Okay, Kerry's not doing what you think. Remember Nixon, and read Doonesbur

[jobycom]

Doonesbury today mocked Kerry for not conceding gracefully, the way Nixon did in 1960.

Thing is, Nixon didn't concede. He publicly conceded, but behind the scenes, he fought tooth and nail in every state that was close, contesting ballots, counting uncounted ballots, using the courts to force recounts. He never gave up until the last state was certified and the last challenge was exhausted.

But he looked gratious in his concession, and that's what everyone remembers.

Gore, on the other hand, got labeled a sore loser, for doing publicly what Nixon did privately.

Kerry isn't done, or at least not any more done than he was this morning. He's going the Nixon route. His concession will keep the Republicans and the media and the late night shows off his back, will allow people to speak fondly of him for the next few weeks. Meanwhile, there are votes in Florida and Ohio that can be counted and challenged in the courts by local Democrats. It probably won't amount to a victory, but it will still be done.

Kerry isn't done fighting, he's just doing what he's been doing all along-- fighting behind the scenes, and being very cautious about what he presents publicly.

How many of you realize that Kerry began campaigning for president before Dean? But he avoided the overexposure burnout. He laid the groundwork, then came out swinging near the end, when it mattered, rather than wasting his energy early.

That's what he's doing now, I suspect. Let's wait and see. Kerry won't win a big public battle against Bush and his media dogs. He's handling it well.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

1. I hope you're right

And I hope Edwards is heavily involved. I know he opposed Kerry's decision.

[cubsfan forever]

10. Unfortunately, a concession

means no challenging of votes/voter fraud in courts.

Professor 2

[jobycom]

19. What?

I've not heard that. The votes are certified by the states, concession means nothing from a legal standpoint. If you know differently, let me know.

[Dem Agog]

2. That's kind of what I'm thinking...

But we shall see.

[Ducks In A Row]

3. bullshit

blackwell is never going to count the votes, and florida is never going to count the vote.


kerry betrayed us all








but I'd be happy to be proven wrong

[progressivebydesign]

4. Okay.. legally, what's the ramificiations of conceding??

That doesn't nullify the counting of votes, after the fact?

[kiahzero]

11. Nothing.

It's a speech. Legally, it's meaningless.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. Hope is a strange human element.

No matter how hard you try to suppress it because of bad experiences, it just has a way of regenerating like a an ember of fire.

[jobycom]

29. How poetic

We aren't talking about hope, we are talking about giving voters the respect of counting votes that some people waited in line 9 hours to cast. Seems fair, even just, no matter what the outcome will ultimately be.

[Spiffarino]

5. I hope you're right

I can't shake the feeling that this was stolen by paperless e-voting.

[jobycom]

20. Got that same feeling nt.

[inmania]

6. Clinging to any ray of hope at this point...hope you're right.

[knowbody0]

7. i so agree with you

let them take their guards down
party on fucks-the world watches

[DireStrike]

8. This sounds like the Kerry I've come to know.

It's good to be slapped with the truth that he's still on our side. =p

[dweller]

9. .

if you say so. Would like something like that to be the case.

Kerry has pissed me off conceding.

He could pull it off?

dp

[robbedvoter]

12. Kerry as Nixon - I feel much better now!

[Nite Owl]

16. The whole strategy of getting

a Southern bloc of voters was a Nixon idea. Like it or not last night was the Nixon victory. If the vote count continues I'll be ok with a speech.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FlaGranny]

21. ??? It's over? Not for the people who want their votes

counted it's not. If every vote is not counted, no matter who takes the election, democracy suffers.

[aquart]

32. It's beginning.

What do we do? Lie down and become slaves? Without decent salaries or benefits, retirement, or healthcare? With no choice but Bush's army and Bush's endless wars?

Or do you think that today is a business as usual day and life will go on as before because it was six of one, half a dozen of the other?

This nation is being destroyed by a traditional fascist coalition.

In Germany that ended with ten percent of the German population dead, and countless millions of other peoples.

Fascism is a parasite that kills.

[jobycom]

34. FYI-- there are other races on those ballots, too

I didn't say Kerry would win from it, just that he hasn't rolled over and betrayed us, as several posts were claiming. He loses nothing by conceding at this point. It's all up to the state and local officials, who have to count the ballots.

[Sparkle]

14. I've always said if anything else. Continue to count the votes

no matter what Kerry does.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

17. Did Doonsbury do this?

If so, then Trudeau can "fuck" himself!

[jobycom]

24. I think so. The strip is on Slate.com. It's very good.

And I don't really blame Trudeau (not as much as I do for portraying Clinton as a waffle). He pointed out what would have been the public reaction, and may have even given Kerry an idea of how to better handle it.

Nixon was an ass, but he was a helluva crafty ass, and pretty damn smart. There are worse strategists to emulate.

[meganmonkey]

18. I'm giving this a kick

because it makes sense, and it makes me feel a little better.

At least for the moment. It's wishful thinking, but sometimes wishful thinking proves to be right.

[jobycom]

22. Not wistful thinking, just pragmatism

My point is Kerry could do nothing without conceding that he can't do by conceding. Any fight he could have fought he can still fight, and now he won't have the media on his back. He didn't betray anyone, is my point.

It won't matter. We won't win. I'm not trying to imply we will, and I certainly didn't say we would. But the votes have to be counted, and that process can still go on. And if a miracle happens, Kerry hasn't given away anything.

By the way, there is a good breakdown of how the conditional votes broke last time in Ohio, and it does imply that Kerry could make gains if he can force Ohio to count. These conditional votes were cast because the Republicans bumped likely Democrats from the voting rolls. Which means that if we can get them counted, the lion's share is ours.

Who knows Ohio law? Can the total be certified before these votes are counted?

[meganmonkey]

28. No media spin is the key

As it made Gore look like a whiner, it would for Kerry too.

I hope the miracle happens, but I'm not counting on it.

Don't know Ohio law, but I imagine they will count until the counting's done. It's democracy, right? (right???)

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. There's one thing that bothers me about this reminder.

Nixon didn't prevail in 1960. Okay, I'm not bothered that JFK won, but you know what I mean. ;-)

[Politicub]

25. And you know this, how?

[jobycom]

31. Which part?

I know the Nixon part because it is public record.

I know the local Dems will keep counting because that's what they are required to do.

I know that Kerry and the DNC will support them and give legal assistance because I've worked with them enough to know that's how they operate.

And I know Kerry was campaigning back in March of 2001 because friends of mine were invited into his campaign back then, while we were working on a county commissioner's race (which we won, btw).

[Tyrone Slothrop]

26. So votes will still be counted?

My friend and I were having a discussion about this. They will still count ALL the ballots in Florida and Ohio even though Kerry conceded?

Neither of us were sure how that worked.

[jobycom]

33. There are other races on those ballots, you know.

Local and state races still have to be decided.

State politics may block the counting, but Kerry has the same chance with or without the concession speech to get it done. As I said, Kerry won't win from it. But his concession isn't the surrender some are claiming it is.

[missile_bender]

27. The GOP will only respect fighting back, not conceding;

they think we're a bunch of little bitches. Kerry should have kept fighting, even if it didn't do any good, just to send the message to the GOP that we WILL fight for what we believe in.

[jobycom]

30. I don't care if they respect us

They are vermin, I don't give a shit what they think of us.

And my point was, he is still fighting, he's just doing it where they can't fight him back.

[Robbie67]

36. FUCK the GOP

We don't need their fucking respect. We need the respect of the people and Democrats don't seem to have that.

For Christ's sake, John Kerry was an ACTUAL war veteran and fearful people in this country STILL voted for Bush!!

It's time for a new approach!

[Robbie67]

35. Why do people keep saying that Trudeau is mocking Kerry?

Do you think he drew up the cartoon this morning?