[dmallind]

11. Good point

Where are the people yelling about excluding LaMagna or Kreuger or the "Princess Elias". Well they're just vanity candidates who have no real viability! Oh.....wait a minute...

[geek tragedy]

12. Are we talking about John Edwards and California? n/t

[LSK]

14. not playing that game

Everyone knows the magnitude of Iowa. Which is a month before California.

Try again.

[Buzz Clik]

13. No shit. That was my first reaction to the Iowa news as well.

[TreasonousBastard]

15. He does have an Iowa office, but...

it's a dozen or so people working out of someone's living room. For better or for worse, the "rules" say an office has to be at least a rented storefront, not a home office.

So, if this guy realy, really wants to be President, pissing on some arbitrary, but reasonable and easily dealt with, rules doesn't seem to be the way to go. What "arbitrary" rules would he ignore if actually elected?

[1corona4u]

19. All of them.

[madrchsod]

16. there is no way dennis stands a chance in hell to win

any state because he has no money. since he has no money his ideas are easily dismissed by many who do not take the time to understand what he is saying. of course he is to "progressive" for most of the democratic party that wishes to stay as close to the center as possible and offer little in the terms to not offend the people who bankroll them. they talk as if they want to change this society but they offer us a half glass of water so we will keep asking them for more..

[Occam Bandage]

20. Absolutely my reaction. If he's not running a campaign in Iowa, why should he expect

Iowa to invite him to a debate?

[cali]

21. I don't think he should be booted from the debate, but you

make a perfectly good point about his ineffective campaign in Iowa. Nevertheless, his voice is important- even vital. And it's a shame he's being cut out.

[Occam Bandage]

23. For a debate hosted by a national-media organization, I would agree.

For a debate hosted by a state newspaper, I do not. If he wants to spread his message to Iowa, he needs to run a campaign in Iowa.

[rucky]

24. Super Tuesday strategy

and limited funds.

It's risky, but that's what longshots have to do - take chances.

For all intents & purposes, the DMR Debate is NATIONAL and their rule that excludes him is bullshit.

[Occam Bandage]

25. Kucinich's strategy is to win Super Tuesday? That's not the strategy of a longshot,

since it's the strategy that requires the biggest network and the largest war chest. That's the strategy of an establishment candidate like Clinton.

The strategy of the longshot is what Edwards is doing--to focus on one state, win it by taking your message to the people every day, and then try to carry the momentum onwards.

[rucky]

26. I didn't say I agreed with the strategy

nor does he expect to win all those states - but he does spend alot of time on the West Coast, where he seems to have the strongest base of followers.

[Occam Bandage]

27. And that, I think, is his real strategy.

Not to win Super Tuesday, but to go to his base. He doesn't want to win the Presidency; he wants to raise his image among the left. He's looking to build a brand, not a campaign. What he intends to do with that brand? Not sure.

[rucky]

28. I love Dennis...

but - Biden's own merits aside - that's exactly why he's not at the top of my list anymore.

I don't think we should use campaigns this way - it's what we need to be working on the other three years.