A recent Common Dreams article, from The Plain Dealer, regarding Dennis Kucinich's announcement that he is going to run again for president, reads in part as follows:
[Start passage] Stephen Hess, a George Washington University public affairs professor who has written several books on the presidency, said Kucinich's second bid will give his ideas wider exposure but will do little to improve his chances of winning.
Hess says Kucinich lacks the charisma of Obama, the political connections of Clinton or the résumé of other candidates considering a run.
"What he has got is a name that's hard to pronounce and an ideology that's pretty far to the margins of his party," Hess said.
Washington, D.C., political handicapper Stuart Rothenberg agrees, adding that Kucinich won't be able to raise as much money as other contenders and that "he has painted himself into representing a tiny corner of the Democratic Party."
"After a while, Congressman Kucinich's Don Quixote-like struggle starts to appear kind of goofy," Rothenberg said.
"Everyone deserves a shot to run for president, but I am not sure everyone deserves two shots," he said.
In an interview with Plain Dealer editors and reporters a month before the election, Kucinich said he had "no plans" for a second bid, though he refused to rule it out completely.
Republican Mike Dovilla, who was crushed by Kucinich in the Nov. 7 election, complained bitterly Monday that Kucinich misled voters.
"It's too bad that during this year's congressional campaign, Dennis Kucinich did not have the decency to be honest with the people of Ohio's 10th District," he said in a statement. "For two more years, we will have an absentee congressman as Dennis runs around the nation to indulge his insatiable ego and advance his personal, extremist agenda in another futile run for the White House." [End passage]
It is easy enough to forgive the sore loser in this instance, Mike Dovilla, for his peevish attitude. Many children never receive the help they need to get past this stage of development. About all we can do for Mike is wish him luck if he decides to run again.
But I found myself asking, who is this Stuart Rothenberg guy? Why is he holding himself up as a prophet? Why would anyone give a fart in the wind what Stuart Rothenberg has to say about Dennis Kucinich, particularly when there is not one iota of fact to support his unpleasant opinion? And for that matter, just what is a "political handicapper"?
Dictionary.com says there are no entries for the phrase "political handicapper." However, a few clicks of the mouse did bring me to "The Rothenberg Political Report," published by none other than Stuart Rothenberg-that same Mr. Rothenberg, who proclaims: 1) Kucinich has painted himself into representing a tiny corner of the Democratic Party; 2) Kucinich's Don Quixote-like struggle appears kind of goofy; and 3) everyone deserves a shot to run for president, but he is not sure everyone deserves two shots.
Check Stuart's website for yourself, and you'll learn that he offers "free political news and analysis," which, if you so desire, you can have delivered to your inbox. Reading further, you will learn that, "The Rothenberg Political Report is an independent newsletter that reports on U.S. House and Senate contests... It neither endorses candidates nor advocates positions on matters of public policy."
Thus we learn that reporters for the The Plains Dealer, and who knows how many other hodunk papers, turn to this "political handicapper" for his opinion, two years in advance regarding presidential candidates-in this case, a "political handicapper" who puts out a paper that does not endorse candidates. Evidently, it just slaps them around a few times, if Stuart doesn't like them.
Then I wonder, "Ok, why does this particular handicapper not like Dennis Kucinich?" A few more mouse clicks and I learn that Stuart has done on-the-air analysis for Voice of America, the "official international radio and television broadcasting service of the United States federal government," according to Wikipedia.
Geery lived off the grid for 15 years in an earth-sheltered, solar heated home, while his kids learned in school that solar energy isn't feasible. NAPTA hosts a page on Geery's foibles in education, and explains how he got his butt fired from a tenured teaching position. Here's a short clip of his most recent solar contraption; for more on that project, and Geery's contention that the Wright Brothers took a wrong turn, please visit his airship page (hyperblimp.com). Apparently, Geery is the only one in the world to respond to Osama bin Laden, call bullshit on him and George together, and expose them for the pansy ass rich kids that they are. Unfortunately, bin Laden has been too scared to write back and explain himsself; and George is still working hard to finish his goat book.
