“I think primaries can have the opportunity of raising the issues and make the Democratic candidate a stronger candidate,” Kucinich, a Democratic candidate in 2008, said Thursday on C-SPAN. “I think it’s safe to predict that President Obama will continue to be the nominee of the Democratic primary, but he can be a stronger nominee if he receives a strong challenge in a primary.”

But the candidate, said Kucinich, a seven-term congressman from Ohio, won’t be him.

“No,” he said when asked if he’d consider challenging Obama. “I intend to run for reelection in the House.”

Ohio will lose two House seats in 2012 because of the latest census numbers and Kucinich wants to make sure he isn’t one of them.

As for who the Democrat to challenge Obama might be, Kucinich said he’s not sure.

“That is not up to me to say — I’m focusing on being reelected to the House of Representatives,” he said.

Nonetheless, Kucinich did have some thoughts on the issues that a primary challenger might want to focus on.

“I’m very interested in making sure that creation of jobs, health care for all, protection of Social Security and Medicare, those things are fundamental — and education,” he said. “Those are issues that certainly should be brought up in primaries. And, finally, getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan. We have to stop roaming the world looking for dragons to slay — we’ve things to take care of right here at home.”