Reply #20: You are wrong [View All]

[karynnj]

1) Of course Kerry was trying to win the people in the middle at his convention. The fact is he was going to get the left anti-war vote - and by and large he did. He had 9 million more votes than Gore, so arguing that large numbers stayed home is not believable and Nader and the Green party candidate got very few votes. I am not saying the left was happy - they weren't. Most of the left media was extremely agree that they did not get Dean - and so angry at Kerry, that many wrote things they had to know were not true. (Like Nichols in a plea that people then support Edwards - saying with no backup that Edwards was better on the environment - in spite of the fact that the record he did have was mediocre (a score in the 60s from the LCV vs Kerry's lifetime 96% and his leadership here.)

2) Although he backs the Reid plan - though he adds that he thinks there should be tax cuts. The reality is that the tax cuts can not pass - in either House. The only possible way to get them is to NOT extend the Bush tax cuts - as it is easier to block action than pass anything. Kerry has had at least 3 Senate speeches where he has made the case for the wealthy paying more, but this was a speech on the debt level.

3) He absolutely does not back cutting social security in the speech. He has said often in the last year that with minor tweaks SS is good for the century - and the tweak he spoke of was raising the income cap on the payroll tax. The Reid plan does not cut Social Security. (Obama has suggested possibly cutting benefits, Kerry really didn't.)

4) You are right that I don't know which Democrats you do not have a problem with - though I've seen your posts enough to have a good idea. You were pretty negative about Obama in the general election - and you had before that preferred Clinton. It was also clear that you liked Gore. Even in your statement here, it was clear that of the candidates you campaigned for, it sounds like Dukakis and Kerry were the ones you thought least of.

5) If you are saying that Kerry is not Grayson or Weiner - I agree and he is much the better for that. Kerry's innate politeness and his dignified manner have in fact allowed him to make very strong charges - in a rational, reasonable way. This was likely why Obama used him as a surrogate in teh primary and general election.