The Massachusetts Democrat curse

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Wednesday, February 04, 2004 | David M. Shribman

[Willie Green]

You can write the Republicans' critique of John F. Kerry in your sleep: The Democrats' new star is a protege not only of Edward M. Kennedy, with whom he's served in the Senate for two decades, but also of Michael S. Dukakis, whom he served as lieutenant governor. He's not only a big-time liberal, he's also from Massachusetts, the spiritual home of big-time liberalism.

[Heatseeker]

Thanks for the post. I'm so glad to hear Dukakis was actually a fiscal conservative. </sarcasm>

[rudypoot]

John F'n Kerry can call Ted Kennedy a conservative and get away with it. How complicated can it get?

[TheGeezer]

This guy thinks that becasue Republicans are governors of Massachusetts, that somehow that subtracts from Kerry's poisonous liberalism? Or that denials of recorded votes can serve to hide a leftist idealogue?

The reason Dukakis wasn't ready was because he was a leftist; the same is true of Kerry. It's true that Massachusetts isn't my daddy's Massachusetts, but that's only because it's worse.

[sirshackleton]

You know what I love about all this "I'm really a conservative/fiscal conservative/some form of conseravtive"? It seems like the left is realizing that their views are simply not mainstream anymore. They have to refer to themselves as conservative in some manner because...TA DA!...most folks out there are conservative (or at least they think that most folks out there are conservative). Granted, a lot of them can't back them up, and it ticks me off when they try to dress themselves up as some kind of conservative when they're nowhere close, but maybe at some point they'll realize that the better majority of folks don't like nor want leftism.

[KC_Conspirator]

"Are you going to believe me or your own eyes?"

[puroresu]

The author of this piece is a little confused. He seems to be trying to paint Massachusetts and Kerry as being less leftist than they actually are.

For one thing, he notes that the last four governors have been Republicans. That may be true, but three of them were so liberal they might as well have been Democrats. In fact, the first in this series, William Weld, was elected largely because a maverick named John Silber fluked his way into winning the 'Rat primary for governor. Silber was something of a conservative, so the voters chose a liberal Republican instead in the general election.

Current governor Mitt Romney might be considered moderate. He certainly isn't a conservative. He defeated a giggly, forty-something year old schoolgirl Democrat whose flippancy and childishness turned off even some 'Rat voters. Since Romney wasn't very conservative, they elected him.

Every member of the Massachusetts House delegation is a liberal 'Rat. Both senators are liberal 'Rats. The legislature is overwhelmingly liberal 'Rat. The state supreme court is practically Marxist.

As for Kerry himself, where has he ever shown himself to be anything other than an ultra-leftist? Since being elected to the Senate in 1984, what conservative vote has he cast? What conservative cause has he championed? If he's a centrist, he surely must have come down on the conservative side about as often as he did on the liberal side. So, where are those votes? Has he ever voted against gun control even once? Abortion? More social spending? Less defense spending?

His only so-called conservative vote in all those years was his vote for the Iraq War, and that was a calculated political move to make him look hawkish to the general electorate for his run for president. He proved what a fraud that vote of his was by opposing funding the war after voting for it, and by assuring liberal 'Rat primary voters that he never really wanted for President Bush to go to war at all.

Kerry is a leftist, and Massachusetts is the nation's most leftist state.

[Boxsford]

Kerry has a higher lifetime ranking from the Americans for Democratic Action, a useful measure of a liberal voting record, than even Ted Kennedy.

Where is this record? Anyone have a source that I could pass on to my father in law who intends to vote for Kerry? He's fed up with Bush and actually thinks Kerry would be a better choice. I've tried to find Kerry's voting record and have come up very little.

How about a top 10 reasons NOT to vote for Kerry?
1) He uses a drug addict's song for his campaign theme song. (Stand by the Fire"

[You Dirty Rats]

I never understood why Dukakis said the election was about competence, not ideology. Was he trying to paint George HW Bush as incompetent? What in their past history would make anyone think that Dukakis was so much more "competent" than Bush?

[sinkspur]

Kerry won't carry a single state south of Maryland; he's already, basically, written off the South.

Bush can focus $200 million on Ohio, and Illinois, and Minnesota, and Oregon, and Florida, and even force Kerry to spend money in California.

It's going to be very tough for Kerry to win this election. Very tough.

[Destructor]

"This guy thinks that becasue Republicans are governors of Massachusetts, that somehow that subtracts from Kerry's poisonous liberalism? Or that denials of recorded votes can serve to hide a leftist idealogue?"

You nailed it! Kerry has a lot of baggage that he will bring into the race.

[Eva]

Someone should e-mail this writer a copy of the Buckley 1971 address to Westpoint and tell him that this is the reason that Kerry is unelectable.

[GailA]

One of the things out of hanoi john's mouth last night was I'll get rid of those NASTY TAX CUTS! Then the economy will really tank.

[Eva]

I did it, I sent the author the whole speech, cut and paste from the earlier thread. I think that we have to get that speech out there every chance that we get. It says it all so eloquently.

[Willie Green]

It's going to be very tough for Kerry to win this election. Very tough.

On his own, I agree.
But I suppose a lot depends on how badly Dubya has shot himself in the foot and who Kerry picks to run as his VP.
(Assuming Kerry gets the nomination.)
I don't care for any of the 'Rats at all.
But I can see where a Kerry/Edwards ticket might present some problems for Dubya.

[GailA]

http://acuratings.com/acu.cgi?ACT=1&USER_ID=1015&YEAR=2003
edwards ACU

http://www.eagleforum.org/Scoreboard/108-1/NC-index.html ewards Eagle Forum

http://acuratings.com/acu.cgi?ACT=1&USER_ID=1036&YEAR=2003 kerry ACU

http://www.eagleforum.org/Scoreboard/108-1/MA-index.html kerry Eagle Forum

[winodog]

My dad dislikes "pot smoking hippie draft dodgers".
He is a Vietnam vet but I remember him telling me that no way would he vote for Bush again so he voted for hillarys husband and now he likes Kerry and is likely to vote for him.

It is strange how he can throw all his values and morals out the window because he does not like Bush. I have yet to discuss Kerry with him but I too would like a simple easy to understand 10 reasons to not vote for him list.

[axxmann]

Do you have a link for this speech?
Thanks

[samtheman]

Kerry will spend much of the campaign running from his own record... not running on it.