Ryan ChartrandDemocratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich rallied his troops at the Reggae Festival on Saturday in downtown San Luis Obispo, where he spoke to a small but passionate crowd about “ending global warring and global warming.”
Easily regarded as the most liberal candidate of his party, Kucinich is currently racing near the back of the pack in the bid for the Democratic nomination.
However, neither he nor his supporters found a need to acknowledge this fact on Saturday, when Kucinich spoke about his plan to end the war in Iraq, to replace reliance on fossil fuels with green technologies and to start a single-payer, universal health care system.
He also warned against the dangers of engaging in threats with Iran and spoke of his filed impeachment proceedings against Vice President Dick Cheney.
Kucinich first made his appearance in San Luis Obispo outside the County Courthouse building where, with his young wife Elizabeth, he was met by an anxious crowd of about 100 supporters.
The congressman from Ohio and former mayor of Cleveland reiterated that his campaign aligns perfectly with the ideals of mainstream America.
“As I travel around this country I realize that so many Americans have grief. There’s been a sense of mourning,” Kucinich said, referring specifically to the Patriot Act and the use of government wiretaps on private phone conversations.
“There also exists within us that pulsation towards freedom . This is the time for us to say we’re taking America back,” he said before being drowned out by the loud cheering around him.
After his brief speech at the courthouse, Kucinich was escorted down Monterey Street by the Code Pink “police” (a women’s peace activist organization) and flanked by supporters who walked the several blocks with him toward Mission Plaza and the beginning of the Reggae Festival.
“How do we support the troops?” Kucinich asked, holding the microphone out toward the crowd at the Mission.
“Bring them home!” the group shouted.
“How do we support the troops?”
“Bring them home!”
“How do we support the troops?”
“Bring them home!”
Kucinich also ran in the 2004 presidential race and was known largely as an anti-war candidate. Much of his current campaign capitalizes on the fact that he is the only presidential candidate to have voted against the war in Iraq.
“There’s a great desire for peace in the Middle East. We have an obligation to engage with leaders in that part of the world,” he said on Saturday.
“As the next president, I will work with the leaders of the world to create peace.”
He further warned against an attack on Iran, which he fears the White House is setting the stage for.
“We must not in any way license an attack on Iran . It’s the same kind of fraud this administration put on the floor with Iraq,” he said.
Kucinich’s speech at the festival was cut short by the ringing of the mission bells, announcing that time had run out.
He left the crowd with a few last words on universal health care, his policy toward peace, and his plans for a Works Green Administration to advance sustainable development.
Kucinich was questioned afterward by the Mustang Daily about his proposal for fully-funded college education and said he proposes a 15 percent cut in the Pentagon budget to help free up money for a $75 billion universal education fund.
The funds would provide free tuition for the first four years of college but would be tied in with a two-year national service requirement.
“It’s an investment in the future. We should have a nation that provides for the education of all people,” he said.
His visit to San Luis Obispo was part of a daylong sprint through the Central Coast, which also included stops in Templeton and Atascadero.
“I really heard what he said today about voting in your own best interest. He speaks to everyone,” said Carol Arbini of San Luis Obispo, who said she supported Kucinich in 2004 as well.
“The world needs to change toward the positive, to stop the policies of global warring and global warming,” she said.
“I’m excited to see Dennis in the White House because he speaks the truth,” said Norman Martin, 40, of Cambria.
“He’s passionate and he’s had the same platform for 20 years.”
Elizabeth Kucinich, originally from the United Kingdom and with her own track record of international humanitarian work, said she believes her husband has a chance in 2008 because his platform aligns with the ideals of the public.
“There’s absolutely nothing radical about this campaign,” she said.
“It represents the mainstream of America.”