Kerry tries to motivate S.C. Democratic party

The State (SC) ^ | 4/15/03 | Lee Bandy

[Gothmog]

Orangeburg. Presidential candidate John Kerry attempted Monday to light a fire under a lethargic Democratic Party that he said had gotten lazy the past few years.

Addressing party activists at a luncheon at Claflin University, the Massachusetts senator urged the party faithful to go out and fight for their beliefs.

"The way to do it is to get mad, to get angry, to get active, to get out there and get off your ‘.‘.‘. " he said to prolonged cheers, without completing the thought. "Get going."

Kerry's sermonette was prompted by a questioner dismayed by the outcome of the 2000 presidential election won by George W. Bush and the drubbing Democrats took in the 2002 election.

Bush lost the popular vote to Democrat Al Gore, but captured the electoral vote after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the GOP's favor by denying a vote recount in Florida.

"Just because the Supreme Court made the wrong decision in 2000 doesn't mean we have to live with it for the next six years," Kerry said.

The luncheon was the fourth stop for the senator on a two-day campaign swing that took him to Duncan, Florence, Orangeburg and Charleston.

As is his custom, he delivered his standard stump speech and took questions from the audience.

The question about the condition of the party and whether it can recover from its poor showing the past nine years struck a nerve.

In assessing the party's status, Kerry quoted two popular sayings: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going," and, "If you don't do it, who will? And if you don't do it now, when will it be done?"

"That's where we are as a party," Kerry argued.

Some party activists just sit around, complain and mope. Some become proactive, he said. His advice was clear and to the point.

"We've got to get tough. We've got to get out there."

In the past, too many people thought that all the party had to do was to go out there and raise money -- "get a big check from a fat cat and go on TV."

"GOTV doesn't mean go on television; it means get out the vote," he pointed out.

Kerry called himself a futurist, a visionary.

"If you don't know where you've been, it's hard to know where you're going," he said.

The senator talked a lot about where the party had been. He cited its fight for civil rights, clean water and clear air, early childhood education, minimum wage, and quality health care.

But cynicism and distrust of elected leaders exists and is reflected in voter attitudes, he said. Kerry mentioned a recent poll showing that 60 percent of Americans say they don't know whether they'll vote next year. He called it a serious problem

"We've got to start organizing," he urged.

Kerry asked the predominantly black audience to "believe again."

"Even though my skin may not be the same color as yours, my heart, my soul and my gut are in the same place as yours."

State Sen. John Matthews, who represents Orangeburg as a 28-year veteran of the S.C. General Assembly, endorsed Kerry on Monday.

"John Kerry will be the next president of the United States," he predicted.

Kerry also picked up the support of Steve Benjamin, a Columbia attorney, who lost a bid last year for attorney general.

[Gothmog]

What a bunch of tired, old cliches. Yesterday he was urging people to 'travel to the moon on earth,' now he's relying on tired old cliches. Who's writing lines for this guy?

Gotta love this pandering, though:

"Kerry asked the predominantly black audience to 'believe again.'

"'Even though my skin may not be the same color as yours, my heart, my soul and my gut are in the same place as yours.'"

In IA he was trying to morph into a Kennedy, now he's trying to be Clinton.

[ConservativeDude]

Kerry called himself a futurist, a visionary.

Fact is, if you are calling yourself these things, then you probably aren't.

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[areafiftyone]

Kerry is delusional. He is starting to think he is JFK! This man is scary! The Democreeps better put a lid on him!

[Puppage]

[RooRoobird14]

"Just because the Supreme Court made the wrong decision in 2000 doesn't mean we have to live with it for the next six years," Kerry said.

Oh goody goody (LOL), the DimWit candidates keep playing to the extreme wack-job left of their party. I hope this means the most rabidly leftist pinko Bush-haters vote in the Dimwit primaries--that will guarantee a pathetic LOSER like Kerry or Dean getting nominated. Bwhah-hah-hah-hah!!!

[TheBigB]

"If you don't know where you've been, it's hard to know where you're going. We want to go to the moon here on Earth. Of course, we haven't been to the moon here on Earth, so I don't know if that's where we're going. But we want to. Go there, I mean. My skin isn't the same color as yours, but I'm black just the same. Foshizzle my nizzle. Your mileage may vary."

[ClearCase_guy]

When the going gets tough, the tough get going," and, "If you don't do it, who will? And if you don't do it now, when will it be done?"

"That's where we are as a party," Kerry argued.

He then continued: "As a party, we have no new ideas. All we have to offer you are a bunch of tired cliches. They don't mean much -- heck they don't mean anything! But they're all we have for you today. Please get out and vote. Two or three times would be good."

[GiveEmDubya]

""Kerry is delusional.""

Yes--he thinks he can win South Carolina (in the general election I mean, should he even be fortunate enough to make it that far). Ketchup Boy Mr. John Forbes Kerry-Heinz ain't gonna shut up yet unfortunately.

[Sgt Hulka 123]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz......

[Savage Beast]

a "lethargic" Democratic Party that he said had gotten lazy the past few years"

Try "decadent".

[Commiewatcher]

"The way to do it is to get mad, to get angry, to get active, to get out there and get off your ‘.‘.‘. " he said to prolonged cheers, without completing the thought. "Get going."

...and be sure to pick up your free copy of the Communist Manifesto on the way out.

[Gothmog]

I've just got to say, this press laziness kind of annoys me:

"Bush lost the popular vote to Democrat Al Gore, but captured the electoral vote after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the GOP's favor by denying a vote recount in Florida."

What the Scotus did was reject a selective recount of only the areas that would favor Gore.

[Commiewatcher]

"Kerry called himself a futurist, a visionary."

Yep, that he is.

So was Lenin.

[N. Theknow]

Kerry asked the predominantly black audience to "believe again."

"Even though my skin may not be the same color as yours, my heart, my soul and my gut are in the same place as yours."

He is trying to be the second black president.

Well, he is trying to carry the South the same way JFK did with getting out large numbers of blacks to vote and depending upon the yellow-dog Democrat white voter.

[FryingPan101]

"that he said had gotten lazy the past few years."

They have gotten lazy. They've been Clintonized and exposed for the rats they are. It's hard to run with energy when someone is shining a flashlight in your eyes and standing on your tail.

[Savage Beast]

"the drubbing Democrats took in the 2002 election."

If you think that was dismaying, wait'll the 2004 election!

(BTW, does "John F." pass out little things of ketchup at these events?)

[Savage Beast]

"Kerry called himself a futurist, a visionary."

What about someone with heinzsight?

[Only1choice____Freedom]

>>"Fact is, if you are calling yourself these things, then you probably aren't."


Kinda like "Honest John Used cars."

or a truck stop that advertises "Clean Bathrooms"

He calls himself these things because nobody else is.

[Jack of Clubs]

"The way to do it is to get mad, to get angry, to get active, to get out there and get off your ‘.‘.‘. " he said to prolonged cheers, without completing the thought. "Get going."

John, maybe if you borrowed an Iraqi Freedom vet's medals and threw them over the White House fence you could get some Democrats off of their `.`.`.

Oh, never mind, you already did that in the 60s, and it didn't work then, either.

What a Lurch-like martinet.