I real feel that if everyone of us that knows what a great guy Dennis is would vote for him, and not be afraid of "wasting your vote", he has a chance. Just think, Troops out, Impeachment, Imprisonment, war criminals, investigate 9/11, health care for all (REALLY piss off the repubes), no nuclear energry, FREE college. These are all solid solid things, what is obama gonna do, UNITE US, WHAATTT? No thanks. We NEED someone to go after Bush and Cheney, no forgiveness, no mercy, no immunity.
Insurance SHOULD NOT be for profit. Hillary and Obama are republicans in democrats clothing.
We all say, If only, if only, if only, WELL, we have our answer, our hero, our representative... Don't let him down. Or 2 or 3 years from now, when the troops are still in Iraq, some in Iran, some in Pakistan (maybe even my 18-year old son, when he gets DRAFTED!), YOU will have BLOOD on your hands.

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Viggo had an affair with an elf in Lord of the Rings, and he won that big desert horse race (I assume he won, I didn’t see that movie.) You have to love him.

Good job of Alternet, pulling the best quote from Viggo's ramble: “This man knows what needs to be done.” Headline should be: “Best candidate running for president that I’ve seen in my lifetime.”

That is the heart of the Kucinich candidacy. He is the best systems thinker in politics today. He gets to the heart of every subject, and doesn’t mess with corporate answers like Clinton and Obama.

None of the other candidates have even challenged Kucinich on his systems thinking, because they know they would lose.

Why in the hell is he not the front runner for President? Is it simply the corporate heads in charge of the media, not allowing him to speak in debates, and telling people what to think of him? Or is it that his way of thinking is too far ahead for most Americans who are used to surface-level discussions?

One note on the video: What was the deal with Kucinich lurking silently to the side? To most Americans, it would add to his strangeness. To me, it shows that he listens. He sat there the whole time and listened. Could Obama or Clinton or Edwards possibly do that? No, they would have to jump in and give their piece after about 20 seconds. It's the difference between fake personalities and a real humanitarian.

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This man, though hampered at every turn by electoral hurdles & a dismissive & even hostile Media, is still running for President.

Wouldn't really know that from reading Alternet.

Instead, we get glowing Obamania after Iowa. Instead, we get a series of articles complaining about the MSM focus on Weepygate, while focusing almost entirely on just that. Or, post-New Hampshire, glowing tales of Clinton's "scrappy" come-from-behind victory.

Alternet, this is not why you exist. You are failing us.

Your Mission Statement makes it clear that you aim to counteract the Right-influenced "echo-chamber" of the MSM. Not print the same conventional wisdom under different bylines.

In Kucinich, we find (as the celebrity pointed out), the best person for the job in our lifetimes. Passionate, visionary, & thoughtful; a real Progressive who calls to our best natures in a political climate that would rather we forget we even have them.

& Alternet's Mixed-Up Message hasn't published a story on him in days! In fact, most of the Kucinich-related articles have been relegated to the video/blogs section, where they tend to disappear from the "front page" very rapidly. What few "stuck" main articles about him there have been generally run something along the lines of, "well, I personally agree with everything he says, & he'd make a great President, BUT..." He'll never get elected... He doesn't have the funds... He can't get the word out...

Gee, wonder why?

Enough with the aping of the MSM frames. They won't change if we don't change them. If Alternet insists on (essentially) only giving coverage to candidates already fully covered by the substantively corrupted mainstream press, then we sure as hell better not be treated with another four years of "appalled" coverage of our certain betrayal by the winner. In other words, stop bemoaning our lack of choice if you are apparently unwilling to help expand our options.

Please stop shooting Progress in the foot for profit.

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But he'll never be President, because he's a sanctimonious prig.

He's showing us all that he's squeaky clean of all entanglements, would never touch a penny of "bad" money, and runs around being right, and perfectly just.

And that gets us nowhere. He isn't obscure because he's a danger to anybody. He's unable to run a campaign because he's got no cash.

Here's something: It's possible to take a campaign contribution from an entity, and not pander to it later, no matter what it wants. Just ask Bill Clinton, who got to the White House with a lot of money from gays and gay organizations. What did he do for them in return, besides nothing, and the worse than nothing "don't ask, don't tell" policy to promote their military careers?

We can sing his praises all we want. Kucinich wants to be righteous a hell of a lot more than he wants the White House, and that does us no good at all.

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Who gives a flying fuck what Viggo Mortensen thinks?

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Many people in public life come from humble beginnings and make mistakes on the way. At Washington most of those people are utterly corrupt play actors and a few are not. Kucinich is one of the rare few that is genuine.

When Viggo did his Charlie Rose interview for "Lord of the Rings" just before an illegal and false Iraq War he went on wearing a hand-painted shirt that read: NO BLOOD for OIL

Maybe not subtle but no exaggeration for bottom-line truth. That truth is something we don't get from monopoly corporate media and doublespeak Fascist corporate stooges Obama, Hillary, Edwards and on down the line.

Dennis Kucinich and his wife Elizabeth represent positive and core transformation from status quo corporate ruled Washington to the streets. Kucinich’s is a movement and truth that goes virtually unseen at American for the simple reason the nation is no longer a democratic republic.

The Kucinich movement is too real and too potentially effective for a de facto Fascist establishment to allow it a public hearing.

All the more reason to support it.

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I just had the luck to see Viggo and many other celebrities filming for the upcoming series The People Speak (based on Howard Zinn's book "The Peoples History of the U.S.") and was astounded by his passion and multiple talents. He is so right about the disservice progressives do when they say that a vote for Kucinich is "wasted." Where were they/we when whole elections were wasted?
www.suekatz.com
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Wow, Viggo already saved Middle Earth and now he's trying to save the real Earth! Good work Viggo (no comments about teaming up with Hobbits in both cases ;-)

I'm just kidding about the Hobbit comment of course, but there are some amazing parallels between the themes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the current campaign -- not the least of which is the tiny underdog who stays true to genuine values and manages to save the world.

We need nothing less right now!

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Good to see that VM is still out there putting his shoulder to the wheel - as we all are.

I feel a certain nostalgia seeing him on Kucinich's NH bus. Perhaps the first Hollywood name to put his neck out in 2002 during the run up for the war, while the rest of the entertainment industry so famously stood silent, Mortensen has always been inspired by good sense and a loyalty to the truth.

Had the pleasure of meeting him at a DC anti-war rally in '04 where the confused MC mistook him for someone rushing the stage and almost didn't let him read his poem on the ravages of war.

Back stage that afternoon, Mortensen told a Canadian reporter that you have to engage even if you know the team you're with won't win. It was clear then that we had lost and would lose significantly more before this was over. I hear echoes of that theme in his appeal for people to vote their conscience and not to wait.

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We put one actor in the White House, and he wasn't even a good actor or even an activist.

Here we are with a great actor, a great activist, and he's got the positive name and face recognition that Kucinich lacks.

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What is wrong with the people at ABC/Disney that makes them think it was "OK" for them to exclude viable candidates from the debate process?
What should be an integral part of the democratic process, they chose to ignore.
If Fox News had pulled this shit I wouldn't be surprised.
He seems like a good guy that wants to make serious changes in an otherwise perverted system of government. But no, they make fun of his appearance.
How superficial and hypocritical is that?
The debates he was included in didn't give him a fraction of the time they gave to Hillary (a woman) or Obama (a man of color) just because he is small in stature.
They should celebrate the fact he has big ideas and the balls to try to change the status quo.

jim's op/ed

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Why don't we have them? The "evils" in our world have found the handles to power and have arrogated them to themselves. We still out number them. Why do we let them do the things to us that they do?

Part of the "handles of power" has been control of a vast propaganda machine. A similar machine warped minds for a full generation in the Soviet Union. They still do not have democracy. But then we don't either. When are we going to stand up on our hind legs and demand it.

We must have access to a National Initiative Petition Law fully consitituionally guaranteed. If there had been an Initiative petition on the Iraq war in 2006, it would have either won or lost. But, the argument would have been over. Most people will accept a majority decision.

But they don't really want us to vote. It is a power fight between "them" and "us". Right now we are losing.

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I have admired Viggo Mortensen for many years. His versatility as an actor and artist and as a person. However, I believe he is making a big mistake backing Dennis Kucinich. In all due respect to him and others who have commented on this site, I lived through the Dennis Kucinich years as Mayor of Cleveland, as short as they were, and the aftermath. The city has never recovered. Let me set some myths straight. Dennis Kucinich did nothing special by not selling the Cleveland Municipal Power Plant. The mayor before him or after him didn't sell it either and they didn't cause the city to go into default. Dennis appointed a woman as Saftey Director, responsible for overseeing the Police Department among others. The protest from the police cause the "blue flu." If you have ever lived in a city without police protection, it is very scary.

The default caused companies to leave Cleveland and flee to the suburbs and it made it very difficult for those of us who just graduated from high school and didn't have a car to get a job in Cleveland.

They didn't call in the loan because he wouldn't sell the plant, they called in the loan because in a very short time, Dennis managed to alienate every bank president, CEO and council member in Cleveland.

Dennis's main problem is that he must prove he is right no matter who he hurts or the destruction he leaves behind. In a lot of ways, George W reminds me of Dennis and his personality. If Dennis were to be elected, he would fight with Congress and the Senate. He would appoint "friends" instead of compitent people. We would be in a constant state of turmoil just like it was in Cleveland.

I lived in his congressional area for over 20 years and, quite frankly, I don't see where he did anything for the area. In fact, I moved because it became unsafe for a single woman to live there and my property value was going down fast.

We need a leader who can find solutions that everyone can work with. We don't need another George W, damn the torpedos, full speed ahead attitude and I am afraid that is what you will get with Dennis.

I realize that it is easy to be discouraged about politics in America, I too feel disheartened but Dennis Kucinich isn't the savior to lead us out of the dark. I am afraid that Mr. Mortensen's endorsement lends legitimacy to his campaign.

I don't mean any disrepect to Dennis. I am sure that he believes he is right and just and he is an honest man. I believe he is loyal and loves America as much as I do. He just isn't right as the leader of our country.

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