Elizabeth Harper & Dennis Kucinich Marriage Profile

[Hissyspit]

http://marriage.about.com/od/politics/p/dkucinich.htm

Elizabeth Harper and Dennis Kucinich Marriage Profile
From Sheri & Bob Stritof,
Your Guide to Marriage.

After a quick courtship, Elizabeth Harper and Dennis Kucinich's marriage had to deal with quite a few challenges. There is a 31-year age difference between them, they have very different backgrounds, and Dennis' presidential campaign put their lives and marriage in the spotlight.

Here is information about how Elizabeth and Dennis met, their marriage, and more.

Born:
Dennis John Kucinich: October 8, 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Elizabeth Jane Harper: October 22, 1977 in North Ockendon, London, England.

How Elizabeth and Dennis Met:
Dennis and Elizabeth first met in Washington D.C. at a meeting on monetary policy. They became engaged the second time they saw one another and they were married within three months.

Elizabeth: "I had an eight-minute meeting and just knew as soon as I met Dennis that he was my husband."

Source: Norah O'Donnell interview, "An unconventional political wife Elizabeth Kucinich on health care, tongue rings and love at first sight", MSNBC.com

Elizabeth about their engagement: "Neither one of us proposed to the other, instead the love we felt for each other was all that needed to be expressed -- we just knew that marriage was for us." Later, "Dennis officially proposed on bended knee in front of the peace fountain in downtown Cleveland, with a clear blue citrine stone ring, just two days before the wedding day. But as Elizabeth puts it, they got engaged the day they met."
Source: "Dennis & Elizabeth Kucinich's Wedding Story", BridesDecide

- snip -

Children:
Dennis has one daughter.

Jacqueline "Jackie" Kucinich: Jackie is a reporter. Her mother is Sandra Lee McCarthy.

Occupations:
Dennis: City Council member in Cleveland, Mayor of Cleveland, Congressman, and assorted jobs such as teacher, hospital orderly, golf caddy, author, television political analyst, newspaper copy clerk, copy editor, sports writer, and consultant.

Elizabeth: Fund raiser, volunteer British Red Cross refugee caseworker.

Previous Marriages:
This is the first marriage for Elizabeth. Dennis had two previous marriages that ended in divorce.

Helen ?: The book Cleveland: 1930-2000 by Thea Gallo Becker has a photo of Helen Kucinich standing next to Dennis at the 1971 swearing in of Mayor Perk.
"Reportedly, Kucinich's first marriage dissolved because his wife Helen wanted a home and a family; Dennis was said to be interested only in a career."
Source: Frank Kuznik, "Kucinich on the Couch", Clevelandmagazine.com, via Archive.org, June 1978.

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[MADem]

1. Jackie, the daughter, looks a lot like Elizabeth--and they're about the same age.

Edit to add pic:

[Cha]

6. Well, she's

darling! I say more Power to 'Em..finding love..sigh. :)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. That so much sounds like what happened to me

The moment I laid eyes on AbdulQayyoum, I knew we were to be together the rest of our lives. Neither of us proposed; we just took it for granted we would be together. We were at a Sufi camp, and were inseparable. I left, gave up my career, put my house up for sale, and moved to a state I hadn't even visited before, where I married him. No regrets. That was 18 years ago. God willing, the Kucinichs will have the same happiness my husband and I have shared.

[Cha]

7. It does happen..

to the Lucky few!

[magellan]

25. And to me

My husband is once divorced. We met through an ad he placed in a paper. Within six months and two in-person meetings we were discussing marriage as a given, and I moved to the UK to be with him. (Did I forget to mention he's a Brit?) We've been married for 15 happy years and still going strong.

It does happen! :)

[skipos]

3. This isn't why Kucinich is at the bottom of my 08 list but

If I was twice divorced, the last thing I would do is marry someone within 3 months of meeting them. Marriage and children are such serious decisions, I don't know why anyone would rush either one.

[Fresh_Start]

4. Agreed nt

nt

[John Q. Citizen]

13. Hopefully they won't have to endure the kind of marriage that the Clinton's have.

I think that Dennis and Elizabeth have a lot more respect, caring, and love for each other than that though.

I wish them many years of happiness.

[cali]

16. I dislike the assumption that any of us know diddley squat about

the marriages of public figures, and have the hubris to comment on something we don't have a clue about. I wish Dennis and Elizabeth the very best- their marriage is their business, and I can wish them the very best without negatively commenting on anyone else's marriage.

[John Q. Citizen]

21. I can see it in their eyes, can't you? Public figures better get over having their marriage

commented on.

Whether you like it or not.

Especially the Clinton's, the Gouliani's, and the Kuciniches.

I mean, get real.

How do you mean we don't have a clue about?

I know Dennis and Elizabth are far apart in age, and I can also see in the their eyes and their body language that they are in love. It shows.

We all know Bill has a wandering eye, and that it pisses Hill off at least on a political level. Their body language suggests a couple who, at this point in their lives, are together for reasons other than primarily true romantic love. Which is fine, after all.

Should we pretend different?

[Fresh_Start]

22. Its easy to 'be in love' early in the marriage

its tough to 'be in love' for decades.
You can site their marriage as better than the Clintons after they're married for a decade or more.
Until then, you are kidding yourself

[cali]

24. bwahaha

you're being just as judgemental as the poster criticizing Dennis and Elizabeth for the age difference. They're newlyweds, of course their body language is going to be different than someone who's been married over 30 years. that's a no brainer. I could just as well comment that Dennis doesn't have a good track record when it comes to marriage, as your comments about the Clintons. Who knows what holds a marriage together for 30 years? You don't. I don't. And as I said, it's easy enough to just congratulate the Kucinich's without smearing anyone else's marriage.

[Cha]

8. And, guess what?

Thank the Universe, we're not all alike.

Viva La Difference!

[cooolandrew]

11. Doesn't really say why he's at your bottom though...

...Dennis seems to be right on every issue as far I am aware every other candidate leans slightly conservative. To say they aren't suited would say that a person hasn't seen them together and how they interact they are a great couple.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. Interesting you would say that

My mother, who was divorced, married a fellow she'd known only a month (he was also a divorced person). Their marriage lasted 37 years until his death. My husband was married before, and didn't hesitate marrying me about a week after we met. We've been inseparable for 18 years so far.

So to each his own.

[supernova]

5. I hope they are well and happy for a long long time

:-)

[Cha]

9. A good toast, supernova!

:toast:

[cgrindley]

19. Highly unlikely

According to most sources, the average life expectancy of someone born in 1946 is 66.7 years.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

27. But you have to look at family history

In my family, it is quite common for someone to live well into their 90s--and this includes folks who lived before the time of heart bypass surgery, etc. So, barring accident, it would be logical for my brother, who is 6 years older than Dennis, to live to be about 90. I don't know about the health history of the Kucinich family, but it is obvious that Dennis is not obese, doesn't smoke, and has a diet free of animal fats--all things that would be in longevity's favor.

[stellanoir]

10. Have been looking for a link for a while now.

There was an alternate article about the day Dennis met Elizabeth but it wasn't the Cleveland Plain Dealer one from 10/30/05.

I described where Dennis had been just minutes before they met.

He had been at some sort of gathering on the Mall in D.C. where some Eastern Spiritual leader was speaking and Dennis got to speak with him after the lecture and he asked about love and the leader said something really profound which I can't even begin to paraphrase.

Then within minutes he met Elizabeth.

I really want to read that quotation again.

Does anyone else remember that story. . .?

[supernova]

12. Must have been some quote!

I'd like to read it too. :wow:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

15. No,

but I hope you find it!

I know that Shaykh Nur, who was at the Sufi camp where I met my husband, told us we would be married-but I think the love we shared was very obvious.

[cgrindley]

17. I find their age difference disgusting

It's just creepy as hell.

[cali]

18. I don't. It's their business. I also have dear friends who

have been together for 20 years and they have a 28 year difference. They are definitely one of the happier couples I know. It's a pleasure spending time with them.

[cgrindley]

20. I still think it's disgusting... and it has disgusted people for hundreds of years

This carpenter hadde newe a wyf,
Which that he lovede moore than his lyf;
Of eighteteene yeer she was of age.
Jalous he was, and heeld hire narwe in cage,
For she was wylde and yong, and he was old,
And demed hymself, been lik a cokewold.
He knew nat Catoun, for his wit was rude,
That bad man sholde wedde his simylitude.
Men sholde wedden after hire estaat,
For youth and elde is often at debaat.
But sith that he was fallen in the snare,
Her moste endure, as oother folk, his care.

[cali]

23. so what?

people have been disgusted by lots of things for centuries. All that shows is that human beings judge things that are none of their business.

[Hissyspit]

26. Oh, good god. Homosexuality has disgusted people for hundreds of years.

Heterosexuality has disgusted gays for hundreds of years. People of different races have disgusted each other for hundreds of years.

Thinking of your grandparents having sex even though they may be the exact same age has disgusted people for hundreds of years. It doesn't mean your grandparents shouldn't enjoy having sex with each other.

Just because people have been bigoted for hundreds of years doesn't mean bigotry is o.k.

I had a girlfriend who was 20 years younger than me and we had a special, perfectly fine relationship, and even though we didn't get married, it was one of the best I ever had.

But thanks for sharing.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

28. Oh dear, then you wouldn't like my family much

I have great grandparents who were 20 years apart in age. My brother is 12 years older than his wife, and back in the 1600s, I've a direct ancestor who was about 30 years older than his wife. He lived to be 106--so longevity isn't always a product of modern medicine.