Posted on 01/26/2007 2:07:25 PM PST by Congressman Billybob
John Kerry announced this week that he will not run for President in 2008. I don’t think any capable observers who pay attention to details such as political appeal and fund-raising strength thought that he had a snowball’s chance anyway. But since my long-time acquaintance, John Kerry, has taken himself out of the race, I thought I should do the same.
I met John Kerry in Woolsey Hall at Yale, in 1963. I was a junior, and an officer of the Yale Political Union, when sophomore Kerry showed up to join the Union. He was a year older than me, but a class behind me. That’s because I’d skipped the First Grade, and he’d repeated the Twelfth Grade.
Kerry came to the Union to make a name for himself. He was dressed like an Assistant Professor with leather elbow patches on a band-new jacket. And he made sure everyone knew that he’d been educated in Europe and spoke fluent French. Given his style, I didn’t bother to mention that I spoke French, also.
He did make a name for himself. It was “insufferable.” The principal differences between Kerry then, and Kerry now, is he has more wrinkles and more money. Otherwise, he’s the same. It’s a sad commentary that this hollow social climber came so close to becoming President in 2004. It’s good he’s out of the 2008 race, although other candidates remain in the race who shouldn’t get near the White House without a Visitor’s Pass.
Still, his example of announcing the obvious, that he’s not running in 2008, encourages me to do the same.
I’m out of the 2008 campaign. To eliminate any wiggle room in this declaration, I add Sherman’s words: “If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve.”
What are my reasons? These items disqualify me from running:
I do not have a single “friend,” in the US, or elsewhere including China, who would donate $1 million to my campaign, or would hustle that amount of money from other “friends,” who are interested in certain favorable decisions by the White House. Furthermore, if anyone offered me $1 million, and obviously had an ax to grind in some public issue, I’d tell them to take a hike. (That is exactly what I did, thirty years ago, when a multi-millionaire sought to purchase my services with a shady “contribution.”)
Although I’ve spent the better part of forty years making presentations and speeches in public, I have never told a bald-faced lie in public – not since I ceased doing criminal defense work thirty-five years ago. (As all lawyers and many laymen know, it is the obligation of any defense lawyer to present whatever defense might help the client beat the rap.)
I have never attempted to fashion a statement on any issue to offer soothing words apparently to groups on different sides of the issue. Instead, in speaking and writing on public issues my whole adult life, I’ve always stated my opinion in plain English, plus the reasons for it. I’ve never pulled my punches to avoid offending individuals or groups to whom I was speaking.
And, on those occasions when age, maturity or additional facts caused me to change my opinion on any subject, I did not pretend this was somehow a continuation of my old position. Instead, I explained in plain English why I was wrong before, and why I think my current position is better.
I have never changed my position on any public issue because large numbers of people disagreed with me. I respect Galileo. Pushed to recant his conclusion that the Earth revolves around the Sun, he agreed to stop saying that. But he added, “And yet, it still moves.”
I have led an ordinary life, which means there are events in my life which would cause harm to me, or to my family, if they were trumpeted about by opponents as if those mistakes were all there was to my life.
So, my conclusion on running for President is obvious. I am ill-equipped to run. If I ran, I would be defeated. Therefore, I won’t run. Still, it is galling to me to see people run for President who have less knowledge, experience, and integrity than I and tens of thousands of other Americans have. We would have better public officials if fewer candidates offered only “talents for intrigue and the little arts of popularity,” as Hamilton, Madison and Jay warned in the Federalist. But that’s a story for another day.
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About the Author: John Armor is a lawyer specializing in constitutional law, who may again be a candidate for Congress in the 11th District of North Carolina. John_Armor@aya.yale.edu
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I'll still vote for you before I'll vote for Hillary.
A true individualist you are.
Do you realize that you lack a progressive mindset?
Are you interested in the Dallas job?
Finishing school? He should sue to get his money back!
...@ the risk; of being, "Insufferable"...I shall, also not run.....and yes, She has Mine (ahhh...FBI files...amongst other things. :).
About the Author: John Armor is a lawyer specializing in constitutional law, who may again be a candidate for Congress in the 11th District of North Carolina. John_Armor@aya.yale.edu
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You should stay in North Carolina and fix the Nifong thingee.
sp
It's called "failure to make progress" academic wise.
That trait continues to follow him.
(Caused lots of 5th, 6th, 7th year students to become 1-A.)
yitbos
What?! John Kerry not running for President? Oh, dear! I was so hoping he would. Yes, the democrat race will be damn funny as it is, but imagine the fun if Kerry ran too! :)
Don't worry-his ego will stand in for him.
Would you then consider accepting the offer to take the head coach position of the Oakland Raiders?
I decided I am not going to run for president either.
Way over qualified for Dallas.........
That doesn't mean Kerry won't be a candidate. He's probably just announcing that he won't run before he announces that he will run.
Then YOU are going to run for the U. S. House of Representatives from NC's 11th District, aren't you??? Would really like to see Shuler go down in flames.
I think that you may have written this not all quite so tongue in cheek, so that one assertion is curious. Is it true?
Besides, I have to get a lot of ducks in a row before a campaign for Congress makes sense. So, that preparation comes first.
Flying back from D.C. a month ago, I was on the same plane and one row away from Heath's Administrative Assistant, Hayden Rogers. He recognized me, and we had a long chat about many subjects. As we left the plane, he said, "Go easy on us in 2008." I replied, "Can't do that. I intend to beat Heath like a rented mule."
There's a lot of work to be done, and a long row to hoe before a final decision. But I AM looking in that direction.
Congressman Billybob
Latest article: "Announcement: I'm Not Running for President"
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