Kucinich, unhappy with coverage, shuts out Plain Dealer

Heretofore a champion of a free press, congressman (and former Plain Dealer copy boy) Dennis Kucinich has cut off nearly all communication to Plain Dealer political reporters.

Kucinich has not returned calls for several weeks to the newspaper's Washington bureau, which covers his actions in Congress and his presidential campaign. As noted in Monday's newspaper, he uttered a string of non sequiturs -- albeit pleasant ones -- when a Plain Dealer reporter attempted to interview him outside the House of Representatives chamber.

His presidential campaign staff for weeks has not returned Plain Dealer calls and e-mail.

Natalie Laber, Kucinich's publicly paid spokeswoman in Congress, also has not returned phone calls and e-mail during this timeframe. That includes multiple inquries from reporters asking about Kucinich's votes in the House, his positions on congressional issues and matters unrelated to his presidential campaign.

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/09/kucinich_unhappy_with_coverage.html

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For the life of me, I can't figure out what kind of campaign strategy he has to win the nomination. Little to no presence in Iowa, spending his limited funds on trips overseas and to states that have no influence in the nomination, now getting angry with his home newspaper? WTF is he even doing?

because cutting off contact has gotten his name out there more than maintaining it did.

I guess if you're a progressive, you have to get your name out there creatively.

Being mentioned on the Plain Dealer politics blog is not exactly getting your name out there.

It would still be a poor campaign strategy though. Like I said, Dennis has no strategy to win, I think he's just running for fun or something.

Since the Plain Squealer was falling down on the job, he's allowing them to get his name into print by complaining about him in the hope that a few people will be curious enough to find out who he is.

He'd much rather take donor's money and go to sunny states an relax.

:eyes:

Why isn't he focusing on the early states when he doesn't have the money to campaign nationally?
Why is he spending his limited money campaigning in states that have no influence in the nomination process?
What is his plan to build momentum before the Super Tuesday vote?

Frankly, I've never seen a Kucinich support layout his strategy because if he does have one, I don't see it.

'04 was an excuse to score dates (and eventually get a wife).

'08 is an excuse to go on vacations on the donors dime.

All in all, it's all for ego and vanity. To claim that he represents integrity and principle is to take a blind eye on his lack of effort in key states and then lying about it (see: the AARP forum).

American people are Mrs. Cleaver.

Eddie played to Mrs. Cleaver, trying to butter her up and be patronizing.

Meanwhile, on the playground Eddie didn't get along with the kids.

So goes Dennis.

you would applaud if one of your rock star candidates shut out the moonie times or world nut daily. plain dealer is a RW fishwrap.

"Certainly many Fox viewers are not part of the traditional Democratic base," he said, "but they have a right to hear from the Democratic candidates and we as candidates have an obligation to reach out to them. Families who view Fox News have lost loved ones in Iraq, lost their jobs to NAFTA, and lost their homes to medical bills, just as have the viewers of other networks."

Kucinich continued, "I know some people object to Fox News, and they take issue with Fox coverage, and the way Fox covers the news. I've taken issue with Fox on many occasions, but I don't hesitate to be questioned by Fox or any of its affiliates."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/05/kucinich_defend.html

Why does the same not apply to the Plain Dealer?

Kucinich is now insisting that reporters type their questions on small strips of paper and bake them in fortune cookies before he will respond.

Its been a long history there...nothing new just for the campaign, even tho some would like make it a big deal.

:rofl:

and not a damn thing has changed.

Or should I say lack of campaign.

If you live in the Cleveland area like I do, you'd know that the Blame Dealer HATES Kucinich. They view him as an elfin joke and almost NEVER publish a positive article about him; he gets a parking ticket, it's on the front page. Probably because not only is the PD stacked top to bottom with Bewshbots; even their political cartoonist (D'Arcy) is a South Parker, but it's all about their handlers and old man curmudgeons who still haven't forgiven his mayoral stint (as if now-rubberstamping Senaturd Voinovich's stint was any better) or his whole deal with Muny Light.

The only papers that treat him fairly are our free weeklies (Scene and Free Times).

It's kind of like Democrats avoiding Fox News, and well they should. Same thing.

See my post upthread.

Why say: "I don't hesitate to be questioned by Fox or any of its affiliates" and then blow off the Plain Dealer?

I'm guessing it's the former. Fox is an impersonal tool just like any other, and it reaches far more of an audience than the PD ever would. He probably figures he can reach fence-sitters who watch that channel. But he'd be wrong.

With the PD, it's a years-long personal thing. If anything, the Blame Dealer should be agreeing with his populist message, particularly on labor, since Cuyahoga County's been shellacked with job losses for decades. Their hatred for DK runs so deep, they actually endorsed DeWine over Sherrod Brown (an awesome progressive who very rarely makes a wrong move) based on, and I'm paraphrasing: "his labor stance being out of the playbook of Dennis Kucinich or the AFL-CIO rather than one based on sound economic policy". You know, because it's a BAD thing to want to look out for the middle class over the needs of the Corporations, I guess.