Sheesh. What's with the recent outbreak of hostilities in the Kerry wars?

[cali]

You'd think it was 2003 or 2007 from all the sniping going on about Kerry. I know some folks don't think he fought the election results vigorously enough, but does everything he does, from introducing ideas about child health care to urging donation to dems have to result in a spate of Kerry bashing?
I'm not, and have never been, one of his most fervent supporters, and he's not my first choice for 2008, but he is an effective Senator with a mostly positive record. I've faulted him in the past for his vote on the IWR, but I wish we'd cut him a little more slack.

[saltpoint]

1. Yes. Kerry is a public servant, where Bush for example is a witless

tool of oil. A terribly simplistic comparison, but a good starting point for a discussion of whose America I'd rather live in.

I don't believe, for example, we'd have anyone named 'Alito' on the Supreme Court were Gore in 2000 or Kerry in 2004 to have gone on to the White House. Bush kowtows to the far, far right and fundamentalist Christian vote, and that's why we get the John Boltons and the Sam Alitos and the Porter Gosses, etc.

[blue cat]

2. Last night I asked my repub sis if she were

ashamed of voting for Bush yet. She said no because she was loyal to Bush (of course I made fun of her for saying this). I don't agree with blind faith in any politician, but there will never be a politician that has every view that you do. I'd rather be a democrat since we seem to be able to tolerate differing views better, but I think some dems cut their nose off to spite their face. Kerry wasn't my first choice in 2004, but I always admired him for his anti-war efforts during Vietnam. I would be proud to vote for him in 2008. I wish he would have fought harder to count all the votes, but in the end I don't think it would have mattered. The republicans have much more power.

[Fabio]

3. Agreed.

John Kerry doesnt deserve our anger. I say save it all for George Bush, Dick Cheney et al.

[BOSSHOG]

4. John Kerry is a good, decent human being

Its hard for such men to succeed in political battles against the evil hate machine that is the GOP. He, like many decent people didn't think it was necessary to get in the mud with the "christian conservatives" to "win." Hopefully, we know better now. The trick will be to get in the mud, win elections, and maintain what is good and decent about our politicians.

[PresidentObama]

5. Most Democrats Like Kerry.

Or at least respect him. He may not be their first choice for 2008, or their first choice in 2004. But they know him as a leader, a fighter, and a really great Senator. Most of the bashers, which is a small percentage of bitter freepers, will always be here. Most of them spat out the same talking points we all heard about John in 2004. Sad really. How fast they turn against their own, especially a great decent man like John Kerry.

[cali]

7. I don't agree that

most of the Kerry bashers here are freepers, and I think it's a real cheap shot to label them as such. I wish they'd tone it down, particularly when it comes to jumping on any thread about Kerry to bash him, but that doesn't make them freepers.

[MH1]

8. Thanks for your post

Particularly the op.

I think the poster you respond to is using the term "freeper" to describe a particular behavior - "jumping on any thread about Kerry to bash him". There does seem to be a small group of posters here that seems to have taken Kerry-bashing on as a mission, and use freeper-like techniques in their pursuit of that mission.

However it is also true that many negative posts are just decent people expressing their opinion, albeit sometimes in a not-so-decent manner - but then hey, it's an internet discussion forum, not an afternoon tea party.

[acmejack]

6. I would think we could look at the direction our Country is headed

And not be terribly pleased with very many of our incumbents. But that's just me. I've got better things to do with my time right now than worry about bashing Kerry, that's for sure, in my locale we have a Senatorial race a Congressional race, a Governor to elect and all our local people to worry about. 2008 is a long way away right now. Whereas November looms large on my personal radar.

[madrchsod]

9. where in the hell is Kerry?

i knew george wanted to start another war but where in the hell is Kerry and what have they done to us?

[John Q. Citizen]

10. Abe Lincoln said, "Look for the bad in a man and you are sure to

find it."

Some people spend most of their time doing just that.

Anything short of perfection is a terrible disappointment to these people.

[Sensitivity]

11. Reflects situation in Party. Some bitterness re JK and abition re 08

Not best posture going into 2006 campaigns but is something Dems would best
work out of their systems.