Updated: Nov. 29, 2007
See: Kucinich considers GOP Ron Paul as his running mate by Sabrina Eaton (audio)
Monday, November 26, 2007
by Sabrina Eaton and Stephen Koff
Plain Dealer Washington Bureau
Acworth, N.H. — Call it the liberal-libertarian ticket, where left meets right and Democrat Dennis Kucinich picks Republican Ron Paul to be his vice president.
Kucinich, the Cleveland congressman running in a longshot bid to become president, suggested it himself Sunday.
“I’m thinking about Ron Paul” as a running mate, Kucinich told a crowd of about 70 supporters at a house party here, one of numerous stops throughout New Hampshire over the Thanksgiving weekend. A Kucinich-Paul administration could bring people together “to balance the energies in this country,” Kucinich said.
It would create a stunning, if dizzying, blend of beliefs, wedding two politicians who hold different views on abortion rights, the role of government in providing health care, and the use of government in fostering — or hampering — the public’s greater good. Those are among the reasons it would never work, said a spokesman for Paul, a Texas congressman and doctor.
“Dr. Paul and Rep. Kucinich are friends and there is a lot of mutual respect,” Paul communications director Jesse Benton said in an e-mail when asked whether a running-mate spot on the Kucinich ticket would be attractive to Paul. “They have worked, and will continue to work, together on ending the war and protecting civil liberties.
“However, Ron wants to substantially cut the size and scope of the federal government. There are too many differences on issues such as taxes and spending to think a joint ticket would be possible.”
Kucinich and Paul are gadflies to their parties’ establishments. Kucinich challenges Democrats to stop cozying up to corporate interests, while Paul challenges Republicans to shed the trappings of big government.
Both frequently cite the Constitution as providing the authority for their agendas. Paul never votes for legislation unless the measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution, his campaign says. Kucinich keeps a pocket-size copy of the Constitution handy, taking it out to invoke its authority over such proposals as the impeachment of Vice President Cheney, one of Kucinich’s signature issues.
Speculation of a Kucinich-Paul ticket has surfaced on the Internet, where it also has been shot down. But Kucinich’s wife, Elizabeth, did not dismiss it when asked about it after a recent Democratic candidates’ debate in Las Vegas. Speaking to the Web site RawVegasTV, she called Paul “a great truth-teller,” adding that Paul has “voted 100 percent right on the war.”
On Sunday, her husband said, “Think of how you could unite the country, having a Democrat and a Republican on the ticket.”
To reach these Plain Dealer reporters:
skoff@plaind.com, 216-999-4212,
seaton@plaind.com, 216-999-4212
see
After the Rep Debate: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell + Ron Paul VP Question (videos)
Ron Paul asked about Dennis Kucinich as a running mate (video)
Kucinich: Dennis on Health Care; Peak Oil & Elizabeth on Ron Paul; 9-11 Truth (video)
Dandelion Salad 
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Thanks, Sue. Another reader notified me of this audio so I updated your comment with a link to my blog post with the audio and article.
Thanks for letting us know about this newspaper.
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I love Dennis; he’s my congressman here in Cleveland. The Plain Dealer is the only major newspaper in this city, and as far as I know it’s been a hate/hate relationship between Dennis and the PD since the 1970s. They print a lot of crap, but they sometimes print the truth (in a crappy way). The PD has the audio. Here it is Kucinich considers GOP Ron Paul as his running mate by Sabrina Eaton (audio)
The only sensible candidate for Dennis to choose would be Gravel. Although i’d like to see a combo of Paul, Kucinich, or Gravel on the ticket, I know Ron would respectfully decline offers to be VP from anyone other than a conservative Libertarian.
Thanks, everyone for your comments.
Honestly, I would like to see it happen.
I don’t hate Ron Paul.
I actually like him better than any of the non-kucinich Democrats (aside from Gravel).
Plus, I think they’d win. 60% of the country doesn’t vote.
However, this article is written in the Plain Dealer, who are known to outright LIE about Kucinich.
You know, I know where this originated and it is fabricated.
People are always saying Paul/Kucinich and those of us who understand party ideology say, what are you crazy? Paul would never have Dennis for a running mate. Dennis is a socialist!
Then someone did a video asking Dennis…
Now people are picking up on it.
I can tell you first hand, I know Ron and it is JUST NOT TRUE. He was also asked and gave it no time.
RON PAUL WOULD NEVER ASK DENNIS KUCINICH TO BE HIS RUNNING MATE. NEVER.
I truly hope Dennis is smart enough to avoid that silly,
mendacious troll who can be good only for a bad reward.
Thanks, Koyaanisqatsi for calling for additional info.
“Can’t believe everything that you read.”
I just posted about having called the Kucinich campaign and learned Dennis will not choose Ron Paul for Veep. Well, seeing this article prompted me to call AGAIN. This time I spoke with a “higher up” who told me that the paper this story was printed in as an “anti-Kucinich” paper.
Please keep this in mind when reading this story. The person I spoke to hopes Dennis will be making a more public statement about the fact he would not choose Ron Paul as a running mate, thank goodness. I’d have to withdraw my support for Kucinich if he chose Paul as a running mate. They want completely different things for our country and I wouldn’t want us all to be just a severe brain aneurism away from a “Prez Paul”. NO WAY.
Since Kucinich was extremely anti-choice until; he decided to run for President, I am not sure how much they really differ on that issue since Paul still holds a very anti-libertarian anti-choice position.
I’ve always told my friends that in a just world we would see Kucinich and Paul nominated by their respective parties. People say that neither one sticks to the ideals of their party, but I think it is just the opposite. I think both are shining examples of what it means to be either Democrat or Republican. I do think, however, that if they both ran on the same ticket, it would be Paul for President and Kucinich for VP, because Paul has more support. Dennis definitely has the more attractive wife, though. 🙂
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