GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich arrived at the University of Hawaii's West Oahu campus yesterday to stump for votes in tomorrow's Democratic caucuses.
Presidential candidate
dashes through HawaiiKucinich makes three public
appearances within a six-hour span
Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich zipped through the islands yesterday, making three public appearances within six hours and urging residents to vote for "a new direction" in tomorrow's Democratic caucuses.
"On Tuesday, you can point the country, and even the world, in a new direction," Kucinich said, speaking to a packed crowd last night at Studio 1 in Chinatown. "I'm ready if you are."
About 3,000 voters are expected to come out for the state's caucuses tomorrow night, according to Hawaii Democratic Party estimates. Any registered candidate who gets more than 15 percent of the caucus vote will win a proportion of the state's delegate pledges.
Earlier in the day, Kucinich spoke at the University of Hawaii's West Oahu campus and, after leaving his downtown Honolulu engagement at 7 p.m., was scheduled to drop by Maui Community College just after 8 last night. He was booked to leave last night on the red eye to San Francisco.
More than 150 people, filling chairs, standing and sitting on mats on the floor, attended the Ohio representative's talk last night at the North King Street art gallery.
Kucinich took the stage at about 6:15 p.m. to John Lennon's "Imagine" and allotted about 20 minutes after his speech for a question-and-answer session.
Many of those who attended last night's talk had been following Kucinich since he came to the islands in October. He is the only 2004 Democratic presidential hopeful to make it to Hawaii before the state's caucuses.
"I just wish he had a chance," said Richard Funk after Kucinich's speech. The UH graduate student and others agreed that getting Kucinich to the White House would be a stretch.
The candidate has trailed his rivals considerably in the caucuses and primaries of other states; the coffers of his opponents dwarf his own.
But that didn't discourage Andy Kay from coming out last night to pledge his support and his vote.
"(President) Bush is totally beatable," he said. "I think he's (Kucinich) a particularly exciting candidate."
Kucinich, a staunch pacifist, gained national attention when he was one of few federal lawmakers who voted against the Bush administration's Patriot Act, which critics say sacrifices civil liberties for security.
He was opposed to attacking Iraq. In his speech last night, Kucinich reiterated that he would get the country, and its troops, out of Iraq if elected.
Hawaii's Kucinich supporters got word of his trip Friday night, shortly after presidential front-runner John Kerry said he wouldn't be able to make it to the islands before tomorrow's caucuses because aides were worried about the travel time required for a visit.
"I'd marry him," said Kailua resident Gabrielle Welford, adding that she switched from the Independent ticket because of Kucinich. "I honestly think he's extraordinary."
