JOHN KERRY HAS FALLEN…AND KEEPS GETTING UP [GQ: Kerry wants to run in 2008; Dems say NO]

GQ ^ | Jan. 21, 2006 | Michael Crowley

[summer]

John Kerry -- POLITICS: The election may have ended more than a year ago, but someone forgot to tell John Kerry. Michael Crowley talks to the Democrats who wish he'd just go away

...There was just one problem: John Kerry.

Without checking with his party’s leaders, Kerry scheduled his own response to Bush, which was to take place at 11 A.M., precisely the time that Reed was scheduled to respond. In Senate strategy meetings, mild panic ensued. ...Rather than make way for Reed, though, Kerry agreed to appear with him at a joint press event. Plenty of Democrats predicted what came next: Kerry was “droney and repetitive,” ...

The bitter clincher came on that night’s Daily Show.... Cut to a shot of Kerry stammering, then back to Stewart. “Kerry? You went with Kerry?”

After more footage of Kerry rambling incomprehensibly, Stewart stared at the camera and screamed, “No one understands you!” The next day, a link to the clip bounced among the e-mail accounts of angry Senate Democratic staffers.

... But Kerry—who Democrats almost unanimously say is keenly interested in running for president again in 2008—keeps reminding people of the bad old days...

...Joe Lockhart, Bill Clinton’s former press secretary and a senior adviser to Kerry last year (and who, like so many top advisers, had a strained relationship with Kerry during the campaign), adds, “He talks like he’s still running. I don’t mean he’s keeping his options open but that he has every intention of still running.”

...But what’s arguably more bizarre is how obvious it is that the guy Democrats chose to lead them to the promised land is no longer a member of his party’s A-team.... ...

[summer]

This is a very long 8-page article, and the above is only a brief excerpt.

Reading this article, I felt like freepers have totally succeeded in convincing the Dem Party that Kerry is a loser. So, score another one for FR.

[summer]

The article also made me realize how difficult it must be to run for office after you've already lost once. Kerry seems to be completely without support yet he has his mind made up to run again. I can not quite follow his logic.

[Clara Lou]

My question is this: If the Dems see what a doink Kerry is now, why didn't they see it before? Al Gore is just as big a doink. What's up with that party?

[OSHA]

I can not quite follow his logic.

Exactly!

[Merry]

Since Kerry and Therayzuh have their money so sheltered that they have never paid their fair share of taxes, I could care less if they spend it all on a hopeless campaign. He is a LOSER and I am sure Therayzuh will point it out to him when he comes running to her for a big check.

[TontoKowalski]

I think it would be difficult to lose, run again, and win.

Nixon pulled it off, but he actually had something to offer the Country. He was also blessed by the opponents he had in 1968 and 1972.

[summer]

I didn't understand Kerry's decision here, either; from the article --

...You also still find intense anger over unexpected things, like the nearly $11 million Kerry had left in his campaign account after—yes, after—election day, which even some of his top aides had no idea was there. The news shocked party insiders. “People were livid,” says one Democrat who has close relationships with large party donors, because that money could have been used to buy a few more campaign ads and phone banks or gone to cash-starved Democrat House and Senate candidates....

[martin_fierro]

Sorry, but I find it hard to take serious political cues from a men's fashion magazine.

[freeangel]

I think he's been watching too much "Commander in Chief".

Woman with no party decides to (re)run for Pres.

[Dutch Boy]

Kerry isn't using logic. He is using his ego. Any party that would select a sitting senator to run for president has not paid attention to history. Senator have no executive experience. But hey, let the dems keep trying. As for the RNC, I hope they are no dumb enough to pull a Dole 1996.

[summer]

I think it would be difficult to lose, run again, and win.

Gov Jeb Bush pulled it off, too, because he lost his first governor's race in 1994. Then he came back to win in 1998; then he made history in 2002 by becoming the first GOP gov to ever win a 2nd term in this state.

So, Gov Bush overcame real adversity, in my view. But his party did not abandon Gov Bush; instead, Gov Bush went on to lead his party, and he is still head of the FL GOP as far as I know. Also, Lincoln lost a lot of races before winning and becoming one of our greatest presidents, if not the greatest.

But, these are all Republicans. It seems like if you are a Dem and you lose, then, they are done with you -- they don't want anything to do with you ever again.

Seems like a different mindset when compared to Republicans past and present, in light of LIncoln and FL's Favorite Governor -- Jeb Bush. :)

[baystaterebel]

This explains why he is posting at Daily Kos.

LoooooooooooooooooSer!

[M203M4]

Think back to their primary too. *Shudder*

The one guy who could have been a non-national-embarrasment was given a complete pu**y makeover and turned himself into a joke (the rest were born that way).

[Bob]

Sorry, but I find it hard to take serious political cues from a men's fashion magazine.

Surprisingly, they do seem to have a very good staff of political writers. Quite a number of their articles have been posted here over the years.

[AlexW]

"If the Dems see what a doink Kerry is now, why didn't they see it before? Al Gore is just as big a doink. What's up with that party?"

It IS a party of DOINKS, or where I came from, we say "DORKS"
All moronic fools.

[summer]

If the Dems see what a doink Kerry is now, why didn't they see it before? .... What's up with that party?

ROTFLMAO...I hear ya! :)

[summer]

It was a very interesting article. Well worth the time I spent to read it.

[ez]

...Any party that would select a sitting senator to run for president has not paid attention to history... As for the RNC, I hope they are no dumb enough to pull a Dole 1996.

That leaves out McCain and George Allen...who's left? Keating? Barbour?

[GSlob]

"So, score another one for FR."
Why? Didn't Sun Tzu teach "never prevent or obstruct the enemy's wasteful and self-destructing actions"? Wouldn't it be better if they still thought of him as a possible winner? Then he and hillary would be reciprocally getting in one another's hair - to the hearty cheers and amusement of the whole country.

[summer]

RE your post #12 - LOL... well, Daily Kos actually accepted money from Howard Dean to keep posting liberal stuff on the site! I was very surprised to recently read about this, even though it seems to have been well known.