Why Kerry?

[hellhathnofury]

Entertain me; I'm curious as to why Kerry supporters chose their candidate?

[Renew Deal]

1. Why not?

OK, got that out of the way.

[NightNurse]

2. Let's not and say we did.

Better things to do with our time:party: :bounce: :evilgrin:

[MurikanDemocrat]

3. Why does this feel like a set up?

[regnaD kciN]

9. Isn't it funny...

...how Kerry supporters, when queried about their choice, seem strangly unable to defend it? It seems like Standard Operational Procedure is to either refuse to answer the question ("Let's not and say we did") or turn on the paranoia and ascribe sinister motives to the questioner.

It seems like, if people had an actual good reason to support the man, they wouldn't be so hesitant to share it...

[MurikanDemocrat]

13. Nope. Not accepted.

One is not obligated to defend one's choice of candidate, no matter who it is.

I see too often with a such a set up that was posed here that the tone and the mindset behind the question is the same as you have demonstrated in your post by the comment:

"if people had an actual good reason to support the man"

This already tells me that you, for instance, are not going to be satisfied with any answer. You've already decided there is "no actual good reason to support the man".

So, it looks more like an invitation to shit pick. I'll pass.

[Crunchy Frog]

20. You're learning what it's been like

to be a Clark supporter on this board for the past several months, up until Iowa.

I'll be really glad when this nominating process is over and this sort of thing is finally put a stop to on here.

[molly]

4. BECAUSE - he's who he is - do the research - it's all over this

board. Entertain me - why do you ask when it is obvious?

[hellhathnofury]

8. You know this is a primary, not a picnic.

There's going to be heated debate and there's going to be hurt ego's and feelings. I've done by share of flaming/debating there is no disagreement about that. But let's not keep grudges or lingering personal bickerness. We are all Democrats and the contest is coming to a close by virtue of time, regardless of what anyone says on DU.

[burning bush]

12. nice non answer

thanks!

[Anwen]

19. Actually, it's not entirely obvious.

Thus, the question. ;-)

[hellhathnofury]

5. I'm not going to attack. I swear.

[jpgray]

6. Here's how it was for me

I looked at the early field and narrowed it down to Dean, Kerry and Kucinich. Dean had the marginal upper hand on Kerry on Iraq, because he supported Biden/Lugar and he said the president had adequately not made the case, though he was prepared to believe him. Kerry had the marginal upper hand on the environment and energy policy, having supported Kyoto and planning an alternative energy "Apollo project" to free us from foreign oil and stimulate the economy.

Their positions on most other issues are VERY similar.

Kucinich is the one who matches with my ideals the best. He won't be elected, but I will caucus for him on the 2nd.

:)

edit: This all without going into specifics, of course.

[I Lean Left]

7. I think it was his father's name.

Just flashed on an old Saturday Night Live skit where Ackroyd was doing Tom Snyder and he was interviewing Mick Jagger.

Snyder: "First question: Why Jagger? Why the name Jagger?"
Jagger: "Well, it was my father's name."
Snyder: "OK, fair enough. Fair enough."

[Sean Reynolds]

10. I got no answer.

[poskonig]

14. What's with the Soviet imagery?

Are you a stalinist or something?

:shrug:

[Sean Reynolds]

17. Yes.

[Crunchy Frog]

21. Hey, good for you!

It's not always popular but I like someone who can stand up for the mass murder of millions of people. Maybe if Bush is elected to a 2nd term we could even get the same sort of thing here.:party: :bounce:

[Sean Reynolds]

22. Yes!

Glad you're expanding your mind.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. It was always a question for me of "why shouldn't it be Kerry?"

and nobody ever convinced me otherwise. Mainly because nobody else had the amount of experience he had.
Nobody else came close to his level of "presidential" aspects.

[aldian159]

15. environmentalism and energy independence

that's what's key to me.

[paulk]

16. I've been aware of John Kerry since he was the VVAW spokesman

back in 1970. I'd always admired the courage it took to speak out so publicly against the war back then. I'd been peripherally aware of his political career - I knew he was one of the most liberal Democrats in the Senate. I never thought he had a chance at the nomination because of that liberalism. But when national security became the BushCo main issue, Kerry crystallized as the obvious candidate for me; a solid liberal who could challenge the Republicans on national security. I also thought his war record would make Bush look foolish on a personal level. Clark also possessed that ability, but Kerry's political experience was the determining factor for me when choosing between the two.

Dr. Funkenstien posted a link to an interview in Windsurfer magazine a few months back that sealed the deal - where Kerry was talking about Eastern religions, their effect on the cultures in that part of the world, and how we had to take that into account when dealing with them. Having been to Asia several times, I was impressed by Kerry's insight.

[Old and In the Way]

18. Kicker for me was that he like's the Grateful Dead.

There are priorities in life, you know.

[Dookus]

23. well, I chose Clark

but he didn't make it. But Kerry was my second choice all along, so now he's my guy.

Why? Because he's a real liberal (like Clark, unlike Dean and Edwards) who can beat Bush (unlike Dean and Edwards).

He has a 35 year history as a solid liberal - and I'm old enough and experienced enough to know that pointing out a single vote on a single issue isn't meaningful. Kerry has no history of supporting war, or curtailing civil rights, despite what his opponents here say.

The latest polls show him as the only Democratic candidate who would beat Bush. That alone is reason enough for me. The fact that he's brilliant, accomplished, experienced and unapologetically liberal just adds to the appeal.