A Soldiers News Blog
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Iraq War News
Life in a presidential campaign doomed from the start
By VIN GOPAL
The first question I always get, “Kucinich, he is not going to win, why are you working for him?” Working in a campaign, any campaign is not an easy job. You are on the road constantly and every person you meet is a prospective customer. My job is to sell my candidate’s beliefs and stats. People working in a campaign don’t do it for the pay (if any); they do it because they believe in that candidate. The person I believe in is Dennis Kucinich.
How come the Kucinich Campaign never took off? Obviously a different reason than why Lieberman, Clark, and Dean’s campaigns failed. Senator Lieberman and General Clark’s campaigns didn’t push because they could have run as a Republican or a Democrat, and no one could have known the difference. Governor Dean has the message that appealed to the core Democratic beliefs but I believe his campaign managers didn’t take advantage of opportunities. Dean had the chance to recoil in New Hampshire but he wasn’t able to pull it off.
Senator Edwards and Senator Kerry were the only candidates to truly hold successful campaigns. They defeated the media; a media that deleted their names from the get-go and had Governor Dean and General Clark as the success stories.
Then there’s Dennis Kucinich, the four term congressman from Ohio. One of the many lines I always get is that Kucinich is too liberal and that America is not ready for him. Is that reallt true? The reason Dennis Kucinich did not win is because of the media. If Kucinich had done better in Iowa, I think the media would have paid more attention to his campaign. Who can be blamed for Kucinich’s failure in Iowa? That is a pretty open question, because someone does deserve the blame. Was the American media fair during these Democratic Presidential Elections? Of course no campaign is perfect, but from being in the Kucinich Campaign and working for prior campaigns, the Kucinich Team did a great job but the media was not on our side from the start. The same can be said for Ambassador Braun and Reverend Sharpton. Kucinich’s liberal ideas such as ending poverty, ending an immoral war, and ending unfair trade agreements did not appeal to Larry King and the rest of his media friends.
The question I will be getting next is an obvious one. “Why is Dennis Kucinich still in this race? There is no possible chance for him to win!”
You can answer that one.
Vin Gopal is involved in the Kucinich for President Campaign as the New Jersey coordinator of student outreach and online operations. He was a former contributing columnist with The Miami Herald, and St. Petersburg Times. He is currently a pre-law student at Penn State University, business owner, and motivational speaker.
Iraq War News
By VIN GOPAL
The first question I always get, “Kucinich, he is not going to win, why are you working for him?” Working in a campaign, any campaign is not an easy job. You are on the road constantly and every person you meet is a prospective customer. My job is to sell my candidate’s beliefs and stats. People working in a campaign don’t do it for the pay (if any); they do it because they believe in that candidate. The person I believe in is Dennis Kucinich.
How come the Kucinich Campaign never took off? Obviously a different reason than why Lieberman, Clark, and Dean’s campaigns failed. Senator Lieberman and General Clark’s campaigns didn’t push because they could have run as a Republican or a Democrat, and no one could have known the difference. Governor Dean has the message that appealed to the core Democratic beliefs but I believe his campaign managers didn’t take advantage of opportunities. Dean had the chance to recoil in New Hampshire but he wasn’t able to pull it off.
Senator Edwards and Senator Kerry were the only candidates to truly hold successful campaigns. They defeated the media; a media that deleted their names from the get-go and had Governor Dean and General Clark as the success stories.
Then there’s Dennis Kucinich, the four term congressman from Ohio. One of the many lines I always get is that Kucinich is too liberal and that America is not ready for him. Is that reallt true? The reason Dennis Kucinich did not win is because of the media. If Kucinich had done better in Iowa, I think the media would have paid more attention to his campaign. Who can be blamed for Kucinich’s failure in Iowa? That is a pretty open question, because someone does deserve the blame. Was the American media fair during these Democratic Presidential Elections? Of course no campaign is perfect, but from being in the Kucinich Campaign and working for prior campaigns, the Kucinich Team did a great job but the media was not on our side from the start. The same can be said for Ambassador Braun and Reverend Sharpton. Kucinich’s liberal ideas such as ending poverty, ending an immoral war, and ending unfair trade agreements did not appeal to Larry King and the rest of his media friends.
The question I will be getting next is an obvious one. “Why is Dennis Kucinich still in this race? There is no possible chance for him to win!”
You can answer that one.
Vin Gopal is involved in the Kucinich for President Campaign as the New Jersey coordinator of student outreach and online operations. He was a former contributing columnist with The Miami Herald, and St. Petersburg Times. He is currently a pre-law student at Penn State University, business owner, and motivational speaker.
Iraq War News
Sunday, February 29, 2004
Freedom Ride Starts March 1st will you support our troops?
FreedomBicycleRide.com: The Mission -
1 NEW YORK
Cohoes Albany Selkirk Ravena Hannacroix Catskill Cementon Saugerties Lake Katrine Kingston Port Ewen Ulster Park Esopus West Park (Port) Highland Milton Marlboro Middle Hope Balmville Newburgh New Windsor Fort Montgomery Bear Mountain Jones Point Tompkins Cove Stony Point W. Haverstraw Haverstraw Palisades
2 NEW JERSEY
Alpine Englewood Cliffs Coytesville Fort lee Grantwood Cliffside Park Union City New York City WTC Newark Maplewood Irvington Springfield Mountainside Scotch Plains Centerville Flemington Copper Hill Larisons Corners Ringoes
3 PENNSYLVANIA
Lahaska Buckingham Doylestown Chalfont Montgomeryville Gwynedd Worcester Skippack Schwenksville Zieglerville Obelisk Layfield Gilbertsville Boyertown Shanesville Manatawny Oley Reading Sinking Spring Wernersville Robesonia Womelsdorf Stouchsburg Myerstown Avon Annville Plamyra Hershey Harrisburg Civil War Museum Lemoyne Camp Hill Bowmansdale Dillsburg Clear Spring Hampton New Oxford Guldens Gettysburg Seven Stars McKnightstown Cashtown Graefenburg Greenwood Fayetteville Guilford hills stoufferstown Chambersburg Carlton heights Saint Thomas Fort Loudon Tuscarora Summit Breezy Point Harrisonville Green Hill Saluvia Budds Place Shortys Place Juniata Crossing Mount Dallas Bedford Wolfsburg Schellsburg Grand View Reels Corners Buckstown Ferrellton Jenners Crossroads Jennerstown Laughlintown Ligonier Bells Millbank Longbridge McCance Kingston Saint Vincent Shaft Denison Greensburg Irwin East Pittsburgh Braddock Forest Hills Pittsburgh Carnegie Heidelberg Bridgeville Morgan Gladden Cecil Bishop Venice Hickory Woodrow Rea Avella Independence
4 WEST VIRGINIA
Wellsburg Wheeling
5 OHIO
Brookside Pleasant Grove Harrisville Cadiz Uhrichsville Gnadenhutten Port Washington Orange Warsaw Nellie Millwood Howard Mt. Vernon Bangs Mt. Liberty Centerburg Condit Berkshire Delaware New Dover Marysville Milford Center Urbana Westville St. Paris Fletcher Piqua Gettysburg New Harrison Palestine
6 INDIANA
Lynn Modoc Losantville Mooreland Mt. Summit Sulphur Springs Mechanicsburg Emporia Pendleton Ingalls Fortville Woodbury Oaklandon Lawrence Indianapolis Tremont Avon Danville New Winchester Groveland Bainbridge Morton Hollandsburg Bellmore Rockville Coloma Montezuma
7 ILLINOIS
Scottland Metcalf Hume Newman Camargo Tuscola Ficklin Garrett Hammond Casner Decatur Warrensburg Latham Lake Fork Cornland Buffalo Hart Spaulding Springfield Glenarm Divernon Farmersville Waggoner 18 Litchfield Mt. Olive Williamson Hamel Edwardsville Mitchell
8 MISSOURI
St. Louis Manchester Grover (Pond) Gray Summit St. Clair Stanton Sullivan St Cloud Bourbon Cuba Fanning St. James Rolla Doolittle Arlington Powellville Clementine Devil's Elbow Saint Robert Waynesville Buckhorn 21 Laquey Hazelgreen Lebanon Phillipsburg Conway Marshfield Strafford Springfield Halltown Paris Springs Spencer Heatonville Albatross Phelps Rescue Plew Avilla Maxville Carthage Carterville Webb City Joplin
9 KANSAS
Galena Riverton Baxter Springs
10 OKLAHOMA
Quapaw Commerce Miami Dotyville Narcissa Afton Vinita White Oak Chelsea Foyil Sequoyah Claremore Verdigris Catoosa Tulsa Oakhurst Sapulpa Kellyville Bristow Depew Stroud Davenport Chandler Warwick Wellston Luther Arcadia Edmond Oklahoma City Warr Acres Bethany Yukon El Reno Calumet Geary Bridgeport Hydro Weatherford Clinton Foss Canute Elk City Sayre Hext Erick Texola
11 TEXAS
Shamrock Mc Lean Alanreed Jericho Groom Conway Amarillo Bushland Wildorado Vega Adrian Gruhlkey Glenrio Serafina
12 NEW MEXICO
Ribera Ilfed Bard San Jon Tucumcari Palomas Montoya Newkirk Cuervo Santa Rosa Clines Corners Parajito Moriarty Edgewood Barton Sedillo Zamora Tijeras Suwanee Carnuel Albuquerque Mesita Laguna New Laguna Paraje Budville Cubero San Fidel Mc Cartys Grants Milan Prewitt Thoreau Gallup Defiance Manuelito
13 ARIZONA
Lupton Allantown Houck Sanders Chambers Navajo Goodwater Sun Valley Holbrook Joseph City Winslow Leupp Corner Winona Flagstaff Bellemont Parks Williams Ash Fork Seligman Peach Sprs. Truxton Crozier Valentine Kingman McConnico Oatman Golden Shores Topock
14 CALIFORNIA
Needles Goffs Fenner Essex Danby Chambless Amboy Bagdad Ludlow Newberry Springs Daggett Barstow Lenwood Hodge Helendale Oro Grande Victorville Devore San Bernardino Rialto Fontana Rancho Cucamonga Upland Claremont La Verne San Dimas Glendora Azusa Irwindale Duarte Monrovia Arcadia Sierra Madre Pasadena Sacramento
Patti Patton-Bader
Freedom Bicycle Ride Co-Founder & Event Coordinator
Patti Patton-Bader a new bride and mother of a soldier stationed in Iraq since April 12, 2003. Patti is a native of Pasadena, Ca. and lives near the old home of Gen. Patton her great uncle. Patti's family has a long line of military service with her step-father a retired Col. and a step-brother in active duty.
FreedomBicycleRide.com: The Mission -
1 NEW YORK
Cohoes Albany Selkirk Ravena Hannacroix Catskill Cementon Saugerties Lake Katrine Kingston Port Ewen Ulster Park Esopus West Park (Port) Highland Milton Marlboro Middle Hope Balmville Newburgh New Windsor Fort Montgomery Bear Mountain Jones Point Tompkins Cove Stony Point W. Haverstraw Haverstraw Palisades
2 NEW JERSEY
Alpine Englewood Cliffs Coytesville Fort lee Grantwood Cliffside Park Union City New York City WTC Newark Maplewood Irvington Springfield Mountainside Scotch Plains Centerville Flemington Copper Hill Larisons Corners Ringoes
3 PENNSYLVANIA
Lahaska Buckingham Doylestown Chalfont Montgomeryville Gwynedd Worcester Skippack Schwenksville Zieglerville Obelisk Layfield Gilbertsville Boyertown Shanesville Manatawny Oley Reading Sinking Spring Wernersville Robesonia Womelsdorf Stouchsburg Myerstown Avon Annville Plamyra Hershey Harrisburg Civil War Museum Lemoyne Camp Hill Bowmansdale Dillsburg Clear Spring Hampton New Oxford Guldens Gettysburg Seven Stars McKnightstown Cashtown Graefenburg Greenwood Fayetteville Guilford hills stoufferstown Chambersburg Carlton heights Saint Thomas Fort Loudon Tuscarora Summit Breezy Point Harrisonville Green Hill Saluvia Budds Place Shortys Place Juniata Crossing Mount Dallas Bedford Wolfsburg Schellsburg Grand View Reels Corners Buckstown Ferrellton Jenners Crossroads Jennerstown Laughlintown Ligonier Bells Millbank Longbridge McCance Kingston Saint Vincent Shaft Denison Greensburg Irwin East Pittsburgh Braddock Forest Hills Pittsburgh Carnegie Heidelberg Bridgeville Morgan Gladden Cecil Bishop Venice Hickory Woodrow Rea Avella Independence
4 WEST VIRGINIA
Wellsburg Wheeling
5 OHIO
Brookside Pleasant Grove Harrisville Cadiz Uhrichsville Gnadenhutten Port Washington Orange Warsaw Nellie Millwood Howard Mt. Vernon Bangs Mt. Liberty Centerburg Condit Berkshire Delaware New Dover Marysville Milford Center Urbana Westville St. Paris Fletcher Piqua Gettysburg New Harrison Palestine
6 INDIANA
Lynn Modoc Losantville Mooreland Mt. Summit Sulphur Springs Mechanicsburg Emporia Pendleton Ingalls Fortville Woodbury Oaklandon Lawrence Indianapolis Tremont Avon Danville New Winchester Groveland Bainbridge Morton Hollandsburg Bellmore Rockville Coloma Montezuma
7 ILLINOIS
Scottland Metcalf Hume Newman Camargo Tuscola Ficklin Garrett Hammond Casner Decatur Warrensburg Latham Lake Fork Cornland Buffalo Hart Spaulding Springfield Glenarm Divernon Farmersville Waggoner 18 Litchfield Mt. Olive Williamson Hamel Edwardsville Mitchell
8 MISSOURI
St. Louis Manchester Grover (Pond) Gray Summit St. Clair Stanton Sullivan St Cloud Bourbon Cuba Fanning St. James Rolla Doolittle Arlington Powellville Clementine Devil's Elbow Saint Robert Waynesville Buckhorn 21 Laquey Hazelgreen Lebanon Phillipsburg Conway Marshfield Strafford Springfield Halltown Paris Springs Spencer Heatonville Albatross Phelps Rescue Plew Avilla Maxville Carthage Carterville Webb City Joplin
9 KANSAS
Galena Riverton Baxter Springs
10 OKLAHOMA
Quapaw Commerce Miami Dotyville Narcissa Afton Vinita White Oak Chelsea Foyil Sequoyah Claremore Verdigris Catoosa Tulsa Oakhurst Sapulpa Kellyville Bristow Depew Stroud Davenport Chandler Warwick Wellston Luther Arcadia Edmond Oklahoma City Warr Acres Bethany Yukon El Reno Calumet Geary Bridgeport Hydro Weatherford Clinton Foss Canute Elk City Sayre Hext Erick Texola
11 TEXAS
Shamrock Mc Lean Alanreed Jericho Groom Conway Amarillo Bushland Wildorado Vega Adrian Gruhlkey Glenrio Serafina
12 NEW MEXICO
Ribera Ilfed Bard San Jon Tucumcari Palomas Montoya Newkirk Cuervo Santa Rosa Clines Corners Parajito Moriarty Edgewood Barton Sedillo Zamora Tijeras Suwanee Carnuel Albuquerque Mesita Laguna New Laguna Paraje Budville Cubero San Fidel Mc Cartys Grants Milan Prewitt Thoreau Gallup Defiance Manuelito
13 ARIZONA
Lupton Allantown Houck Sanders Chambers Navajo Goodwater Sun Valley Holbrook Joseph City Winslow Leupp Corner Winona Flagstaff Bellemont Parks Williams Ash Fork Seligman Peach Sprs. Truxton Crozier Valentine Kingman McConnico Oatman Golden Shores Topock
14 CALIFORNIA
Needles Goffs Fenner Essex Danby Chambless Amboy Bagdad Ludlow Newberry Springs Daggett Barstow Lenwood Hodge Helendale Oro Grande Victorville Devore San Bernardino Rialto Fontana Rancho Cucamonga Upland Claremont La Verne San Dimas Glendora Azusa Irwindale Duarte Monrovia Arcadia Sierra Madre Pasadena Sacramento
Patti Patton-Bader
Freedom Bicycle Ride Co-Founder & Event Coordinator
Patti Patton-Bader a new bride and mother of a soldier stationed in Iraq since April 12, 2003. Patti is a native of Pasadena, Ca. and lives near the old home of Gen. Patton her great uncle. Patti's family has a long line of military service with her step-father a retired Col. and a step-brother in active duty.
