Can Des Moines Register explain why they allowed Alan Keyes to debate, but not Kucinich?

[Occam Bandage]

Kucinich is a niche candidate with an active support base, representing an extremely valuable wing of the party. However, he refuses to rent a storefront office, and so is being excluded from the DMR debate. The DMR states as its criteria: that a candidate must have filed papers with the Federal Election Commission; that he must have publicly announced his candidacy; that he have a campaign office in Iowa as of October 1; that he have at least one full-time paid staff member in Iowa; and that he score at least one percent support in the Register’s October poll.

Kucinich has the papers, announcement, support, and staff, but does not have an office. This isn't arbitrary in and of itself; DK has been rejected by several events in Iowa for not having an office. If he wants to change the rules, he's gotta play by them first. But now let's look at Alan Keyes.

Keyes does not have an organization in Iowa. He does not have any support to speak of. He does not have any fundraising ability; he's only taken in $25,000 (1/10 of Gravel's figures, and 1/80 of Kucinich's.) His website is currently pushing the absolutely pathetic goal of getting 5,000 people to sign an on-line pledge to support him; he's at 2712 (49 supporters in Iowa!). Crucially, he has zero paid staff in Iowa. He has had zero campaign events in Iowa. He does not have an office of any sort in Iowa, home or otherwise. By any measure he did not belong on stage.

Unless anyone can explain why Keyes was allowed in, I've reversed my earlier position. While I still think Kucinich's refusal to play ball and get an actual Iowa office is boneheaded, the DMR's criteria appear to be arbitrarily enforced. As such, I have written them to register my disappointment and inform them that I do not plan on watching, listening to, or otherwise supporting this debate.

[Bitwit1234]

1. The republicans had to have a black man on the roster make em look good

but now they need a woman, are they going to put up Katherine Harris.

[TwilightGardener]

2. The reason Crazy Alan Keyes was let in was either to make the GOPer

frontrunners look less crazy by comparison, or it was because they were afraid of racism charges.

[tyne]

4. Um...

The reason Keyes was let in was because he met the requirements. The reason that Kucinich was denied was because he didn't. *shrug*

[sniffa]

7. but Keyes didn't meet them

[Occam Bandage]

8. But he didn't. He doesn't even have one paid staffer.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTIwNWE3YTNjY2EwYzYyMjUxYTdiMTVkOTViMzQ3ZGI=

[sniffa]

9. did you get that from my thread?

i have to correct you though... he's counting himself as his employee. :eyes:

[Occam Bandage]

12. No, I googled around and found a few articles on his non-campaign. Could you

link me to that thread?

[sniffa]

13. sure

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3830488&mesg_id=3830488

i just stumbled upon it why'll trying to find out if Keyes is running, etc.
and it kinda enraged me that he was allowed in without meeting several of the DMR's requirements.

[MNDemNY]

18. That's how he makes his living. Really.

[Occam Bandage]

19. Given his pathetic fundraising, he might want to look into McDonalds'.

[MNDemNY]

21. He's been doing well, considering all the bills he pays are his own.

Pretty good work, if you can get it.

[Occam Bandage]

5. They could have just pointed to the same criteria they did with DK.

"Hey, no office, no staff, no podium."

Besides, the Republicans hate having Keyes onstage with them. He's like Gravel; he just bashes the frontrunners for being cowardly sellouts.

[BeyondGeography]

3. A very fair question

I didn't even know Keyes was running again until I saw him in that debate yesterday. Say what you will about Dennis in Iowa; everyone knows he's a candidate.

[1corona4u]

6. They explained it...

The Des Moines Register wrote to Dennis Kucinich’s campaign to explain his exclusion from its debate today.

“It was our determination that a person working out of his home did not meet our criteria for a campaign office and a full-time paid staff in Iowa.”

http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/401512.html

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071212/NEWS09/71212029/-1/THEMES

[sniffa]

10. yes, but they have yet to explain why Republicans aren't held to that standard

[Occam Bandage]

11. Yes, but why did they not hold Keyes to that same standard?

I understand DK's exclusion taken in a vacuum; he doesn't quite meet the requirements. But why, then, allow Keyes to debate, despite having neither office nor staff nor any support whatsoever?

[1corona4u]

14. Maybe they were afraid he would cry discrimination?

I don't know. But he sure made an ass out of himself. Not that the moderator was much better though.

[sniffa]

15. .

.

[Occam Bandage]

17. That would be ironic.

If Alan Keyes were to be let into something due to the fact that he was black.

As Keyes said, I oppose this whole Affirmative Action business. We are not supposed to be judged based on what our ancestors did or suffered. We are supposed to be judged as individuals, based on what we are able to achieve.

[sniffa]

20. .

[sniffa]

31. .

[Tejanocrat]

16. Damn good question!

[slipslidingaway]

22. Happy to be the fifth and thank you for following up by initiating

this thread and registering your displeasure with DMR.

:toast:

[K8-EEE]

23. Can't a DK supporter just put a sign on their home office or garage?

That seems like such a weird reason. It has to be "storefront?" What a strange rule.

[Occam Bandage]

26. Well, I sorta understand that.

They're trying to keep out the cranks. Having an actual office would cost only a few thousand dollars (someone earlier posted the math, and claimed it would be about $5000 for three months), and is essential to most campaigns, given the volume of paperwork, number of staffers, and number of phone lines required to run a statewide campaign. Joe Shit the Rag Man can say, "Okay, this house is my office." Requiring an actual office with an actual staff is a threshold that is met by every serious campaign but DK's (and is a threshold he had no problem meeting in 2004, and has met in several other states this year.) That isn't my problem with this.

My problem is that there seem to be different rules for Democrats and Republicans.

[redqueen]

24. Where are those who argue so vehemently Kucinich's exclusion was fair?

Weird that they're not chiming in on this thread, hm?

[Occam Bandage]

28. I was one of them. nt

[redqueen]

29. There's lots more. (nt)

[progressoid]

25. Hell, until two days ago, I didn't even know Keyes was running.

[balantz]

27. Because morphing into a black skin hasn't been perfected yet

by the evil nazi scientists?

:shrug:

[Occam Bandage]

30. kick

[killbotfactory]

32. They're trying to make the republicans look even more crazy?

I have no idea.

[redqueen]

33. Keyes is not a threat to the rich and powerful. (nt)

[Occam Bandage]

34. kick, still no answers

[rinsd]

35. I have to say it. I didn't even know Alan Keyes was running this year.

So I am quite perplexed why he was allowed to debate but Dennis was not.

[readmoreoften]

36. I'd like to thank you for being consistent and logical in your assessment. Instead of

your criticism of DK being a simple smear of a candidate you detest.

[I work for workers]

37. If it makes you feel better, the Reps are equally pissed,

and think this was an attack on them. Something like "add one crazy to the Rep debate, subtract one crazy from the Dems."

[redqueen]

38. Why would that make ANYONE "feel better"?

:wtf:

[I work for workers]

39. Cause other people feel bad? I guess I'm just petty... nt

[Occam Bandage]

40. kick

[superkia]

41. Yeah, they figured Keyes wouldnt press the impeachment issue...

like our ONE democratic candidate has. I really dont care anymore, it seems that Americans do not want to open their eyes to whats happening to our country and the world and refuse to change their own ways of voting. If we as a people refuse to change our actions and take back the country, we deserve to continue our way into a police state, dictatorship, what ever you want to call it...its our fault. The main thing I have noticed around DU is that, many agree with Dennis Kucinich and what he stands for but instead of building on that and trying to make change, too many go along with the MSM and look at him as unelectable or that he is not trying or whatever bullshit reason they can come up with? When Americans can wake up and think without any of the bullshit propaganda that we all deal with on a daily basis, maybe then we will change but so far, it looks like we have decided to give in to the broken system and help destroy our country, the world and our children's future.

At first I would get frustrated and pissed at the politicians that are a part of this new world order bullshit but now I fully realize that it is not the evil doers that are at fault, it is all of us that actually educate ourselves on whats really happening and we continue to play their games. So many people hate being called sheeple but when you refuse to look at the facts and vote for the best interest of our children, I don't think its because they dislike children, I have to believe its because the country is full of sheeple and they have no idea.

As long as their are Bilderberg group meetings going on in secret with the most powerful people in politics, business and the media attending them, our country will continue down the path its heading. If you dont know what Bildergerg is or what they do, you should really look into it an question it.

[Occam Bandage]

42. kick