Kucinich Asks Supporters To Back Obama As Second Choice In Iowa

Dennis Kucinich advised his supporters Tuesday that if he failed to garner enough backers in the first round of the Iowa caucuses, they should throw their support behind Sen. Barack Obama.

The surprise move is a setback for John Edwards, who benefited from a similar caucus pact with Kucinich on the eve of voting in 2004.

"I hope Iowans will caucus for me as their first choice this Thursday, Kucinich said in a statement to the press. "But in those caucus locations where my support doesn't reach the necessary threshold, I strongly encourage all of my supporters to make Barack Obama their second choice. Sen. Obama and I have one thing in common: Change."

Second choices can be crucial in Iowa where candidates who do not receive the backing of 15 percent of the caucus voters at any particular precinct are deemed not "viable." Their supporters can then throw their support behind another candidate.

In a race as tight as the Democratic contest in Iowa, the support from former backers of second-tier candidates can be crucial on caucus Night.

In a statement emailed out to reporters, Obama thanked the veteran Ohio Congressman for his support.

"I have a lot of respect for Congressman Kucinich, and I'm honored that he has done this because we both believe deeply in the need for fundamental change," said Senator Obama.

Check out the rest of HuffPost's Iowa coverage.

Comments

[research]

"This fall, Ms. MacLaine revealed in her new book that the Ohio congressman had seen a UFO and felt "a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind."

You folks don't think Ms. MacLaine would interpret anything but derisive laughter from Kucinich as support of Ms. MacLaine's very out there conception of the universe?

Kucinich DID NOT SAY "he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind."

Ms. MacLaine did.

Kucinich is the only candidate consistently working for the 98% of the American people. He has proven as mayor that he is not for sale.

Kucinich is so feared by the MSM that his impeachment of Cheney got zero headlines. Russert was tasked with "Moon beaming" Kucinich, and finally Kucinich was just excluded from the debates, since he was getting huge applause for impeaching Cheney.

Now Murdock takes his shot at Kucinich.

Isn't Murdock hating Kucinich reason to vote FOR Dennis?

Google Kucinich Wins

Strength Through Peace!

Kucinich!

Studs Terkel writes a great article about Kucinich:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020506/terkel

Who are the top three candidates?

We don't really know.

Kucinich trounced everyone in the two largest polls for far: the DFA and the independents polls.
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?pid=249126
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/29506
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2007/08/5255_kucinich_wins_d.html

Great link on problems with modern phone polling.
http://www.pollster.com/blogs/cell_phones_and_political_surv.php

[kellygrrrl]

I'd put my trust in the man who believes in the possibility of intelligent life on planets other than earth
rather than
the man who believes that Adam and Eve rode Dinosaurs.

[fullkelly]

Well the democratic icon is afterall a JACKASS. It is easy to see how Obama could come in first as the icon with Dennis second.

What we have here in Iowa is the GOOD-dems and the BAD- neocons and the plain downright damned UGLY- Obama & Kucinich. One is spaced out and the other is freaked out.

HEE-HAW

[HumeSkeptic]

It seems it is open season to attack Kucinich by Edward supporter. I just wish they had some cogent arguments against his poitions rather than that UFO stupidity.

Edwards is a good candidate. Why is it that most of his supporters feel the need to show their loyalty to him by slinging mud at Obama, Hillary, and now Kucinich?

I don't understand that.

[mostest]

Obama = God Complex
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107497/

[gregjones]

It's OBAMA-TIME !

Say It Loud...BARACK AND I'M PROUD !
pass it on !!!

[longislandlol]

Smart man... smart move...

[ConcernAmerican]

Edwards will be the winner in Iowa. Kucinich is not even showing in the radar....lol

In NH, everytime there's surge for McCain in the poll, Obama goes down.

Obama supporters are calling me racist for speaking the TRUTH Obama is black with a Muslim name. What's racist about it?

You should have listen to the speech of Guilliani yesterday in Florida, he use the words ISLAMIC TERRORISTS, do you think the American people will vote for someone with a Muslim name even if he claims he converted to christianity at the age of 26?

Some of you here are STILL in denial, the fact of the matter is, this country is still racist to the nth degree. This nation is controlled by ANGLO-SAXONS, don't flatter yourself with your political correctness. Maybe ONLY in your deluded mind Obama is the next President, REALITY check; IF Obama is the nominee for the democratic party, ANY Republican nominee will DEFEAT him, they'll have the WH, US Congress and US Senate. The Democratic Party will lose ANY gain they've made last election in congress and senate.

REALITY CHECK, Hillary Clinton will be the nominee for the democratic party and the next President of USA. Iowa and NH is not the deciding factor who'll be the next President. The American people knew Hillary is not good in public speaking compared to Obama, BUT they're not voting for the best talker, they're casting their vote who CAN do the BEST job to clean up the mess Bush is about to leave behind. We have NO time for ON THE JOB TRAINING.

OBAMA WILL LOSE, because of people like me who use our heads in casting our vote who is best to represent our party. The biggest support of Obama is from independent voters, the problem is this, NOT all state in this country allow independent voters to cast their votes during primary election, ONLY REGISTERED democrats and republicans.

[tbone99]

Obama used union support to get his senate seat- now he turns on them calling, janitors, health care and construction workers "special interests". This shows a man who is an exploiter of the true Democratic base, Use ,then ignore the way bush played the evangelicals.

do you really believe such a person wouldn't do the same once in office? His funders ( finance, brokerages and nuclear ) have been savvy enough to package their funds through bundlers so they are not so easily identified.

When will we recognize the biggest threat to our country is not from the outside but the inside in the form of such corporatism?

[MadamRoma]

And both Kucinich's voter's said yes they would gladly support Obama.

[andyboy]

What weekend is the big Peace rally in Washington D.C.? Memorial Day weekend?..

Barefeet. Peace Demonstration.

The goal is to gather 500,000.

[racetoinfinity]

I would think he'd endorse Edwards. who is more anti-corporatist, as he did in '04. Maybe they had a falling out?

[martinchill]

ladeez and germs; i present your democratic candidates -

obama, clinton, edwards and kucinich:

http://members.aol.com/pseisen/bananasplits/thebananasplits002.jpg

:)

.

[USMC1980]

Of course Iowa vets are moving towards the Democrats, most vets in America are. Vets in this country are tired of being mocked by service dodging cowards like Bill Kristol, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney.

They would rather be with the winners, and the party that will restore America has the world's great superpower....the Democratic party.

[EvSmith]

Vice President Dennis Kucinich.