Remember this image?

[tallahasseedem]

This has to be one of my all time favorite pictures of John Kerry. I used to keep it up on my refrigerator before the election so that everytime I passed by it could give me hope that a new future was coming. Even though he wasn't elected (which we know could certainly be debated) I still believe that this image could be reflective of the changes that the Democratic party is making. Hopefully a new beginning.

[blm]

1. A man who knows how to hold a child as a child and not just a prop.

In every picture of Kerry holding a baby or child, he does it like a real daddy. Bush always held them like he wanted the picture taken quickly before the kid pooped.

[DavidBowman]

2. Do you really think that about Kerry?

[blm]

3. yep....I've seen many pics of him with children over the last 20 years and

even earlier pics with his own kids. A man can't fake that kind of comfort, and kids usually can sense it, too.

[July]

4. I feel the same way blm does.

There were many pictures during the campaign that showed Kerry with babies and young children. He was always completely at ease and smiling, and usually the kids were, too. Compare to pictures of Bush with babies -- as blm said, he acts as if they are radioactive, and they often seem to hold the same view about him.

[Reverend_Smitty]

5. kinda like this picture

[VaYallaDawg]

11. Smitty, that's a classic! LMAO!!

[DavidBowman]

6. I don't know about that.

Politicians are bloody awful. Anytime I see one with a baby, no matter who it is, I want to yak. I don't think that any of them are sincere.

I also think that Kerry is a consummate politician (even worse, a consummate Senator), so I'm probably the wrong guy to ask about this particular picture.

[blm]

7. consummate politician? How did he rack up such an amazing record then?

A record he accomplished AGAINST the wishes of the DC powerstructure and even those in his own party? Kerry was ostracized for YEARS for his efforts.

[DavidBowman]

9. I don't think anyone considers Kerry to be a "maverick"

How do you back up these claims? What have I missed?

[blm]

13. Who do you think investigated and exposed IranContra and BCCI?

And he did it with the entire DC powerstructure set against him, even from within his own party.

[BJW]

10. Yes--Overlooked for Major Role in Uncovering BCCI scandal

It's so weird how many DUers don't even seem to remember what this was about--CIA blackops, illegal weapons, fraud, money laundering, etc. --and Kerry went after all of them and broke it up!!!

I think part of it is because MSM hardly ever mentions it--geez, wonder why? Maybe because alot of the unindicted players and politicos are now in the admin?

To me, Kerry's major role in exposing BCCI is way more salient, and infintely more impressive than his Vietnam service.

[blm]

15. Exactly the way I feel. BCCI holds the keys to EVERYTHING going on today

Had BCCI revelations been covered more by the media at the time, a 9-11 would NEVER have happened and no Bush would ever have been allowed even NEAR the WH.

[July]

8. Well, if you're a politician and someone gives you a baby, what should you

do? HOW you handle that baby says something about you.

I'm also impressed with Kerry's "consummate" Senate career (see BCCI and Iran/Contra investigations), so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Now, Bush is another story. He and "sincere" have never met.

JMO, of course.

[DavidBowman]

12. In BCCI and Iran/Contra

You have a decent basis for your argument. But it seems that Kerry's recent career, especially when running for president, is characterized by a series of vacillations and senatorial dithering. His race for President, which I reluctantly supported, was a mash of mealy-mouthed caveats and half-positions. He did not strike me as an honest man, but I didn't really hold that against him because so few politicians are.

[blm]

14. I thought his actual plans had great detail and were solution-oriented.

Too bad most of the details were left on the editting room floors of most corporate media.

[DavidBowman]

19. Maybe the detail was the problem

Maybe he got so caught up in detail that he didn't appear to have a set of solid principles. He didn't appear to have them at all. Now you can blame the American populace for being too stupid to grasp what Kerry was saying, but ultimately it's Kerry's fault because it's his responsibility to communicate to the broad populace, not a polisci faculty. His campaign was remarkably tin-eared in this way.

[DavidBowman]

20. Look at what Dean said the other day

And Dean is not known for backing away from a strong stand, but when he was asked by Tim Russert what the Democratic Part stood for, he said that he didn't have to explain that now. When Russert asked him when he would explain it, he said "early 2006." He actually said that! Why the hell can't Dean lay out the basic principles of the Democratic Party when asked? You or I could do that given three seconds notice (I'm guessing). This is a problem that the Dems have that give a lot of people reason to vote for the Republicans, and we'd better fix it soon.

[blm]

21. Then stop trying to have it both ways - You say he had halfstands then say

that maybe too many details of his stands were the problem.

I think some people ARE willing to say anything just to be disruptive, and I'm not referring to Kerry or Dean.

[DavidBowman]

22. Thanks, dogg.

I mentioned two problems with the Kerry campaign instead of one, and that may have confused you. But the fact is that Kerry allowed himself to be seen saying things like "You bet I might have" when asked if he would've acted against Saddam Hussein. And of course, there's always the "voted for it before I voted against it." It's politically stupid, even if it can be defended on other grounds.

As for your clever implication, if you want to alert on me under suspicion of being a Republican, be my guest. If the DU mods find support for this and boot me, that's their prerogative. I'm a political independent who supports Democratic candidates, and often doesn't enjoy doing so. That puts me on the left side of the spectrum, so be a man and engage me on the merits of my arguments or go bring your schoolmarmish, tattle-tale bullshit elsewhere.

[blm]

23. Then play it straight. Don't pretend you know Kerry with your sweeping

dismissal of him when you obviously never even considered his record against govt. corruption, and probably were even unaware of it, and then say one thing in complaint about his campaign and contradict yourself in the next complaint.

I think people who post erratically for the purpose of sliming specific Democrats deserve to have it noted, even if it is just poor judgement. I didn't alert on you. I just pointed out that you were contradicting yourself.

People can be disruptive without being intentional disruptors.

[DavidBowman]

24. Yeah

I didn't contradict myself. I said that Kerry didn't have simple, straight principles, and that is not contradicted by mentioning that his ideas were muddled in details.

Take care, pal.

[July]

25. Well, I will have to respectfully disagree.

I listened to a number of Kerry's speeches and felt that he was very clear in outlining his views. He WAS painted as a vacillator (the term used was "flip-flopper" by Bush and friends, but I was not convinced. I'm not saying he didn't have flaws, but in my view he didn't have any flaws that were anywhere near as serious as Bush's flaws. And I can't get on board with calling him dishonest, either. I don't think he lied at any point in the campaign.

[Warren DeMontague]

17. Yes. And the contrast between him and the wailing kids Bush would

always make himself seen manhandling couldn't be more drastic.

Kerry isn't my top choice anymore, but I DO think he's a good, decent human being -- and babies pick up on that.

[DeepModem Mom]

16. Remember the pics from this beautiful day? Breaks my heart.

[tallahasseedem]

26. I do...

I wish we could turn back time.

[donkeyotay]

18. That's a sweet picture. That and the one of him in front of the window

where the girls are looking out. I so want to believe in a future for this country, and these pictures are powerful reminders of what we're working for.