edwards fought tooth and nail against kerry concession (thread #2)

[unblock]

continuation of http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1439976&mesg_id=1439976

[LiberalVoice]

1. it's just another example of how Kerry gave up too soon...

He should not have conceded so quickly...now any surge in the mainstream media will be looked at by the public as the "democrats whining again".

[buddysmellgood]

2. If he had not conceded, he would have been an even easier target. At

least if he steps up now (and he damn well better) he has the proof to back it up. We didn't have the understanding of how it happened on Nov 3 and it would have looked like whining. Now we know what went down and it 's a fight for democracy.

[LiberalVoice]

5. I REALLY hope you're right...

we need this...not in 2008. NOW!

[buddysmellgood]

16. I really hope I'm right too. And it's just that... hope. I have to believe

something right now. The alternative is too depressing.

[OneBlueSky]

6. as I've said elsewhere, Kerry seems to be trying to walk a fine line . .

he doesn't REALLY want to contest the election, but he also doesn't want to lose the support of the millions of Democrats who are furious that the election was stolen . . . seems to me all he's providing are empty gestures meant to quell the anger and mollify the angry . . . gonna have to show me a whole lot more than that . . .

[buddysmellgood]

17. I agree. There is no line to walk here.

[InvisibleBallots]

9. doesn't seem to be any danger of that happening

Don't worry Kerry's a strong closer and he has a secret plan! :eyes:

[madrchsod]

3. edwards came out and said

every vote would be counted didn`t he? we all waited then kerry said -fuck it-maybe there is some votes out there but oh well...now we see what happened in oregon or washington( to much info late at night). as my daughter said when i told her kerry quit"that was rude of him" ya, it was rude alright. this whole issue makes me wonder if dean did get fuck`d over and that my first hunch that edwards was a winner may have been right.

[Clarkie1]

4. Edwards didn't fight hard enough, or I would have heard him say something

[DemDogs]

7. What is that supposed to mean?

Edwards apparently fought Kerry on Tuesday night and on Wednesday morning. What is he supposed to do? Say Kerry is conceding but I am not? Word is that he also finally got Kerry to engage in Ohio. He didn't control the money for the fight, and on Wednesday he never said they had lost or were conceding, and he worked Kerry until the end. I don't know whether he was talking to the lawyers at all, but it wouldn't surprise me.

By the way, you did hear him say something. On election night, if you were listening, he said they would wait for every vote.

[GreenArrow]

8. public relations bullshit

for Edwards' 2008 ambitions.

[DemDogs]

10. Lots of people say you are wrong

And if you don't like him, don't like him, but you have NO information on which to say this is BS. This story did not wait to come out -- it came out right away and it came out from multiple sources. The fact that Edwards hasn't nailed Kerry for failing to fight is a credit to Edwards. He, unlike you, is not in a circular firing squad, which he could easily do with 2008 in mind.

[GreenArrow]

12. that the story came out is itself evidence of Edwards' ambitions

I have little doubt that if Kerry's "concession" were more popular among Democratic activists, John Edwards would have made sure to say that he was all for it, and that it was the right thing to do, done at the right time, and in the right way. A successful politician like Edwards always covers all his bases. He's looking ahead.

And if Kerry's strategy is to fight behind the scenes while publicly "conceding," (an act which carries no legal weight) then I certainly believe that's a more effective strategy than refusing to concede right off the bat, which would have a created a shitstorm of negative publicity that would have buried any chance of turning general public opinion in Kerry's favor. Remember "Soreloserman"?

[w4rma]

11. It sure looked to me like he had his legs cut from under him after coming

out and saying he would fight to count the votes and then Kerry conceding like 30 mins later.

[KoKo]

13. Edwards bucked the "activists" in NC Dem Party to support Iraq Invasion

He never wavered on his support for Iraq invasion even having students who tried to give him an "Anti-Iraq Invasion Protest Statement" presented at his Raleigh Office ..ARRESTED!!!!!!

I proteste at an Edwards $1,000 a plate dinner given in Downtown Raleigh , NC to which I was invited!..as an Edwards donor....because he voted for Iraq Invasion and sent form letters to pleas from his constituents who were so upset with him asking him to vote against the "Resolution" ...yet he did it...supposedly because he needed it to "Run for President" (by those of his supporters here on DU)

I supported Kerry/Edwards and attended his Raleigh Rallies with Kerry/Edwards signs in my hands....but I never forgave him for how he trashed those of us who supported him in his fight to oust "Lauch Faircloth" the Agri-business Pork Farmer who was Jesse Helms hand pick.

We thought Edwards would be better...we gave him money and we supported him...but those who "brung him to the dance" had more money and power than those of us who were large enough donors to get invited to his fund-raisers...but not large enough donors for him to listen to when the "chips were called in."

I have very mixed feelings about John Edwards. I hope he's learned from his Campaign and that in the end he will DEFEND THE VOTE...

It would make up for alot of what he did ...getting us into Iraq. :shrug:

[zulchzulu]

14. Have you seen this story about Kerry unconceeding on Jan. 6, 2005?

http://www.breakfornews.com/articles/KerryPreparingGroundsToUnconcede.htm

I've been following Kerry and know he and his legal team have been investigating the events of Election Day 2004 and HAS been fighting to get the votes counted.

As some of you may know, a concession speech is a formality and not legally binding. Kerry was way ahead of the game...if Edwards didn't see what strategies needed to be put in place the way Kerry did, that is unfortunate.

[Uzybone]

15. BS story from unnamed sources and gossipers

trying to make Edwards look good, and more importantly to them...make Kerry look bad.

[elperromagico]

18. Well, the concession certainly made Edwards seem foolish

after he'd gone out Tuesday night and stated that he and Kerry would keep on fighting to ensure that every vote was counted.

If I had been Edwards, having made that statement just the night before, I would have been very pissed off at Kerry Wednesday morning.

But that's just me.