JOHN KERRY HAS FALLEN…AND KEEPS GETTING UP [GQ: Kerry wants to run in 2008; Dems say NO]

GQ ^ | Jan. 21, 2006 | Michael Crowley

[summer]

John Kerry -- POLITICS: The election may have ended more than a year ago, but someone forgot to tell John Kerry. Michael Crowley talks to the Democrats who wish he'd just go away

...There was just one problem: John Kerry.

Without checking with his party’s leaders, Kerry scheduled his own response to Bush, which was to take place at 11 A.M., precisely the time that Reed was scheduled to respond. In Senate strategy meetings, mild panic ensued. ...Rather than make way for Reed, though, Kerry agreed to appear with him at a joint press event. Plenty of Democrats predicted what came next: Kerry was “droney and repetitive,” ...

The bitter clincher came on that night’s Daily Show.... Cut to a shot of Kerry stammering, then back to Stewart. “Kerry? You went with Kerry?”

After more footage of Kerry rambling incomprehensibly, Stewart stared at the camera and screamed, “No one understands you!” The next day, a link to the clip bounced among the e-mail accounts of angry Senate Democratic staffers.

... But Kerry—who Democrats almost unanimously say is keenly interested in running for president again in 2008—keeps reminding people of the bad old days...

...Joe Lockhart, Bill Clinton’s former press secretary and a senior adviser to Kerry last year (and who, like so many top advisers, had a strained relationship with Kerry during the campaign), adds, “He talks like he’s still running. I don’t mean he’s keeping his options open but that he has every intention of still running.”

...But what’s arguably more bizarre is how obvious it is that the guy Democrats chose to lead them to the promised land is no longer a member of his party’s A-team.... ...

[Jim Noble]

If the Dems see what a doink Kerry is now, why didn't they see it before? Al Gore is just as big a doink. What's up with that party?

Both of them almost won.

[Smittie]

I think it would be difficult to lose, run again, and win.

Nixon pulled it off, but he actually had something to offer the Country. He was also blessed by the opponents he had in 1968 and 1972.

Nixon probably really won in 1960 if you took out all the dead demonrats' votes. From what I've read, he had a good case to challenge the election but had enough class to not put the country through the ordeal.

[summer]

Both of them almost won.

Yeah, but we're not playing horseshoes here -- "almost" doesn't count.

[ClaudiusI]

If Newsweek was really fair and balanced, they'd have Kerry show up in one of their Conventional Wisdom panels.
John Kerry: <->
Old CW: John Fitzgerald Kennedy
New CW: Richard Milhouse Nixon

[cgbg]

The unspent $11 Mill. is fascinating--it fits in well with my conspiracy theories about the "Vietnam hero".

(I thought he was brought home early from Vietnam to spy on the anti-war movement, fwiw.)

[Clara Lou]

Frightening, eh?

[TontoKowalski]

From what I've read, he had a good case to challenge the election but had enough class to not put the country through the ordeal.

I've read the same thing. Essentially, there were clearly documented cases of ballot-box tampering in Chicago (imagine that!). The argument is that, because Illinois was so tightly contested, it would have made a difference in the outcome. A swing of Illinois Electoral Votes would have made Nixon, not JFK, the President.

While I'm inclined to believe it, the source of the discord being in Chicago and all... no one will ever know for sure.

[wouldntbprudent]

Hopefully history will make an exception for George Allen. Having been the Guvnor of Virginia will help.

[wouldntbprudent]

The Rats seem to have perfected the art of throwing up a sacrificial lamb against strong Republicans. They NEVER liked Dukakis or Kerry. It was just like, well, if it sticks, fine.

[wouldntbprudent]

Also, this article was written for a very specific audience that does take political cues from a men's fashion magazine: the inside-the-beltway Rats who think reading haberdashery ads gives them insight into the Red State mindset.

Anyway, seems to me this article was written specifically to reach KERRY. On behalf of the Rat establishment, this author was delivering the message in no uncertain terms to KNOCK IT OFF. DROP OUT. SHUT UP. They are pulling out all the stops to help Kerry put them out of their misery.

[302damnfast]

The article says he filed a form 180 after the election? I didn't hear about that. Is that true? Or are they just making up stuff about it again?

[JUST A BARTENDER]

The Dems don't see that Kerry is a doink. They see that he was beaten by Bush. That's embarrassing to them.

[oldbill]

George Allen was formrly the governor of Virginia and has executive experience. Only Evan Bayh (D-IN)has executive experience among the sitting senatorial candidates.

[mhx]

Yeah, but, we WANT them to nominate a loser.

[Clara Lou]

Very good point. I think you're right.

[drhogan]

nixon had more shrewdness than class.
one bio of jfk that i read said that there may have been voting "irregularities" in certain states that nixon won that would not have stood up to scrutiny.
he may have known that he would have a better chance of running again if he took the loss "gracefully".

[raccoonradio]

>>But then the Georgetown kids lined up to ask questions, and the pain of it all came rushing back. KerryÂ’s responses were brutally long-winded, as if he were intent on slowly suffocating their earnestness with leaden filibusters. Eyes glazed. Yawns unfolded. Even the kids at the mike shifted their weight impatiently.

We coulda had four years of that. Actually we do still have him till '08, in the Senate...He just won't go away...

[drhogan]

maybe we should all write letters to kerry and beg him to run for the good of the nation!

[hinckley buzzard]

Nixon pulled it off, but he actually had something to offer the Country. He was also blessed by the opponents he had in 1968 and 1972.

Nixon also spent the entire time from 1962(failed governor's race) until 1968 working to build up the party, raise funds and recruit candidates, etc., all the while keeping a low personal profile and out of the limelight. Nixon was a trouper and earned many favors which paid off in 1968. Kerry isn't made of the same stuff as Nixon, and that's why he is butchering his off-season opportunities.

[purpleland]

Unfit John Kerry is a Maoist, a UN whore, a detached-from-the-people-elite demagogue, a self-entitled aristocRAT, and, (!) AND a Viet Cong war hero! Thank God for his free speech exercise because Kerry's free speech exposes under critical parsing his convoluted thinking process and disordered cognition...as well as his having a strong streak of treasonous ideation. Kerry is a disgraceful American and senator. Here in New England the best that REAL PEOPLE can say about John Kerry is that he is a prime phony.

This despicable Kerry is so unworthy of being a senator for 20 years!!! He consults with named enemies and presumes cabals with international adversary interests. Kerry's anti-free speech mafioso-courtiers attempted threats, extortion, and other oppressive means to prevent any (FREE SPEECH) adverse truthful facts and criticism about John Kerry. John Kerry can buy anything but he cannot buy the infinite TRUTH. AND, furthermore into my rant, Kerry has a *THING* for France's president Chirac! (!wink!wink!) Howard Dean is just insane; John Kerry, who would seek "global consensus" to set policies for America, is a by his very expressed idea proves Kerry is a menace.