Friday , March 29 2024

Horse of a Different Color

I am opposed to Dennis Kucinich essentially across the board: he is anti-war, anti-free trade, anti-business, anti-technology, he was anti-choice until this presidential campaign began, his track record as an administrator couldn’t be much worse – as mayor he plunged Cleveland into bankruptcy. And his voice is very annoying.

However, I have to give him credit for garnering more attention and support than I ever could have imagined – while there are many candidates whom fools could support, a surprising number have chosen Dennis.

This campaign tactic is actually quite clever, shows an affinity for popular culture and neatly ties the images of “underdog” and “success” to his campaign:

    Moviegoers who attend a showing of “Seabiscuit” this weekend may be surprised when they are handed a political leaflet as they exit the theater. Bearing the headline, “Long Shots Do Win!” the leaflet will be handed out by hundreds of Kucinich for President volunteers at theaters coast to coast.

    “Seabiscuit” tells the story of a racehorse derided by the experts as a long shot with no chance of winning, who not only wins, but inspires a nation. Kucinich volunteers will greet moviegoers with the “Long Shots Do Win!” flier and other literature about a candidate similarly derided by the pundits — a candidate who is inspiring large crowds of voters nationwide as his grassroots campaign picks up speed just 5 months out of the starting gate. Congressman Kucinich has a history of winning long-shot campaigns against better-funded opponents.

    Democrat Dennis Kucinich is co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and leader of antiwar opposition in the House. His grassroots campaign for president has raised $2 million, is expanding its staff across the country and winning endorsements from leading artists and activists. In early September, Willie Nelson will be performing several campaign benefits.

The text of the flier is here:

    During the Great Depression of 1938, a hero emerged in the unlikely form of a small, unknown, crooked-legged horse. Derided by the experts as a longshot with no chance of winning, Seabiscuit went on to victory,
    inspiring a nation.

    Amid these troubled times comes another darkhorse, a presidential candidate who the media pundits deride. Some in the media who went along with the dishonest Iraq war resent this candidate because he led opposition to the war in Congress, consistently and effectively…from the beginning. On the campaign trail, he gets the biggest crowds and biggest crowd reactions, especially among young voters. When people hear his message, they are inspired.

    The candidate is Democratic Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich. If enough people support his campaign, 2004 can be another year in which a longshot changes history.

I’m not sure it is entirely wise to compare onself to a horse, especially if one is particularly lacking in horse sense. But I must admit I’ll be impressed if he campaigns with Toby Maguire on his shoulders.

About Eric Olsen

Career media professional and serial entrepreneur Eric Olsen flung himself into the paranormal world in 2012, creating the America's Most Haunted brand and co-authoring the award-winning America's Most Haunted book, published by Berkley/Penguin in Sept, 2014. Olsen is co-host of the nationally syndicated broadcast and Internet radio talk show After Hours AM; his entertaining and informative America's Most Haunted website and social media outlets are must-reads: Twitter@amhaunted, Facebook.com/amhaunted, Pinterest America's Most Haunted. Olsen is also guitarist/singer for popular and wildly eclectic Cleveland cover band The Props.

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