John Kerry Must Go

Villiage Voice ^ | April 27th, 2004 11:45 AM | James Ridgeway

[flixxx]

WASHINGTON, D.C.— With the air gushing out of John Kerry's balloon, it may be only a matter of time until political insiders in Washington face the dread reality that the junior senator from Massachusetts doesn't have what it takes to win and has got to go. As arrogant and out of it as the Democratic political establishment is, even these pols know the party's got to have someone to run against George Bush. They can't exactly expect the president to self-destruct into thin air.

With growing issues over his wealth (which makes fellow plutocrat Bush seem a charity case by comparison), the miasma over his medals and ribbons (or ribbons and medals), his uninspiring record in the Senate (yes war, no war), and wishy-washy efforts to mimic Bill Clinton's triangulation gimmickry (the protractor factor), Kerry sinks day by day. The pros all know that the candidate who starts each morning by having to explain himself is a goner.

What to do? Look for the Dem biggies, whoever they are these days, to sit down with the rich and arrogant presumptive nominee and try to persuade him to take a hike. Then they can return to business as usual—resurrecting John Edwards, who is still hanging around, or staging an open convention in Boston, or both.

If things proceed as they are, the dim-bulb Dem leaders are going to be very sorry they screwed Howard Dean.

[flixxx]

I just love this...when the Villiage Voice (of all media) starts dissn' the Presumptive Democratic Nominee for President!!! Sorry, if this was posted earlier...still, it is worth another viewing

[Luke21]

Enter her heinous, Hillary. May happen.

[John Thornton]

My theory is that Kerry might be asked to claim that his prostate cancer has recurred and that he therefore needs to drop out of the race. I doubt he would ever do it, however. The guy has been running for president since eighth grade.

How firmly committed are his delegates?

[Izzy Dunne]

Maybe my hopes for Al Sharpton are NOT dead...

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

This has been posted several times already.

[stop_fascism]

Why not wait until three weeks before the election then change. It worked so well last time.

[Ann Archy]

The Clintonoids will DESTROY Kerry.

[Congressman Billybob]

Your question about Kerry's delegates is spot on. I was on-air live at 5 today with Jerry Agar on that precise question. I'll keep it short, here.

Kerry now has a majority of delegates to the Dem Convention committed to vote for him. HOWEVER, he does not have a majority of delegates who are required to vote for him. Some state laws require elected delegates to vote as pledged on at least the first ballot, other laws for two ballots.

But if Kerry is reduced to his mandatory delegates, he will lose on the first ballot, and thereafter fade into the ashcan of history as someone else is nominated. (After three ballots, ALL delegates will be freed to vote as they choose, regardless of how they were elected.)

Important question you asked.

Congressman Billybob

Click here, then click the blue CFR button, to join the anti-CFR effort (or visit the "Hugh & Series, Critical & Pulled by JimRob" thread). Please do it now.

[ninonitti]

"My fellow democrats I have decided to seek and not seek your nomination at this convention tonite and no I'm not answering any questions on this matter"

[samtheman]

There's no way JFnK's stepping down gracefully. He's got all those delegates committed to him on the first ballot. That's enough for him to win, on the first ballot.

All other speculation is mere speculative fantasy.

[Parley Baer]

Let's not leave Albore out of the equation. However my bet would be on Hillary. Parley

[Agnes Heep]

If things proceed as they are, the dim-bulb Dem leaders are going to be very sorry they screwed Howard Dean.

Don't tell me Howard has syphilis?

[jocon307]

I'm so glad you posted this. I was going to put it up. I hope they don't listen to him, but I think he's correct in his assessment. I heard some Boston Globe reporters on NPR today and for balance I must say that they said this is a typical Kerry campaign and he's known as a great "closer". I'm not sure that's enough to cut it at the presidential level. A lot of folks can't even name their senators, everybody can name the president.

[Petronski]

Doesn't ANYONE do a search?

[azcap]

Let's not leave Albore out of the equation

 

I can just see Al Gore, sitting alone in his dark basement reading the Village Voice, starting to quiver with hope and mumbling Langston Hughes "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore and then run?" 

[Redcloak]

Doesn't ANYONE do a search?

How about a search for waffles?

[MJY1288]

This should be emailed to the Kerry Campaign, I think I'll do the honors :-)

[Boundless]

> "... Look for the Dem biggies, whoever they are these
> days, to sit down with the rich and arrogant presumptive
> nominee and try to persuade him to take a hike. ... "

Well, the columnist is clearly clueless about how the
Democratic Party works, but if the VV allowed this story
to run, that is significant. VV is probably not a 1st-tier
recipient of DNC Talking Points FAXes, but they are an
indicator of the sentiment in a particular Dem market
segment.

Now the prevailing theory is:
* If a Dem can't beat Bush in 2004, any Designated Loser
will do.
* If it is seen as possible for a Dem to beat Bush, the
candidate will be Hillary (by hook or by crook).

JfK is a perfectly adequate D.L., and we can be sure that
the Clintons can guarantee that he'll lose (FBI files, etc.)
I'd rather JfK implode on 02 Nov., but increasingly, it
looks like he may be too embarassing altogether, and that
regardless of what the Clintons want, the rank&file may want
him gone.

He's already been offered a medical deferment (prostate).

Remember, lib papers rarely publish news. They mostly
send messages.

[sine_nomine]

It depends on Hillary's mood. If she thinks she can win, she will be nominated. I doubt whether she will think so at that time. Kerry losing 49 states would leave her the sole contender for 2008, and she may run against Jeb Bush.

The Clintons have a way of destroying their friends in their own party. Look at Gore, who should be the leader of his party. All he needs is a dunce hat. (No, I do not admire him, but I am impressed at how loyalty is not rewarded by those folks. And ditto Gore to Loserman.)

[SavoyyTruffle]

How firmly committed are his delegates?


They're just as firmly committed as the Clinton Crime Syndicate wants them to be: no more, no less.

Rush has already done "The Phone Call" from Billy-boy to John-boy, breaking the news to him. The "cancer acting up" scenario, my favorite, is starting to look more like a possibility and less an idle speculation. After all, look what prostate CA did to Rudy's Senate candidacy. It would work here.