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Crowley: Long Run (Someone Tell Kerry He Can Stop Running For President)
New Republic ^ | September 23, 2005 | Michael Crowley

Posted on 09/23/2005 4:05:17 PM PDT by RWR8189

Remember John Kerry? It's been a busy week for the 2004 Democratic nominee. On Monday, Kerry delivered a long speech at Brown University blasting the Bush administration's inept response to the Katrina disaster and just about every other thing it's laid a finger on. Two days later, Kerry gave a floor speech in the Senate declaring his unsurprising opposition to the John Roberts nomination.

Make no mistake: Kerry designed these to be attention-grabbers. His staff hyped both of them relentlessly. Four e-mails from Kerryland popped into my inbox before and after his Brown speech, which Kerry aides billed as a "major address." Meanwhile his Roberts speech was garnished with no fewer than six e-mail alerts, a pace that might embarrass some Viagra spammers.

And the net result was ... well, not much. Kerry's "major address" was ignored by The New York Times, while The Washington Post lumped it in with a similar anti-Bush speech delivered by John Edwards. His Roberts broadside earned only fleeting mentions in both papers. No one seemed very interested. Even bloggers didn't pay much attention. (New York Times columnist David Brooks did use the occasion to slam Kerry as a cheap partisan--hardly the attention Kerry wanted.)

So it goes with John Kerry these days. Had 60,000 Ohioans voted differently, he would now be leader of the free world. After the election it seemed possible that Kerry would soldier on as the voice of national Democrats. Yet in a matter of just months he's gone from the face of his party to another face in the crowd.

It's not that Kerry isn't trying. Kerry has done anything but slink off into a post-defeat hibernation the way some other recently vanquished presidential nominees--Bob Dole, Michael Dukakis, even Al Gore (remember the beard and the European vacation?)--have done. Well before this week, Kerry was traveling the country campaign-style to promote a children's health care plan he has, at least for the moment, made his top priority. Even as I write this, I see from the latest Kerry, Inc., email that the senator is touting another new plan to fight global AIDS.

No, Kerry seems hell-bent on redemption at the ballot box in 2008. You can see it in his strident attacks on the Bush administration, which he laid out in rhetorically goofy fashion on Monday:

 

Brownie is to Katrina what Paul Bremer is to peace in Iraq. What George Tenet is to slam dunk intelligence, what Paul Wolfowitz is to parades paved with flowers in Baghdad. The bottom line is simple. The "we'll do whatever it takes" administration doesn't have what it takes to get the job done. This is the Katrina administration.

 

You can also see Kerry's '08 ambitions in hints dropped by his political operation, which has never shot down speculation that Kerry would run again. As The Boston Globe's Peter Canellos wrote, Kerry's Katrina speech "had the air of a major political moment," surrounded as he was by his family and several top aides who "scrutinized his performance from the front row somewhat like the judging panel on 'American Idol.'"

And you can see it in that most reliable barometer of political activity: fundraising. As of August 15, Kerry's leadership PAC had raised around $750,000 this year, second only among his potential 2008 rivals to Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, who has practically declared his candidacy.

Yet while the political world hangs on every word from Hillary Clinton's mouth, and Joe Biden seems to be getting more airtime than Anderson Cooper, no one appears terribly interested in what John Kerry has to say anymore.

It's not just the media--it's Democratic voters, too. Kerry placed second in an August CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll which asked Democrats whom they preferred as a 2008 nominee. That doesn't sound so bad until you consider the numbers. Kerry finished with 16 percent, while the front-runner, Hillary Clinton (of course), had a whopping 40 percent. And Kerry was barely ahead of John Edwards, who placed just one point behind him. A June Fox News poll yielded similar results.

And it gets even more ominous. Kerry is especially unpopular within the world of netroots Democrats--the blog-based crowd who nearly lifted Howard Dean to the Democratic nomination and whose influence over the 2008 primaries will only be more powerful. The bloggers and their acolytes are still trying to figure out which candidates to promote for the next presidential nomination. But at the moment there seems to be no groundswell for the last nominee. In a summer straw poll conducted by DailyKos.com, perhaps the Grand Central Station of netroots liberals, Kerry finished with a pathetic 2 percent--putting him behind the likes of Biden, Virginia Governor Mark Warner, Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, and the estimable "No Freakin' Clue." (Wesley Clark finished a clear first with 34 percent.) Meanwhile in another recent straw poll over at the Kos-like site MyDD.com, Kerry tallied just 3 percent among 14 Democrats.

None of this should come as a shock. Kerry was never an inspiring candidate. He overcame Howard Dean at the last minute in large part because he could afford to give his primary campaign a huge loan. His feeble response to last summer's swift boat attacks revealed his clumsy political skills. Everything good about the Kerry campaign--its phenomenal fundraising, the passions it harnessed--derived mainly from Democrats' Bush-hatred, not from Kerry himself.

In the midst of Kerry's typically windy John Roberts speech, he paused and looked up to the Senate rostrum. "Mr. President, how much time do I have left?" Kerry asked. "The gentleman's time has expired," came the reply. And so it has.


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; 2008; crowley; johnkerry; kerry; kerry2008; lyingtraitor; perpetualcampaign
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To: szweig
The presidency is decided by who wins the most states.

Not true, Nixon won more states than JFK. The winner is the candidate who receives a majority of the electoral votes. No other factor impacts the direct outcome.

81 posted on 09/24/2005 8:14:24 AM PDT by Theodore R. (Cowardice is forever!)
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To: RWR8189
"Mr. President, how much time do I have left?" Kerry asked. "The gentleman's time has expired," came the reply. And so it has.

Must have been a recent former House member that was preciding with that lingo.

82 posted on 09/24/2005 8:20:20 AM PDT by Republican Wildcat
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To: Howlin; Miss Marple

"His feeble response to last summer's swift boat attacks revealed his clumsy political skills."

Rove Credits Swiftvets With 'Energizing' Bush Vote (Thank You Karl Rove!)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1345603/posts


83 posted on 09/24/2005 8:58:43 AM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Never Forget the traitors who sold out to the commies!)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

I've asked you about 1,000,000 times not to ping me.

Now you can post your rant back to me, calling me unpatriot and a non-supporter of the military.

Everybody's seen it.


84 posted on 09/24/2005 9:05:38 AM PDT by Howlin (No, I'm not as nice as NautiNurse. :-))
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To: Howlin

Why would you object to an article about Karl Rove?

Beside, you told me "Kerry is done"

And he's not.

Go back to sleep.



85 posted on 09/24/2005 9:26:42 AM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Never Forget the traitors who sold out to the commies!)
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To: All

Anyone who thinks Hanoi Kerry isn't behind the anti war crowd needs to get a clue.

There is no need to impeach Hanoi Kerry from the US Senate

He is there illegally!

WAKEUP AMERICA!

For those who "forgot" what Hanoi Kerry
did in the past read on and learn the truth.

Hanoi Kerry was still a USNR officer while he:
gave false hearsay testimony to Congress
negotiated with the enemy
helped the US lose a war
abetted in the deaths of millions
created a hostile environment for all servicemen

Why is Kerry still in the US Senate?
This is in violation of
U.S. Constitution Amendment 14 Sec 3
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.amendmentxiv.html

And the FBI has proof of his treason.

Hanoi Kerry Timeline of a traitor
includes FBI files

May 1970
Kerry and Julia traveled to Paris, France and met with Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, the Foreign Minister of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of Vietnam (PRG), the political wing of the Vietcong, and other Viet Cong and Communist Vietnamese representatives to the Paris peace talks, a trip he now calls a "fact-finding" mission.

(U.S. code 18 U.S.C. 953, declares it illegal for a U.S. citizen to go abroad and negotiate with a foreign power.)

http://www.archive-news.net/Kerry/JK_timeline.html

a) A person charged with absence without leave or missing movement in time of war,
or with any offense punishable by death,
may be tried at any time without limitation.

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ucmj.htm#*%20843.%20ART.%2043.%20STATUTE%20OF%20LIMITATIONS

Kerry Hangs Back From Disclosure to All
The NY Sun June 9, 2005 Josh Gerstein

http://www.nysun.com/article/15135

Did Kerry really release Navy records?
Chicagao Sun Times June 9, 2005 THOMAS H. LIPSCOMB

http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-lip09.html

Distribute these url's!

Links to Anti Kerry sites
212 LINKS
News reports,
Viper's Vietnam Veterans Page

http://members.aol.com/ga1449ga/links/links.html


EXPOSE HANOI KERRY!

MUST SEE WEBSITE!!!!

http://www.kerrystreason.com/index.html

Full details on these url's!

http://tonkin.spymac.net

There is a backup site
if the 1st url is unavailable.

http://stophanoikerry.150m.com


Did you see this...?
(The 'Kerry's Promise Counter')
http://polipundit.com/index.php?p=6628
Polipundit even tells you how to install it on your own page!


86 posted on 09/24/2005 9:32:01 AM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Never Forget the traitors who sold out to the commies!)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
Why would you object to an article about Karl Rove? Beside, you told me "Kerry is done" And he's not. Go back to sleep.

Then why did you ping me?

Unless, of course, it's just to BAIT and start a fight.

As usual.

87 posted on 09/24/2005 9:32:50 AM PDT by Howlin (No, I'm not as nice as NautiNurse. :-))
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To: Kenny Bunk

Similarly if 60,000 votes flipped between Wisconsin, Washington, Minnesota Bush would have won an electoral landslide.


I nominate Coleman for VP in 2008. Maybe he can bring MN and WI with him.


88 posted on 09/24/2005 9:38:44 AM PDT by proudpapa (of three.)
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To: Howlin

"Then why did you ping me?"

To remind you of 2 things.

1) Kerry is STILL running for President in 2008

2) Kerry is STILL a member of the US Senate, depite the fact he's in violation of
U.S. Constitution Amendment 14 Sec 3
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.amendmentxiv.html


89 posted on 09/24/2005 9:42:45 AM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Never Forget the traitors who sold out to the commies!)
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To: MikeinIraq

Bush's vote margin in Ohio in 2004 was almost exactly the same as Kennedy's official margin in the popular vote in the country as a whole in 1960. (But that's only when the votes for unpledged electors in Alabama are put in Kennedy's column, and when the vote fraud in Illinois and Texas is ignored.)


90 posted on 09/24/2005 9:43:15 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

I don't care.

So don't ping me about it again.


91 posted on 09/24/2005 9:44:49 AM PDT by Howlin (No, I'm not as nice as NautiNurse. :-))
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To: RWR8189

The surviving Democratic also-rans other than Gore (namely McGovern, Mondale, and Dukakis) all have a better chance of winning the 2008 election than Kerry does.


92 posted on 09/24/2005 9:47:31 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: The Sailor; txradioguy; Jet Jaguar; Defender2; Blue Scourge; Cool Multiservice Soldier; ...

hanoi kerry IS running again in 2008 PING

Read my tagline and look for the Move On "FReepers"
who don't care what hanoi kerry is up to.

Or that hanoi kerry is behind the anti-war movement.

Also this week

In college speech,
Kerry upbraids Bush administration
Tests waters for presidential run
9/20/05

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1488280/posts


93 posted on 09/24/2005 10:32:00 AM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Be wary of FReepers who preach and howl : Get over it Tonk. Move On! mmmm Move On as in Fat Boy?)
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To: All

Glad to see that Americans are behind the expose of the hanoi kerry crowd.

From the Desk of:
Steve Elliott, President
Grassfire.org

9/24/05

I will be filing Audio Field Reports throughout this weekend's
Support Our Troops And Their Mission rally events that
Grassfire.org is helping to sponsor in our nation's capital.

Click here to listen to these 60-90 second reports:

http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/WMynshhQ/

You can also access these reports directly from our home page:

http://www.grassfire.org

Please note that I will be updating these reports several times
during the weekend, so check back later for a new update.

Also, we just heard that C-SPAN is scheduled to cover our rally
on Sunday live from Noon to 3pm Eastern. I will be speaking at
that rally

Thank you so much for making it possible for me to stand and
represent over 400,000 citizens who are supporting the Troops
and their mission!


Steve Elliott

P.S. When you listen to the audio report, I'd like to get your
feedback. I've included an email address on the audio report
page that will get your email directly to my phone during the
rallies. Click here:

http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/WMynshhQ/


94 posted on 09/24/2005 10:41:57 AM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Be wary of FReepers who preach and howl : Get over it Tonk. Move On! mmmm Move On as in Fat Boy?)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

No! No! Just let that halfwitted, sh*t for brains, inept piece of dung, run til Teresa's inheritance goes dry. Let that face remind us of the liberal democrats ASSperations.


95 posted on 09/24/2005 10:47:34 AM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Show me a liberal and I'll show you a head designed for nothing but cracking walnuts.)
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To: cardinal4
:UHHHH You are math challenged... Aren't you?

Bush won by 120 thousand votes.

If Bush had 2,120,000 votes and Kerry had 2,000,000 votes in Ohio that results in Bush winning by 120 thousand votes.

Now if 60 thousand people who voted for Bush had instead voted for Kerry what happesns ot the totals.

First Bush loses 60,000 votes. Take 60,000 from Bush's 2,120,00 and that leaves Bush with 2060,000 votes. Secondly Kerry had gained those 60,000 votes. So we add 60,000 votes to Kerry's 2,000,000 votes. That gives Kerry 2,060,00 votes to Bush's 2,060,000 votes.

That makes it a tie.

96 posted on 09/24/2005 10:50:41 AM PDT by Common Tator
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

BTTT!!!!!!


97 posted on 09/24/2005 11:03:13 AM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Thanks for the ping!


98 posted on 09/24/2005 11:11:42 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; The Sailor; txradioguy; Jet Jaguar; Defender2; Blue Scourge; ...

I need to repeat, then, what occurred in Iraq this past December or January (can't remember what month) when Kerry went there. I have this from many eyewitnesses.

At Al Tajii in Iraq is a 2 part base; Camp Cook, American soldiers, and the other half is for Iraqi soldiers, where they are trained, etc.

One day the soldiers in Camp Cook noticed the security had been beefed up. The reason became clear when a Blackhawk helicopter landed and out steps Hanoi Kerry. One of the eyewitness remarked to me that Hanoi is even uglier in person than on TV, to which I informed him, "The election was over so he stopped the botox shots."

Hanoi Kerry did not even LOOK at, much less acknowledge our soldiers. He proceeded over to the Iraqi side and attended a ceremony there.

When Hanoi Kerry returned, he, still not even acknowledging our soldiers, told the brass he wanted to be flown over Fallujah! Now this was before Fallujah had been cleaned out, and made it necessary for 2 Apache helicopters to fly under his Blackhawk to protect him! This formation is well known by the terrorists; it's something they look for. Fortunately for the pilots and crew of the Apache helicopters, there was no incident.

When Hanoi Kerry returned after putting those soldiers in danger for a whim, he again, never even looked at our soldiers, but left.

Our soldiers there acknowledged Hanoi Kerry with a salute, but it was a salute using only one finger.


99 posted on 09/24/2005 12:09:35 PM PDT by Linda1956 ("Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; All
"John Kerry says the 'W' in George W. Bush stands for 'Wrong.' But he still can't explain what John Kerry stands for."
—David Letterman


100 posted on 09/24/2005 1:37:47 PM PDT by Gucho
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