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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Why I Cannot Vote for Dennis Kucinich

I like Dennis Kucinich's politics, I really do. In every Internet poll I've taken so far to determine who would be my ideal candidate, Dennis always comes out on top. The local Air America affiliate here in Portland (KPOJ 620) is running a straw poll on their web site and Kucinich always gets the biggest percentage of votes. There is no doubt that I would be extremely happy to have someone like Kucinich become the next President and the country as a whole would be a much better place for it.

But I can't bring myself to vote for him.

Kucinich was born in 1946 (the same year as my father). Seeing as he just had a birthday on Oct 8, that makes him 61. He's not "old", but he's in grandfather territory now (my parents have three grandchildren). My parents are still married, but if my dad were to remarry, I would expect him to marry someone close to his own age, at least within the ballpark. Eyebrows would be raised if my dad announced that he was marrying a 30 year old woman who was soon going to be the step-grandmother to grandchildren whose parents are older than the new step-grandmother.

So why shouldn't I be just a little weirded out that Kucinich married a woman half his age (she is currently 30 years old)?

I'm not going to try and psychoanalyze their relationship. I'm sure they are happily married for all the right reasons. I'm sure that if Dennis were to be elected, his wife would make an outstanding First Lady. If two people have found true love, then more power to them. A real Harold and Maude for the ages.

I'll just leave you with one thought. Fred Thompson is 65. He looks even older. I'm sure I'm not the only one who cringes just a little when I see Fred and his extremely younger looking wife (who is 41) posing for the cameras. And they even have very young children who will most likely be losing a dad within the next ten years. Don't tell me that you aren't at least slightly disturbed and disgusted by their relationship. Don't tell me that you wouldn't be at least a little embarrassed about having Jeri Thompson as a First Lady. Don't tell me that you don't think Fred Thompson is trying to make himself look just a little more manly by nailing a trophy wife. There is something not quite right about this relationship and unless you are one of those guys who thinks it should be every man's dream to bang a young hot chick to prove that his dick still works, you don't want someone like this as President.

But hey, at least Thompson stayed within the half-your-age limit.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm disturbed and disgusted that a seemingly intelligent person such as yourself would decide who not to vote for based on such a superficial issue. Mrs. Kucinich is no ingenue. She entered adulthood a decade ago (or more in most cultures). You say you're sure they are happily married for the right reasons and then you go on to compare Kucinich to Thompson and make your presumptuous and small-minded judgment. Of course, most of the country is with you on this, which is why we have Bozo and Beelzebub in the White House while our fine nation heads down the toilet.

Thu Oct 18, 12:26:00 AM 2007  
Blogger Bruce said...

For you this may be a superficial issue, but for me this says something about the man. I can't help but wonder why he married a woman half his age (and why she married him as well). There is a huge difference between 61 and 30. Do 30 year old woman usually fantasize about marrying someone their grandfather's age? Why is it that almost every time an Anna Nicole Smith marries a rich millionaire we all know the reasons yet it is unspeakable to question Kucinich's relationship? Kucinich is a politician. He has to know that his personal image will play a big factor with regards to his aspirations. Did he really think that marrying this woman would help his career? Is his target constituency really a bunch of frat boys who want to high-five him for getting some?

And I don't think most of the country is with me on this for the same reason that I am. Most of the country will not vote for Kucinich because the media has convinced them that he is an irrelevant nobody. I on the other hand really respect his politics and think someone like him would make a great President. I just think he's somewhat immature and is compensating for something by marrying a woman half his age. Again, while I respect his politics greatly, I can't respect his juvenile decision making compensating and insecurity toward women.

Just to make sure I'm not way off base here, I did a quick unscientific poll (basically, my wife). I asked her what her opinion would be of a 61 year old man who marries a 30 year old woman. She frowned and gave me the thumbs-down sign. She also mentioned that Steve Martin recently did the same thing and her opinion of him "dropped 50 points". Yes, I know, we are supposed to shun stereotypes, but everyone knows why a young attractive woman marries a much older man. And every man is secretly giving Kucinich the thumbs-up sign for living out the American male dream. Personally, I think that dream is just ever so slightly pathetic.

Thu Oct 18, 10:42:00 AM 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for your blog .. I came to it when I googled info on Mel White's book "Religion Gone Bad."

About the current topic:

Did you ever hear Heather Harlan and Tony Randall talk about their marriage? They were guests on Late Night with David Letterman. It seemed to me that these 2 were truly in love. Very sweet.

"He was married to Florence Gibbs from 1942 until her death from cancer in 1992 and then, from November 17, 1995 until his death, to Heather Harlan, with whom he had two children, Julia Laurette Randall (b. 1997) and Jefferson Salvini Randall (b. 1998). To say the least, Randall became a father late in life but Heather talked of how he adored his children and how loving he was with them. She said he faced death bravely, but his greatest sorrow was leaving them behind."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Randall#Marriages

I married a guy 11 years older than me (27 yrs ago) and we had 2 daughters.

I don't know anything about what goes on behind closed doors in anyone's marriage -- but mine.

I don't know anything about Kucinich's marriage -- but I like his politics sooooooo much better than Fred's.

There is no real protocol for First Lady's role -- it's whatever their passion is, in my opinion. Lady Bird Johnson's passions were pretty cool:
"...She created a First Lady's Committee for a More Beautiful Capital, then expanded her program to include the entire nation. She took a highly active part in her husband's war-on-poverty program, especially the Head Start project for preschool children.
...She supported causes dear to her--notably the National Wildflower Research Center, which she founded in 1982, and The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library. She also served on the Board of the National Geographic Society as a trustee emeritus. ..."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/cj36.html

Cheers, Peggy

Sun Oct 21, 03:57:00 PM 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Some of us have not had a lot of success with the ladies, so marrying a woman half our age at some point is about the only hope.

Besides, young wife or not, Fred Thompson looks like he won't make through even one term.

Wed Dec 05, 06:40:00 PM 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If there's a candidate in the race who has nothing slightly weird or disturbing about them, I'd love to hear it. Personally I'm always grateful for any candidate who only has a disturbing social life, as opposed to a disturbing platform or a disturbing history of lying and weaseling. If we get voting reform, universal healthcare, withdrawal from Iraq and a strong retreat from our drift toward a police state, I don't care if Kucinich has all-male S&M orgies in the Oval Office and then perjures himself about it. So who can you vote for?

Mon Dec 31, 01:52:00 AM 2007  

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