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CoffeeCat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:11 PM
Original message
Does anyone else feel this way about John Kerry?
Edited on Tue Sep-20-05 05:27 PM by TwoSparkles
I feel like I have a love/hate relationship with John Kerry--and I was wondering if anyone else felt the same way.

I never met Kerry, but I volunteered locally for the campaign and I developed a very deep loyalty to him. I have incredible respect for his military experience. He's a true American hero. I admire his remarkable intellect. He's such a statesman. I respect how diplomatic, regal and dignified he is. What a class act. He's a very just, trustworthy, capable man.

Furthermore, I know that he cares about the American people. As the 2004 campaign progressed, it was evident that he became attached to "the people". I imagine that everywhere he went--he was inundated by scared Americans who wanted their country back. Kerry appeared to fall in love with the American people during the campaign, and when he lost--he seemed to feel as if he had let down the nation. He hurt for us. I will never forget that!

With all of that said--I also feel angry at him because he didn't stick up for himself! He didn't come out swinging against the Swiftboat slime. He didn't release his military records, which allowed right-wing evil mongers like John O'Neil to tour the country and insinuate that Kerry had an honorable discharge on his record. Releasing those records would have proved O'Neil a charlatan. He didn't forcefully address the flip-flopper nonsense. All he had to say was, "Look! I trusted this president to TELL THE TRUTH about Iraq! I trusted him and gave him the green light! Then, I find out how dishonest and reckless he was--so I changed my mind. We were ALL bamboozled! He lied to all of us! The question shouldn't be, 'Why did John Kerry change his mind!' It should be, "Why did George Bush lie to every man, woman and child in this country!"

Why didn't Kerry speak like that? Why did he let them walk all over him, with very little rebuttal?

I want Kerry to run again. He is one of the very few people who could heal our nation. However, I find myself thinking, "I want you to run, but you damn well better defend yourself, tell the truth and speak loudly and cogently on issues!".

I find myself being a bit angry that he didn't do that in 2004.

Does anyone else feel the same way?
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Amy6627 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:13 PM
Response to Original message
1. That is exactly how I feel about him!
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smirkymonkey Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:32 PM
Response to Reply #1
18. I second that....
you summed up my feelings toward him perfectly.
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mondo joe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:14 PM
Response to Original message
2. Sort of. When he didn't defend himself he didn't defend me.
And that really bothered me.

And I think it bothered a lot of undecided voters too, who felt if he couldn't even defend himself in an election how would he defend them against terrorism.
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hwmnbn Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:16 PM
Response to Original message
3. I posted this in a similar thread....
I was devastated when Kerry conceded so soon. Although I admired him for his service and intelligence, I was floored when he did that, and then I got pissed.

I just can't enthusiastically get behind him anymore. We need all the help we can get but there's no room at the top for someone that gave up so easily.

He should have gone out kicking and screaming. We would have backed him up BIG-TIME from Ohio to the Supreme Court! I felt like he abandoned us.

Damn, this post just made me sad.
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CoffeeCat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:24 PM
Response to Reply #3
13. Sorry about the sadness....I have felt it too...
Kerry's recent words about Katrina, and Iraq have kicked up my love for him--and also my anger.

I guess I'm still in mourning that he isn't our pResident.

If it's any consolation--I do understand the sadness. I think many do.
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mzteris Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:17 PM
Response to Original message
4. YES!
:bounce:

Except the are two more things I'm angry about:

1. the fact that he can be such an eloquent, powerful and PASSIONATE speaker - yet he defaulted to the "sound byte" and the "talking points" in his speeches. He "won" the debates, but he could have "won" more people if he'd've stopped acting like they were all mindless drones cued to the talking point and let loose with some good old fashioned fiery speechifying!

2. that he ROLLED OVER on OHIO so easily!! GDit - I don't CARE if they figured out "it was lost cause" due to the overwhelming duplicity and chicanery foisted by the Republicans - HE SHOULD HAVE SCREAMED THIS FRAUD FROM THE ROOFTOPS!!!! HE should NOT have backed down! He should NOT have conceded!! DAMNIT! He should have fought harder.

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bonito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:22 PM
Response to Reply #4
10. Your right those talking points he could have done without
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LeahD Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:28 PM
Response to Reply #4
17. I absolutely agree with #1.
The talking points/sound bytes drove me up a wall. I expected more.
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bonito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:18 PM
Response to Original message
5. It must have been disappointing to everyone in he's camp.
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Sick_of_Rethuggery Donating Member (853 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:18 PM
Response to Original message
6. The trouble with (and in some sense, the nobility of)
Dems is that they always begin to worry that there might be some truth to what the opponent is saying, no matter how ridiculous the claim/charge and no matter how unreliable the person(s) have previously been.

For, if they didn't give that consideration, then what would be the difference between them and their opponents.

Trouble is, they don't realize, upon reflection, how truly misplaced their consideration has been!!!
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dhinojosa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:20 PM
Response to Original message
7. WOW, nailed it...but I am Clark nutcase...
and I will go for Clark again in the primaries.
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Rowdyboy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 06:56 PM
Response to Reply #7
32. Another Clark supporter who mostly agrees with you.....
I hope John Kerry continues in a distinguished career in the senate. He is an outstanding and effective senator. I really wish he wouldn't run for president again but I suspect he will. I would expect he will suffer the same fate as Lieberman in 2004-he "should" be the front-runner according to conventional wisdom but his campaign will never really get off the ground and he'll be out early. There's no way Kerry will repeat his stunning Iowa win in 2008.
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INdemo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 12:06 PM
Response to Reply #32
50. Campaign funds
I venture to say that John Kerry already has enough campaign funds to launch a hefty Presidential run and get a big jump from the staring gate
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KarenS Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:21 PM
Response to Original message
8. oh yes,,,,
I think he would have made a good solid healing President.
He isn't really as progressive as I personally would like (think Kucinich) but he would have been 20 steps in the right direction.

Part of me wants him to run again in 2008.
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TallahasseeGrannie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:21 PM
Response to Original message
9. I am sure I would enjoy sitting next to him at dinner
but I felt from the onset that he was doomed. He just had too much baggage. It doesn't matter whether it was true or not..it was THERE. I have known many military types over the years and knew that they had never forgiven his perceived betrayal of them over Vietnam. There was an entire segment of the population who was never going to vote for him, no way, no how. And you can't win a close race when you start way behind the line like that.

Personally I think Dean might have won.
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politicasista Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:59 PM
Response to Reply #9
24. Hindsight is 20/20
This is coming from someone with an appreciation for Dems who are out there speaking out whether it's Kerry, Edwards, Gore, Clark, Boxer, Conyers, and/or Dean.
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TallahasseeGrannie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 06:16 PM
Response to Reply #24
28. Yeah
hingsight is 20/20 and talk is cheap. You are right. They took a chance and it didn't pay off. End of story.

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DoBotherMe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:22 PM
Response to Original message
11. He WAS inundated by scared Americans
Edited on Tue Sep-20-05 05:31 PM by DanaM
I attended a couple of his rallies ... one had more than 40,000 people attend. The cars started lining up 5 hours before the rally started and the lines of people represented many of the disenfranchised in America, working class, minority, physically challenged. The scene reminded me of any Christian story movie, where the poor and sick crawl toward Jesus. And the air was electric with manic joy. It was terrifying to see the hope and fear in the faces of the people. I can't imagine how painful it was for John to feel that he had failed them. D ; )
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INdemo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:24 PM
Response to Original message
12. I agree with you
The hell of it is we heard all that propaganda(and the corporate media just pounded into viewers minds) from the republicans and yes some of it if not a big percentage stuck with the voters. the purple heart thing,the I voted for it before I voted against it,and yes the swift boat lies..Well John Kerry didn't lose.it was stolen. But why didnt John Kerry stand up and fight for the honest results?
Yes I want him to run again and he can win,I will campaign for him and I will contribute to his campaign..I just hope there are millions of voters out there that feel the same way we do..........
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Bernardo de La Paz Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:25 PM
Response to Original message
14. Please don't rehash 2004. It's distracting. Win Congress in 2006. Focus!
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Arkana Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:25 PM
Response to Original message
15. I feel the exact same way
Edited on Tue Sep-20-05 05:26 PM by Arkana
and the people who had an axe to grind with him for a year suddenly found an excuse to let go after Election Day. The man was being raked over the coals so often it was like he'd just killed a puppy and eaten it on live TV. I still liked Kerry, but I didn't dare open my mouth for about 3-4 months after the election--I don't do well in flamewars.
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MoonRiver Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:26 PM
Response to Original message
16. I feel indifference. I get irritated with propaganda about him in '08
being spread all over DU though. Anyway, he was my favorite before he voted for the IWR. I worked for him during the campaign despite my misgivings, but his record time concession (before the votes were all counted) was the last straw. Now, I just hope he maintains his Senate position, and doesn't even try to recreate his failed presidential run.
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paulk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 08:38 PM
Response to Reply #16
39. his "record time concession"
was the second slowest ever...
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jillan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:33 PM
Response to Original message
19. I pretty much love him all of the time!
But, I will say one thing.
I know, we all know, that what happened on Nov 3rd happened for a reason. Kerry didn't work that hard to lose, and give up. The man obviously wants to be Prez.
I respect him, and I trust him. Having said that, I just want an explanation. We all have unanswered questions.

I will vote for him again in a heartbeat.
Can you imagine what it must be like to be in his shoes? To watch this administration fuck up everything? And to know that this never would have happened under a Kerry Presidency?! Yes Katrina would have hit NOLA, yes the levies would have broke. But people would not have been
starving in the convention center, dying in the streets.
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MasonJar Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:33 PM
Response to Original message
20. When I stack Kerry's potential presidency against the Stump's,
Edited on Tue Sep-20-05 05:35 PM by MasonJar
I get so depressed for our country and the world. Then I think that Gore could have been in his second term and that the environment would be safeguarded (by either of these fine statesmen) and instead we have the Pugs trying to cut back on the protections which are already too puny, and I get violently ill with fear for not only our country, but also the innocent world which is viciously damaged by our greedy, egregious, self-serving pResident, who actually lost both elections. To suggest that Jesus (or Buddha or Mohammhed or the Dali Lama or Zeus or whoever anyone favors)would actually be behind such a loser is the ultimate in blasphemy.
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PATRICK Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:35 PM
Response to Original message
21. In all chilling fairness
most Dem leaders have been acting the same way, victims to a fault of the truck coming coming at them- again and again. The consequences to themselves and others, to their agendas, the people they defer to as members of the bi-partite humpty dumpty charade, the positions held by unpunished monsters betray that world view recently posted here. In Washington the world has the air of a polite manly contest of studious respectable men of means and unquestionable world philosophy. Everywhere else people's hair stands on end watching the fruits of this great disconnect, this great incapacity to deal with the awful reality of a country occupied criminally by extremists and plutocrats for reasons abhorrent to America and humanity at large.

Disappointment, vaster than the stoic chin up acceptance of the clever 2004 theft(not mentally acknowledged in its entirety if at all by the "pros"), rages over the lack of preparation or consciousness of the prime crystal ball easy guesses of 2004. Bush would cheat. Would cheat than in 2000. Most all the characters and methods were pretty much out there. But the signs were there for us to read about the Dems too. The handling of the public crimes, disenfranchisement that trashed countless(good word) voters weeks before. Again the inability to really take on or take out the media and the easy impunity of absurdly obscene GOP trash campaigning and debate cheating. What made anyone think they could be possibly ready to handle election corruption?

Reagan had Alzheimer's. It was a credible reason though a miserable excuse. But he had the presidency. People who have nothing and know many many people will die along with our cherished institutions, etc. one might think would have more on the ball and ambition sharpened instincts better than the bon mot and the competent parliamentary issue
construction.

To be fair, no one has been particularly effective, even those regarded as outspoken(now) champions. So I am mixed about having a mixed mind about Kerry when it is clouded by the consistently impotent behavior of the leadership. This is focus lost in the fog of frustration. I know they are good men and women worthy of the high office and the work that needs to be done- and fatally out of the political running on a fascist-like gameboard. The needs of leadership and movement have disappeared these contenders. And one wonders if they know it or can know. Lucky for us all there are no popular leaders on the other side, but they have doers, easily empowered to have their way with the world.

I would be honored to share the same wall before the firing squad, the same cross on the hill. I would not waste time on words of reproof, though the feelings, I suppose, and the regrets would still be there.
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sandnsea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:42 PM
Response to Original message
22. Fighting in their ring, over and over and over
The question is, why does the left, activist, progressive blog, whatever the fuck, keep fighting in their ring. Why can't you see it when you do it. A political opponent will ALWAYS have some shit to say. ALWAYS. It only takes hold when a candidate's OWN PEOPLE climb into the ring and fight the opponent's fight. That's what happened last year, and it happens over and over again.

THEY want Kerry and Edwards recent speeches to ONLY be about mud. And the "progressive blogs" are more than ready to climb into THEIR ring and let them fight their fight. In addition, a champion fighter doesn't become a people's champion with his punching ability alone. It's what he represents to the people, his character OUTSIDE the ring, that makes him beloved. And that has nothing to do with punches at all.

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=1382
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rniel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 05:47 PM
Response to Original message
23. Kerry
I have no problem with Kerry and voted for him. But I think the politicians that all talk like lawyers and college professors are not going to win anymore, they put people to sleep and you can't watch speeches like that. We need some ordinary people in there that speak plainly and to the point, don't mince words, don't play it safe and are angry. Kinda like a Howard Dean.
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TallahasseeGrannie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 06:19 PM
Response to Reply #23
29. And let's face it
we mock Bush's delivery but it speaks to many, many people who just don't like big words and nuance.

Sad, but true.
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cami715 Donating Member (155 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 08:39 PM
Response to Reply #29
40. Yes, unfortunately it is the dumbing down of our na tion.
I taught school for 30 years and we saw it happen in the schools - the dumbing down of content and the lowering of expectations. And now that is the kind of government we have. It is sad.
My hope is that our citizens will see how pathetic this is and how we have become mediocre as other nations soar ahead.
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pretzel4gore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 06:00 PM
Response to Original message
25. like algore, he fears unleashing civil violence
in a way, the very ease of getting millions out into the streets frightens the dems...i recall something that al gore said when announcing he not going to contest the '04 election...gore, and kerry...indeed all of them, consider class loyalty first...fukk america, fukk the world....
snip>
In explaining his decision, Gore has offered only one political motivation—but it is a highly significant one. Referring obliquely to the 36-day battle over the Florida vote and the Supreme Court ruling that ultimately handed the presidency to his Republican opponent, Gore told his “60 Minutes” interviewer, “I think a campaign that would be a rematch between myself and President Bush would inevitably involve a focus on the past that would, in some measure, distract from the focus on the future that I think all campaigns have to be about.”

In other words, a second Gore-Bush contest would inevitably raise the overtly anti-democratic manner in which the 2000 election crisis was resolved, and bring into question the legitimacy of the Bush administration. In his desire to avoid such issues, Gore reflects a preoccupation of the entire ruling elite and both political parties.
<snip

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/dec2002/gore-d21.shtml
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nevergiveup Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 06:07 PM
Response to Original message
26. I agree with everything except
I don't want him to run again. Kerry is a wonderful man but on a national political level he has weak appeal and will always be known as a "loser". Ask George McGovern, another wonderful man, how much respect he received even though he was totally vindicated on Vietnam. Kerry isn't even entitled to a vindication on Iraq because he voted for the war and he lost to the most worthless president since Warren G. Harding. Sure there was voter fraud, but even with the fraud it should have been a huge landslide for the Democrats.
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sepia_steel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 06:15 PM
Response to Original message
27. I have more love than hate for him
but I agree. Even my husband the Republican admires him. He said that * has never seemeed like a leader to him. He doesn't have that leadership quality. He believes that Kerry won the election (not all Republicans suck!) Last night we were both saying 'if only he had FOUGHT! If only he weren't so concerned with always doing the 'nobler' thing...'

Hubby's not an 'active' Republican, but still everything that has been going on has hurt him. It's making him want to separate from the party... he says that've ruined it. Which is true. I feel badly for 'real' Republicans.

Getting back on topic, I want nothing more than for Kerry to run again, but this time he has to be PASSIONATE and let everyone see it. I agree with everything you're feeling. He's got to learn from last time.
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Nite Owl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 06:49 PM
Response to Original message
30. I really like JK and think he is a great
Senator. He would have been a million times better than what we got now. I really don't want to see him run again though as I feel very let down by the campaign he ran and we can't afford to keep losing, too much is at stake. I haven't seen the changes in his approach that are needed to win. Gore ran a lousey campaign but he is a different man now, I would vote for him.
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globalvillage Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 06:53 PM
Response to Original message
31. No, I don't.
Why? Because, for all the many times Senator Kerry told us "I've got your back", who had his? I did, and you did. So many of his supporters did. But where was the outrage from the big name Democrats when Kerry was being 'swiftboated'? I saw Max. Bill was sick, but he was there at the end. Teresa and the kids were amazingly supportive. There were some others who said 'something'.
What I didn't see was every Democratic leader who wanted to see a Dem in the WH standing behind Mr. Kerry after every attack by the bush*-Rove machine, saying "That's right, John, and we've got yours, too."
Where were they? Maybe I was sick that day, but I didn't see them. Not in the numbers and with the voice we needed. When Lynn Cheney (the bitch) said "this is not a good man", there should have been such a noise from the left that she would have had to crawl back under her rock to escape the backlash.
Sure, when you're being attacked, you should defend yourself. But wouldn't it make a more significant impact if everyone who has a stake, for whatever reason, stood behind you and said "We believe it you, and we're willing to defend you?"
When your friends defend you, your enemies lose. If you have real supporters, you shouldn't have to go it alone.
The Dem candidate is the representative of the Dem party. When it came time for the big names to step up, Sen. Kerry basically went to this party alone.

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Mass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 07:24 PM
Response to Reply #31
36. I share your feeling here
Edited on Tue Sep-20-05 07:33 PM by Mass
Except for a very few people (and I tend to put Clark and Dean among those very few), most democrats have shown one of their worst flaw: the inability to defend their nominee.

It is not that they attacked him. They just were either absent or falling in the trap of the media: how many of them went (on or off record) agree with whatever attack the RW put out, rather than simply disagreeing and reminding the reporters what was important. I am not even talking about the talkingheads here. I am talking about Democratic officials unable or unwilling to stand behind their nominee.

Now this is a big problem not only for Kerry, but for whoever is the nominee next time. Who knows who will be the next attack by the Rove machine? Dont expect the Democratic divas to stand in line behind the nominee (no more than they stood behind Clinton, behind Gore, ...).

Bush was a terrible candidate, but his surrogates were never saying, sure he is a terrible speaker but. They were always talking about how he connected (even if the crowd was preselected).
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NightOwwl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 07:14 PM
Response to Original message
33. Anger doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. n/t
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Johonny Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 07:21 PM
Response to Original message
34. I don't agree
There was nothing he could do to stop the swiftboat stories. Since they were lies and so easy to disprove by the media they should of had zero legs. And yet they kept going and going and going. Kerry tried to stay on message as long as he could. Had the media and more important the audience listen to Kerry and his message instead Rove and his spin we would have a different president right now.

Which is a way of saying you felt defenseless because of Kerry's suppose inaction to these stories. But the real defenseless feeling came not from Kerry's actions, but the way the press and public ate up the lies though it was plain to anyone who bother to look at the evidence that it was 100 % crap.

Kerry lost simply because far too much of the nations population could not see what was all to obvious. The utopia Bush was promising to be occurring simply did not exist. The war really was going badly, the economy really was favoring the rich, home land security really didn't address any of the real short falls of 9/11... In the end I can't blame Kerry because too many Americans were willing to believe in lies when the truth was all around them in the open there to see with anyone brave enough to look at it. That's our failure not the candidates.
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AzDar Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 07:23 PM
Response to Original message
35. That just about describes how I feel about JK...as for running
again, I don't trust him. HE LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT!!!
Give me Al Gore..he fought the bastards!!
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Mass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 07:25 PM
Response to Reply #35
37. delete
Edited on Tue Sep-20-05 07:26 PM by Mass
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Sydnie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-20-05 07:40 PM
Response to Reply #35
38. "Revenge is a dish best served cold"
Kerry is doing just that now. He has not disappointed me yet. I STILL believe.
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TallahasseeGrannie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 07:32 AM
Response to Reply #35
41. AMEN n/t
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kcwayne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 08:04 AM
Response to Original message
42. In the end, Kerry is a talker and a player, he does not have what it takes
to change anything.

He mouths the words "I will fight for you", but he does not do it. He voted for the IWR because it was politically expedient, and he slinked off from the election shouting over his shoulder "We will continue the fight", and promptly disappeared.

He drifts with the wind and does not follow through. His candidacy has left no markings on the trail. The only thing left of his candidacy is a money collection organization. Name one significant action or accomplishment that came out of Kerry/Edwards '04, I cannot. The campaign and promises dissipated and dissolved without changing anything in the course of political realities, let alone the conditions of life in America.
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cynatnite Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 08:09 AM
Response to Original message
43. Looking back on it now is much easier...
I got angry he didn't hit back against the swift boat jerks much sooner and harder.

It's really easy to look back and say 'he should've done this or done that' and maybe he thinks the same thing in hindsight.

Either way, it doesn't change what I think of the man. I honestly believe he would have been a great president who would have served this country very well as he continues to do.
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cybildisobedience Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 08:19 AM
Response to Original message
44. my feeling -- and fear -- about Kerry from the beginning....
was that he had more loyalty to George Bush than he did for himself.
In the end, he did what was good for Bush, not himself, or the country.
And this is coming from someone who donated $, went door to door for him, manned a county "war room" on election day, trained volunteers and made hundreds of phone calls.
I supported him, but always felt that when push came to shove, he wouldn't support us back. And he didn't. However "impractical" it was to fight the results in Ohio, he should have focused the nation's attention on the fraud there for a few days -- just the racist tactics of denying minorities a right to vote, or making voters in predominatly poor and minority districts wait for hours.
For that reason alone, he should have fought.
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ikri Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 08:23 AM
Response to Original message
45. Don't put all the blame on Kerry
Look to his advisers.

They're the ones who told him that he'd look bad if he attacked people verbally. They're the ones who mismanaged his campaign.

They're the ones who tried to win an election on the cheap, using high population swing states to deliver enough electoral college votes for the presidency (hint: if you ever want to be a good president, don't look at a state with 2-3 million people and decide that they're not important as they don't have many electoral college votes - they're the states you need to win after which you can laugh at the GOP's vote rigging attempts in the larger key states, you don't need 20 electoral college votes if you've already won 30 from smaller states).

That being said, I don't think he should run again. It's nothing against Kerry, it's about public perceptions. During the election campaign the public were bombarded with talking points that hurt Kerry - he's a coward, he's a flip-flopper, etc. These points stick even when they're not true. Look at how many people believe that Iraq had wmd or was involved in 9/11, people's ideas and perceptions are set very quickly and change extremely slowly. In 2008 Kerry could set out the most decisive policies ever seen whilst wrestling Osama Bin Forgotten on a presidential debate and some people would still stick to the old 2004 lies about him.

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Tierra_y_Libertad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 08:35 AM
Response to Original message
46. I was an avid supporter until he voted for the war.
I held my nose and voted for him, but I feel only contempt for him and the others that sacrificed lives to further their political ambitions.

In my view he's just another political whore who will do anything, say anything, and sell anything to advance himself.

There is no way that I would vote for him or any other politician that supported the war or supports the occupation.

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nonconformist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 08:37 AM
Response to Original message
47. You summed up my feelings perfectly. nt
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seabeyond Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 08:58 AM
Response to Original message
48. two sparkles,.... i am going to try just one more to address the
storytelling.

for so many reasons, in rational thought i see kerry needs to be the president in 2008. so many reasons from different direction, i cannot even go into them all, too many.

so, you have an idea where i come from

lets go back to swiftboat event. (remembering our experience with bush is a first time ever. we have never dealt with soviet style media, all power one party, and such fuckin incompetence and corruption. this is step by step, day by day for everyone, including kerry.)

lets go to swiftboat, first presented in march 2004, or april may? it was promoted before and release by the whitehouse. when it was released, the story lasted an afternoon to night. next day, dead.

august comes along. we already know bush, a first, extended repug convention to sept. illegal past date in some states, shouldnt have been on the ballot, il being one i believe. kerry had already extended his convention to july, way late. bush broke the law. and got away with it. so he had all of aug to use money that kerry didnt have. we knew this. we were fucked, now what do you do.

swiftboat comes out in aug. kerry is stuck. gut told him to fight. finance and people told him no

lets remeber, it didnt matter factually, or reality for the media when it came to kerry. regardless of what kerry said, he was ridiculed, slammed. another risk. without money for campaign blast

four months prior, the story was put out and died.

but the media wasnt bought then. the media was bought in august and they ran with it. played with it. like a cat with a mouse.

damage done

kerry has said so many times, how he should have gone after them.

what more do you want from the man. a miscalculation. but.... lets look at kerrys many really good moves. all the number of fronts he stopped this or that or this or that. yet.......

swiftboat had our present military go after kerry, vp, and so much more....as bush military record is presented at the same time and bush, gets a reporter fired.

we watched memos being read on news channel, cnn wolfie, that rove had just called in for wolfie to say

we gotta stay balanced and not emotionally attached, cause we are making things into rove talk. within our party. the power that gives rove. he does the same with his republicans, but surely we are smarter than that.

a week ago, i had one of those rush mouth repugs set me straight. i say swiftboat and he preceeded to tell me vets right to speak out. speaking truth, .... a general confirmed swiftboat story.

we all know better. why, isnt this common knowledge, still.

kerry in the last 6 months has done so much. so much. he learned so much from running against bush and what repugs are doing. he is past so much of the illusion. things kerry says and does tells us this. this is what we need. yet he is continually bashed and dissed. any thinking person would think about now. it helps.

he did not run a bad campaign. we were hard on him, tough, and we scewed him. we spoke out about each slip, error and disected it here on this board. and still he did not run a bad campaign. dont make it that now.

people liked him. media says the only reason he had support cause it was an irrational hate of bush, and we didnt care what dem was in along as bush was out. wasnt it nice for media to create this. how much does that make you want to hire kerry

so much was in this time. we learned so much.

and there is going to be a lot of things to do 2008



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Modem Butterfly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 09:05 AM
Response to Original message
49. I respect the hell out of John Kerry
I would vote for him again in a hearbeat.

Senator Kerry was the first candidate to admit to the fact that some voters don't believe in gods without saying that those voters shouldn't be considered Americans.

Senator Kerry was advised by Bill Clinton to campaign against equality in marriage for gays and lesbians. Kerry refused. When the chips were down, Kerry realized that it is simply wrong to ditch your fellow Democrats in the hopes of snaring some GOP voters.
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LSK Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 12:14 PM
Response to Original message
51. this is my take on Kerry
He is a highly honorable man and politics has become nasty and very dirty thanks to Rove and his ilk. He seems like he does not want to bring it to that level and he cannot seem to believe sometimes that people bring it down to the level it is at.
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Fox Mulder Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-21-05 12:19 PM
Response to Original message
52. I do.
I like him today because of how he's not going to vote for Roberts.

But who knows about tomorrow.
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