John Kerry 08? Are We going to quickly abandon Kerry, as we did Gore?

[Raya]

Is it possible that the Democratic Party could adopt a long-term strategy, stick to
its leadership and more to true grassroots political renewal and electoral reform.

Why do we need a new flavor every 4 years?

[knowbody0]

1. i would support kerry

indefinitely

[Cobalt Violet]

3. Me too!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. Said he won't run again

when asked this year.

[Generator]

40. That's ironic

apparently he didn't even run this time.

(that is to say, if he doesn't come through with his last guy fighting magic, aka as no retreat/no surrender then I don't think he gave it 110% as the dorky sports metaphor goes)

Tell us you care, Mr. Kerry that we voted for you this time by making sure our votes were all counted, whadda say?

[pmbryant]

4. I never abandoned Gore. I won't abandon Kerry

We are all on the same team, and we are all still fighting.

--Peter

[bullimiami]

5. if he comes out of the closet and starts to fight with us

he is our man. if not all of his rhetoric about how they were going to fight and count is vapor.

we would have backed gore again. he was honorable. he did as much as he thought he could do. he didnt have foresight into what damage bush could do in 4 years.

kerry knows what has happened, what will happen and what we are in for. we will see.

[Generator]

42. You hit the nail on the head!

Gore did what he could do. Maybe not all,but he was certainly honorable. And I don't feel the betrayal and utter disbelief that I do for Kerry. Until November 3rd I was actually thinking Kerry was my favorite candidate for President ever.

And then as you said, if he didn't understand what he was up against with Bush,(remember that off the mike thing where Kerry said "these guys are the most crooked bunch you've ever seen") and he didn't get the stakes (the most important election in our lifetimes being code for vote for me because you know Bush will fuck you till you die) then, I too would have prefered Dean or Edwards.

I voted for a fighter. I don't know who I got.

[AzDar]

6. Frankly, it feels that John Kerry abandoned US!! n/t

[Raya]

14. I am still angry at the "Concession," but there were 3 mill good reasons

if we take the national numbers seriously. I think it is hard for most of us
to imagine the pain Kerry is in right now. We have been working hard, but Kerry
has been facing a Repub firing squad of slander and defamation for the past
6 months.

It most be horribly dissappointing to see the American people go for the crap
instead of the cream.

[Meshuga]

7. I'm behind Kerry 100% if he wants to run in 2008.

I would be willing to get even more involved and help get him elected.

[Claire Beth]

8. I say Al Gore...2008 n/t

[OrwellwasRight]

9. Didn't Gore abandon us?

I think some on this forum consider that Kerry abandoned us by conceding.

I get your message, but the counter arguments include:

1) only stick with those who stick with us
2) if our strategy fails, it is time to pick a new strategy (Kerry didn't work, let's get somebody new)

so maybe we do need a new flavor, or maybe an old one

Whatever happened to Mario Cuomo? Sam Nunn? Bob Kerrey? Evan Bayh? These are Dems that have been around for a long time. Not saying I think any of these are the best choice, but it doesn't hurt to take a look.

[w13rd0]

17. Actually...

...Gore quickly became quite "in touch" with what was going on. Perhaps you've missed some of his SCATHING speeches...the media sure as hell ignored them...

[OrwellwasRight]

21. I read some of Gore's stuff (and liked it), it's just that

it came too late after his time-off to go to Europe and grow a beard (or at least that's what I heard).
I'm glad he got involved in election '04; I'm just saying why did he go into seclusion for so long? Why did he stay quiet for so long?

Taking your point, part of my perception could be based on biased media non-coverage; however, I think if he had dogged Bush throughout his presidency, he would have gotten the media attention. He could have run a shadow presidency and questioned and commented on EVERY SINGLE LIE, MISTAKE, and REACTIONARY POLICY of the Bush Admin. The press might have loved the controversy and clamored to hear his every criticism. We might not be in the position we are today if Gore had not sucked up and accepted the fraudulent election results and legitimacy of Bush's reign.

Just my perception.

[Bread and Circus]

10. I wouldn't support him. He had his chance and $300,000,000+ dollars

[cali]

20. Precisely

My support of Kerry was half hearted to begin with. He's had his chance.

[Skip Intro]

11. I think there are a lot of advantages to an 08 Kerry run

We'll actually be standing by someone we said we believed in - integrity.

Giving the people a second chance to elect him, which I believe we did this time, would have a positive effect, imho - more new Kerry voters.

The mud has already been slung on Kerry, it will be old, old news in four years.

Plus, we'd get Kerry as President, and right the wrongs of this effed' up "election" while finally being able to repair the damage done by the little nazi.

I wanted to have Gore run this time, much for the same reasons.


maybe Kerry/Warner?

[candy]

12. Kerry's gone---live with it! Poltics is a rough business.

[cspiguy]

13. uh, yes.

n/t

[faithfulcitizen]

34. yeah, uh-huh, same here nt

[frylock]

15. are you effing kidding?!

what, is Kerry going to finally form a response to "I voted for it before I voted against it"?!! We all know why he voted the way he did. Why didn't he explain to Joe Sixpack and Suzy Housecoat that the way the Dems wanted to structure the 87B was in the form of a loan to be paid back through Iraq oil revenues, and that junior was going to veto it? Is he finally going to explain his role in the dismantling of the BCCI? Why the hell didn't he ever talk about that as the republicans built him up as being soft on terror? John Kerry in '08? Hell no! Fuck him. This was a terribly run campaign. This was the first time I have ever voted for a Dem candidate for president, and I hope I can bring myself to do it again.

[high density]

23. I too can't believe he never explained the $87b or BCCI

I mean both of these seemed so easy:

"The president threatened to veto the version of the $87 billion that I voted for because he didn't want to repeal the tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% of Americans."

"I brought down one of the terrorist's favorite banks."

I know we have Bob Shrum to blame for failing to bring up BCCI, but not better explaining the $87 billion vote is inexcusable. Oh well, we can't go back in time.

[OrwellwasRight]

24. Word. But how much of that was his fault

and how much was Terry McAuliffe's, Mary Beth Cahill's and the lame-o's at the DNC & DLC?

[frylock]

25. hey you!

:hi:

[OrwellwasRight]

26. I thought that was you.

I'm playing hooky. :toast:

[frylock]

28. nice!

You deserve a break today <insert cheezy, marlboro voiced, white boy vocals>. It was prolly my course language that tipped you off! :hug:

[Emillereid]

16. Bring back Gore! I can handle that. But

No to Kerry in '08 -- I for one will not ride that donkey again.

[w13rd0]

18. nope

sry

[goodboy]

19. he abandoned us...he said he would fight...(nt)

[President Jesus]

22. Kerry ran a solid, honorable campaign. Why not try again for the nom?

I would like to see him run in the primaries, but I'm looking forward to hearing other candidats as well.

It's a process, and if reemerges as the winner, that will mean he's only stronger than he was this year.

[Raya]

27. I think we need an ongoing grassroots movement that is commited to its

principles and its leadership if we are going to overcome the increasingly facist control
over all organs of media and force in this country.

[MISSDem]

29. I would vote for Kerry again.

I think he is a fine man.

[Democat]

30. Kerry had his chance against one of the worst presidents ever!

Why have a fantasy that he can win against someone else when he couldn't beat Bush, one of the worst presidents in history?

[jbond56]

31. I will never vote for him again.

In 2000 I voted my heart in 2004 I voted my brain. Today I prefer my heart.

But never again will it be John Kerry. He said he would fight. Some fight.

[President Jesus]

33. yeah, that's what a buncha Nixon supporters said in 1960.

To say John Kerry is not a fighter is just absurd. The guy spent 700 days on the campaign trail, and busted his ass running the campaign WE wanted him to do . We wanted him to attack Bush, and that's precisely what he did. And he delievered more votes than any other Democrat in history.

The problem with this election was not Kerry's fault. Quite frankly, the reason we lost this election is that red-state Dems are simply incapable of organizing as effectively as the GOP in their states.

[independentpiney]

32. I would be 100% behind a 2nd Kerry run

I think he would be an outstanding president, and he is now a national figure. And in 4 more years it will be obvious to a majority who the right choice was in '04.

[kskiska]

35. Gone are the days when unsuccessful candidates get a 2nd chance

Adlai Stevenson ran against Eisenhower twice. Nixon ran twice (nonconsecutively).

These days, candidates get savaged so badly in a campaign, coming out so bloodied that the parties can't afford to take another chance on them.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

36. Reagan was a veritable professional candidate back in the day

it got to be quite a bore seeing him running.

[RadiDem]

37. I wouldn't vote for John "Judas" Kerry for dogcatcher

[mccormack98]

38. You bring up an excellent point: if Chimpy can get elected ...

... then it really doesn't matter who our candidate is. Kerry would be fine. Gore would be better.

[WiseMen]

39. I second. We have to get seriously grassroots and long-term in this fight.

[vickie]

41. I certainly hope we don't abandon Kerry. I've grown to love him.

I didn't think I was capable of this after my involvement with the CLark campaign. I would support Kerry in a heart beat if he decides to run again.