"PLEASE GOD, LET THAT HAPPEN!"
Posted on 11/09/2004 10:47:20 AM PST by presidio9
Defeated Democrat John Kerry has dropped hints he may run for president in 2008, as glum party officials debated the way forward after last week's Republican sweep of elections for the White House and US Congress.
"Sometimes God tests you," an aide to the Massachusetts senator quoted Kerry as telling friends and supporters, the Washington Post reported. "I'm a fighter and I've come back before."
Kerry's younger brother Cameron told the Boston Globe newspaper the senator was "profoundly disappointed" about narrowly losing last week's election to President George W. Bush (news - web sites), and deems another attempt fully possible.
"That's conceivable," the paper quoted the brother as saying. "I don't know why that (last week's loss) should necessarily be it.
"I think it's too early to assess. But I think that he is going to continue to fight on for the values, ideals and issues this campaign is about," Cameron Kerry added.
Kerry's role in the party became the subject of intense speculation, as Democrats try to chart their future following last week's demoralizing losses at the polls.
A Kerry aide told AFP that the nearly two-year-long presidential campaign made the Massachusetts senator the de facto leader of Democrats, and he would play an active role in opposing the Republican-led Congress and White House.
"He is not he is not going to go away quietly," said Josh Gottheimer, a speech writer for the campaign.
"He plans to continue to carry the mantle" for Democrats into the future, said Gottheimer. "He will be at the forefront of the party in the months and years ahead."
The debate about Kerry's future comes as Democrats planned meetings around the US capital Tuesday to deliberate about the future of the party.
Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives were holding a day long strategy meeting, while top officials with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, a network of top, elected Democrats, planned a open forum to discuss the way forward.
Kerry seemed to make the case for continuing his role as de facto party chieftain, issuing a statement last week touting the inroads made by his campaign.
"Kerry's popular vote total in aggregate numbers not only exceeds (2000 Democratic presidential candidate) Al Gore (news - web sites)'s popular vote victory in the last election, but also (ex-President) Bill Clinton (news - web sites)'s in the 90's" the statement said,
"John Kerry has built a solid foundation for the Democratic party to build on -- in voters, in resources and in substance. The party would be well advised to build on the foundation and not turn our back on it."
According to press reports, Kerry has mostly remained at his Boston, Massachusetts home since his defeat. The Globe reported that he was spotted in Washington on Monday, but kept a low profile. According to news reports, Kerry is considering creating a political action committee and think tank to keep his policy initiatives, and himself, in the spotlight.
"He's in a position of national leadership," Cameron Kerry told the Boston Globe.
"He's going to exercise that role and be a voice for the 55 million people who voted for him. The position he's in gives him a bully pulpit."
Some Democrats however seemed less inclined to consider Kerry the head of their party, or at the top of the 2008 presidential ticket.
Louisiana's US Senator John Breaux told US television this week that top Democratic White House contenders appear to be party luminaries like Senator Hillary Clinton (news - web sites) and Indiana Senator Evan Bayh.
"Either one of those who can articulate a moderate, mainstream message can be successful," he said.
Breaux, who is retiring from the US Senate this year, said the party would be well advised to try to duplicate the charisma and centrist message of former President Clinton (news - web sites).
"When he won, he was able to keep the party base, which is a tradition of minorities and labor, but he was also able to expand it into moderate, mainstream individuals," Breaux told CNN television Monday, hinting that Kerry lacked the pizzazz to appeal to a broad-based public.
"You have to have the right message, but you also have to be able to deliver it," he said.
More like a bullsh** pulpit!
MV
Blah Blah Blah. The next four years are only going to expose Kerry for the liberal that he really is.
Gore went absolutely batty and it looks like Kerry is swiftly losing touch with reality.
these people are utter morons. Good, that means we can consolidate another victory in 2008!!!
Sign the 180 then Hanoi John!
It would bring me joy to NEVER hear another Kerry speech.
Not gonna happen. Al Gore faded into oblivion and so will Kerry. Bad memories for his liberal friends who are now mad at him for "conceding too quickly". Sucks to be Kerry! :-)
Even though they are unbelievably stupid, the democrats are not that stunningly stupid!
delusional
"PLEASE GOD, LET THAT HAPPEN!"
Actually, I think Kerry is EXACTLY the type of guy who will come back and try again. That is why we must expose his military records NOW.
How is it that the list of Democratic losers is almost endless? And that's just from the winners of the nomination.
"When he won, he was able to keep the party base, which is a tradition of minorities and labor, but he was also able to expand it into moderate, mainstream individuals," Breaux told CNN television Monday, hinting that Kerry lacked the pizzazz to appeal to a broad-based public.
Bullpuckey... when the 'Toon won, he was able to keep his base (43%) - Bush won the Republican base, and Ross Perot stole the rest.
watch his voting record; if his ACU rating goes up, he has his eye on 2008.
Would somebody please drive a stake through this traitor;s heart? (Figuratively, of course.)
Kerry was a fake. Almost 60 million people understood that.
Look at this way: Now he has four years to actually explain his "plan" to us.
Some people need more than one lesson.
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