Kerry is about to announce — watch live (9/2/03 @ 9:30 am EDT)

[Octafish]

Log on and watch ...

http://www.johnkerry.com/

Hey, Ridge! Gonna bump things up to Condition Orange today?

[Octafish]

1. Max Cleland will introduce Sen. Kerry.

Get a look at two people who believe in their country above themselves.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

2. Cool update to the website!

Not sure when he made the change, I haven't been to his website in awhile, but the new look is awesome! Very nice. Give that web designer a raise!

[Octafish]

3. The jagos at C-SPAN aren't covering the announcement!

It's 9:50 a.m. and they've got some John Ashcan lookalike from MO named Blunt doing the blah-blah with the callers. Gee. Could it be more obvious?

[xequals]

4. 10 AM on C-SPAN

it's on NOW

[Octafish]

35. Thanks!

For a minute, I wigged out when it was rolling on the web, but was missing from the TV.

Great presentation by Judge Sanders, Sen. Cleland, and Lt. Gen. Cheney (USMC-Ret.) "someone named Cheney who actually served." Ha!

What a day! It's like the NFL draft for the last place team. They get first pick at drafting the best player coming out of college. Our nation now has a chance at getting the quarterback our great country needs and deserves.

[oasis]

5. Blount taking callers. C-SPAN not even thinking about cutting away.

[w4rma]

6. "Created by America's Cable Companies"

[oasis]

7. Okay C-SPAN on it now....Ma x Cleland about to speak

[xequals]

8. I'm watching on Cspan right now

General Steve Cheney of the Marines is talking .. introduced Max Cleland who will introduce Kerry.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Cleland rips Cheney. Nice.

[JI7]

10. cleland kicks DICK cheney's ass

hahhahah.

[Rose Siding]

11. A prayer?

Is this unusual?

[JI7]

14. it's south carolina

.

[Octafish]

31. From what I understand, most Americans are not atheist...

...or agnostic. From those I know, Democrats do respect those who are atheist or agnostic, however. They also know there's nothing wrong with believing in God and have no problem with those who do.

As far as Kerry goes: He believes in separation of church and state. That's what's made it possible for America to become a nation which welcomes people of all faiths and people who don't necessarily have, or want, one.

[killbotfactory]

12. Why didn't anyone tell me Kerry was in the military?!

???!!!???!!!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. Modesty?

[killbotfactory]

33. Must be...

Kerry needs to tie some policy positions to more anecdotes about his time in Vietnam. I really dig those.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

15. I was pretty sure everyone knew that.

:shrug:

[Karmadillo]

16. Just a guess, but he's probably aiming his speech at that

unfortunately large majority of US citizens who are unable to identify any of the current Democratic candidates.

[tjdee]

17. I give him credit for going to SC and not sitting pretty in MA.

I think the applause would be better if he were in MA.
Seems like a calmer, more mature crowd than Dean's...

I gotta wait a whole two weeks for Edwards, jeebus. He's announcing in SC or NC I believe...

[oasis]

18. "If we can open fire houses in Baghdad, we can open them up in NY"

Kerry said.

[LightTheMatch]

19. Smile?

He needs to smile every once in a while, sheesh.

[xequals]

24. A serious man..

for serious times.

Smirk can keep smiling while we take the Presidency.

[Karmadillo]

20. Interesting CNN, Fox, and MSNBC have already cut away

n/t

[tjdee]

21. Fix Fix Fix...

That's one thing Kerry and Dean have in common. I want more than that.

[Northwind]

22. The crowd reacrion sounds like a total of maybe 50 people.

They need to show a crowd shot if there are more there, the reaction noise is pathetically light.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

23. Sounds like 50

But it looks like a couple hundred are there.

[molly]

34. Did you OBSERVE?

where in the world was there room for any more people?

[JI7]

37. i think it was ticketed event

someone who went to it told me they had tickets for it. especially since it involves military i can see why.

[blm]

46. There were about 200 people there.

It was a 100 degrees by 9:30.

The crowd was furiously fanning themselves, but, it was much more raucous in person. There were plenty of old-fashioned, genteel liberal Southern ladies sitting down with longshoremen, veterans and students. He had a great mix of people in this crowd.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

25. Health care...

"I propose to give every American access to the same health coverage the Senators get themselves"... I like it.

"Your family's health is just as important as any family's in Washington"!

Sounds good.

[Terwilliger]

26. "sorry, we can't enact the policy I gave you on the campaign trail"

be prepared

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

27. This is true

but campaign promises always sound soooo good! ;)

[oasis]

28. "The Democrats will never be the party of the NRA, and I will never be

the candidate of the NRA." Kerry seems to be getting in some jabs at you know who.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

30. ha

I rather liked that one. :D

[Northwind]

29. And the award for stupidest line goes to:

"The Democratic party is not the party of the NRA, and I am not going to be the candidate of the NRA." (roughly)

He just alienated a hell of a lot of people with that line. That line just cost him any shot he may have still had. That was even dumber than his "we can win without the south" comments early in the race.

[molly]

32. I guess you didn't hear the rest of that comment?

or, did you pick out ONLY the part you WANTED to hear?

Get a GRIP!!!

on edit - the ONLY people he alienated were the Deanie boppers!!!!

[Northwind]

36. People who vote solely or mostly based on "more gun control" fears

Will only have heard the part about not being the candidate of the NRA. Conservative pundits and news services will carry JUST the sound bite, Kerry just commited political suicide.

[JI7]

38. bill clinton and al gore won

and they supported gun control.

[tjdee]

39. We've never been the party of the NRA.

Everyone knows the NRA is the GOP's bag, and seeing as they endorsed Bush last time, I don't think anyone's going to gnash their teeth over it happening again.

The gun voters heard the same about Clinton (2 terms) and Gore (won popular vote). So....it's not a big deal.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

40. True. That comment was to draw a line with Dean

and was for Dem. primary voters only.

[seaglass]

42. would that be the part about liking to hunt but never

going hunting with an AK47?

[Brian Sweat]

41. Fuck the NRA

I like guns, but the NRA does not represent me. Their positions are far to extreme.

[molly]

43. Exactly - the NRA has the most well funded - powerful

lobby in Washington.

[oasis]

44. Kerry was taking a shot a Dean who will not get the NRA endorsement

gun guy or not.

[Starpass]

45. I think he got a lick in about Dean afterwards when the press were asking

questions from the crowd. I could not hear the question but the answer made no sense if it was directed at Bush; so I assume it was directed at Dean. He said this country needs a "Commander in Chief, not a Critic in Chief". (It's now time for the screaming fest to commence here to say that that makes him lower than whaleshit but Howard is free, free like the soaring unfrettered by corporate greed soul that he is to criticize any Dem---------show me the record of your deals in Vermont, Howard...show me).