As Sen. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, continues to challenge the realm of odds against him, other Democratic candidates including Sen. Dick Gephardt, D-Miss., have accepted defeat and withdrawn their name from the Democratic ballot.
After Gephardt’s disappointing finish in the Iowa caucus, Josh Earnest, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said the senator intended to further enhance the presidential prospects of his fellow Democratic candidates.
“Gephardt is very encouraged by the other Democratic hopefuls. In his mind-set, he is stepping aside to allow other candidates, who have already received a lot of attention, the ability to receive more,” Earnest said.
The “mind-set” became more obvious to Gephardt after the crucial Iowa caucus, when his platform, favoring unions, received little support in return.
Dean Lacy, an associate professor of political science at Ohio State, said although Gephardt was not supported by the bulk of union workers, they will remain a strong fund-raising force for the Democratic party.
“The loss in Iowa was devastating to his campaign, but the fact that he lost in Iowa was due to union voters thinking about which candidate has the best chance of beating Bush,” Lacy said. “Gephardt’s loss does not signal that the unions are no longer an important part of the Democratic coalition.”
As numerous state primaries and caucuses have unfolded, the American people have spoken, but Kucinich has yet to listen. Doug Gordon, Kucinich’s spokesman, said although the congressman appreciates the voters’ participation and respects the decision of Gephardt to withdraw, his main concern is to move forward with his campaign.
“He is in this to win and will continue on to each and every convention to advocate his message. He carries a strong message of peace and prosperity throughout the nation to say he’s concerned the path of preemptive war has had harmful effects on our country,” Gordon said.
Earnest said he is pleased with Kucinich’s decision to remain positioned as a potential nominee on the Democratic ballot because of his vital role and ability to engage the American people with Democratic involvement.
Although the question remains uncertain as to whether Kucinich would ever seek executive office in the future, Lacy said he predicts Kucinich will continue to battle forward in his quest for presidency.
“He is running an issues-oriented campaign to keep some important issues on the Democrats’ agenda,” Lacy said. “And he also probably wants to stay in the race until the Ohio primary.”
