One Name, Two Candidates

vbrandt@uiuc.edu

Usually searching for your name on Google, just for the fun of it, ends up being quite boring. It came as a shock then to find my name associated with the Democratic presidential candidate, Howard Dean. Valerie Brandt, from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh was supporting Howard Dean, but the Valerie Brandt from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a strong supporter OF Dennis Kucinich. When I asked Valerie why she thought Dean was so great, I was surprised to find an undercover Kucinich fan. She claimed, “I am backing Dean because I think he has a real shot at making it past the primaries…but I agree with Kucinich’s ideas.” Valerie actually admitted that she was giving up her own ideals because she thought everyone else was doing the same. That is not the attitude a Democrat or any other American needs. The Democrats have been giving in to Republicans and big money for too long. We don’t need another sell-out candidate. What we need is a strong candidate with a strong conscience. More than that, we need voters who aren’t afraid to vote with their hearts. And for this Valerie Brandt, she chooses a winner, Dennis Kucinich.Valerie Brandt
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign