Who else thinks Kerry was a poor choice?

[Quixote1818]

Watching all the Bush ads even I am afraid to vote for Kerry now even though I will. It still ticks me off that so many Democrats didn't check out his record before he was nominated. I know he is nothing like what the Bush ads say but he is so easy for Bush to define because of all his votes. I knew this would happen with Kerry and said it over and over on this board but so few would listen. Kerry looks like he voted for every Tax ever thought up and with his voting record going back decades the Bush administration will have no problem defining Kerry as a complete nut case as they Cherry Pick him apart.

It's now clear that Clark and Edwards were much better candidates to put up against Bush in my opinion. They didn't spend half a life time in the US Senate voting.

Also, Wesley Clark is starting to look like a genius now as Richard Clarke basically said everything Wesley Clark said on Iraq. I hope he is at least on the ticket as VP or I think Kerry may have a tough time.

[Dookus]

1. *YAWN*

The campaign has hardly begun. Stop this silliness.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dookus]

7. I said no such thing

why do you need to characterize it that way?

I simply pointed out that the campaign has JUST begun. These kind of petulant, whiny posts by supporters of other candidates are just silly.

I didn't tell him to shut up. I called his point silly. Do you see the difference?

[JNelson6563]

17. You dismissed his points as "silliness"

and said to "stop".

So it's twice as bad as just saying to stop with the criticism, you are completely disrespectful of their views while doing it.

How to win frineds and influence people eh? ugh!

Julie

[Catch22Dem]

35. I'm with Dookus here

Didn't do anything wrong, and certainly didn't deserve to be compared to O'Reilly.

[JNelson6563]

67. O'Reilly??

Who campared him to O'Reilly?

Though now that you mention it, he's like a softer, gentler version. It hadn't occured to me. Thanks for the freudian slip. :hi:

Julie

[Dookus]

39. Why do your sort keep saying that?

I'm NOT INTERESTED in making friends with idiots who slam the only alternative to Bush.

Write it down and memorize it: I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF YOU LIKE ME!

[Name removed]

66. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[leftistagitator]

43. His points are moot

The rupug slime machine can find dirt on anyone. It doesn't have to be true, they just have to be able to say it with a straight face. If it had been Edwards they would be distorting his case work as a lawyer. If Clark, they would be accusing him of war crimes. It's a little too late now to be arguing for a different candidate, and the last thing we need is all this negative "We shoulda do this" stuff. We will have to weather the storm of repug lies before we win, no matter who we run. * didn't raise 250 million for charity.

[JNelson6563]

68. It's a damn sad situation

Sure the puggies would lie about anyone. Does it tell you anything tho' that there is such difficulty in cultivating excitement for the Dem candidate? Do you not find that alarming? Or do you feel that is "silliness"?

Ugh.

Julie

[Dookus]

94. The only lack of excitement

is in your imagination.

He's breaking all the fundraising records. He's polling very well.

How anybody can look at this country and the state it's in, and their first reaction is to bash Kerry is beyond me. It's a form of insanity.

[JNelson6563]

123. Really?

Gee, we had a record turn-out at our caucus here in the north of Michigan. I signed up 72 new members to the local party in 6 hours. I talked to nearly everyone that came in the door that day (nearly 800). Kerry won our precinct.

Do you know what I heard that day? I heard lots of "nevers". I never....voted in a caucus before, got involved in politics before, joined a political party before....and on it went.

Would you like to hear what undid those "nevers"? Not a burning desire to elect Kerry. Nope. Almost all gave the same reason; Bush.

The few that didn't give that reason were Deanies and one Kucinich supporter. Not one freakin' person out of nearly 800 said "John Kerry". Not one.

But yes, the voting public is just delirious over Kerry. You need to get out more friend. DU ain't real and hardly reflects America.

The passion is against Bush, not for Kerry. Sad but true. Don't worry, I'm voting for Kerry (unless he does something astronomically assholish like choosing McCain as a running mate as his DLC buddies suggest) but I won't lie for or about him. He is uninspiring, to say the least. Got a problem with that? Take it up with Kerry.

Julie

[KC21304]

25. Don't feel bad, Dookus.

I was compared to Paul Bremmer yesterday. I had the temerity to ask someone who put a disparaging article about Kerry here if they thought Bush would be a better President. I was told that I was like Paul Bremmer because I was against her freedom to put articles here.
:silly:

[doubles]

2. The Bush administration would have demonized whoever our nominee was... nt

[trotsky]

9. Precisely.

Kerry has shown a remarkable resiliency and ability to deal with the Rove & Co. attacks. Once he is on equal footing warchest-wise and can counter every move they make, it will become clear that Kerry was quite possibly our best choice.

[w13rd0]

28. Kerry will not be on equal footing with Bush...

...finance wise...at any point during the campaign, not without whoring himself out to the same people that own Bush body and soul. He's going to have to find ways to fight back, NOW, until November 2nd. Every vacation and brief respite will be used against him. Bush has a cadre of taxpayer dollar funded shills and hacks to work his re-selection routine 24/7. If he doesn't start fighting for us NOW, there's no way in hell he'll even come CLOSE to matching Dubya dollar for dollar.

[mountainvue]

59. If they want to pick on Kerry

for his vacations then let's bring up the fact that Bush has taken more vacations than any president in recent history, maybe ever. I'd especially like to focus on the month long one he took before 9/11. I've also heard the unelected fraud requires 10 hours of sleep a night.

[VermontDem2004]

119. It was actually 3 months

spending most of his time at different ballparks and on his ranch. But I won't ever blame a President for taking a vacation, it's a tough job you do need a vacation. But on another note, Bush was only 5 or 6 months into his term when he started his vacation which is different after 3 successfull years of peace and prosperity.

[lojasmo]

71. The whoring has already happened.

Bush/Kerry major contributor list is virtually a mirror image.

[jfxgillis]

4. Not me

Clark and Edwards were RANK GREENHORN ROOKIES, who would've been shredded and bloodied by the media and the GOP. They would've just told a different set of lies. Kerry as an experienced politican and candidate is far better equppied to deflect the attacks.

Yeah, Clark and Edwards both had at least one quality as candidate in which they were notably superior to Kerry, but they alaso both had fatal flaws.

[Lindacooks]

5. "so many Democrats didn't check out his record

before he was nominated." What?? Of course Democrats who voted for Kerry in their primaries and caucuses 'checked out his record'. He wasn't nominated - he was elected, you know, by voting.

And I don't think Senator Kerry is a poor choice at all.

[Quixote1818]

12. He was nominated by Sheeple because he won the first two states

Few people really looked at him that close.

[JI7]

47. and the other candidates LOST the first two states

even though dean spend more in iowa and dean and clark spend more in new hampshire. and were those other candidates too stupid to ever think of looking into kerry's record ? perhaps it's a good thing they didn't win then, since it means they probably would not have looked into bush's record.

[oasis]

48. The "few" who did have a close look, donated $50 million to his campaign.

[Freddie Stubbs]

125. Why did the 'Sheeple' in the first two states vote for him?

Perhaps they voted for him for the same reasons that the people in the later states did.

62. Just because he received votes doesn't mean

the voters were educated.

I'm not saying that they weren't, I'm just saying that there is no way to tell based solely on the vote.

Look at Bush's vote tally in 2000 as an example. Bush ran as a moderate, and received votes as a moderate, even when his record clearly indicated otherwise.

People often don't learn for themselves, they just take the words of their family, friends, media icons, etc...

[KC21304]

6. Not me. Things are going great. If you are believing Bush's ads

you need more help than I can give you.

[Dookus]

13. It seems supporters of other candidates

think that Bushco wouldn't be running ads against their guy. It's extremely naive.

[JI7]

54. yup, look at how they went after mccain and gore

with mccain he had a conservative voting record, and a military record with years as a pow. yet they attacked mccain for having a "black baby". and they will probably attack kerry's wife for being an immigrant and from africa.

and they attacked al gore for dumb shit like the clothes he wears, that whole "Earth tone" thing and the internet, love story etc crap.

so it's more how one will handle these attacks and respond to it that matter than the record itself since they will attack and distort no matter what.

[NightTrain]

8. I wouldn't go so far as to say "a poor choice."

Kerry wasn't my first choice, but since he obviously is going to be the one running against Bush, I'll support the man's candidacy in any way that I can.

[TSIAS]

11. Agreed

Whether or not I think he's a poor choice (I think he is), there's nothing we can do about it now. Barring some extraordinary occurence, he will be the nominee. I'm already seeing what I can do to ensure that he has a chance to win Florida come November.

[Quixote1818]

23. Most people I talk to don't seem to like Kerry and that's scary

I have talked to a lot of people in the middle and Kerry does nothing for them. That scares me! In fact most people I have talked to don't seem to be very excited about him. Sure here on the DU everyone likes Kerry but that's not REALITY. I think Kerry is a tough sell to the average person. I am just not getting positive feedback about him because the Bush ad's have defined him as too liberal and out of touch.

[KC21304]

30. The polls and the fundraising results

tell me you are talking to the wrong people.

One other error in your post, not everyone on DU likes Kerry and I wouldn't expect them to.

[senseandsensibility]

34. I had the opposite experience

A Republican neighbor of mine shouted across the street that he's going to vote for Kerry! He cited job outsourcing and the economy as the reason. The polls (ignore CNN) do not show a big drop for Kerry.

[blondeatlast]

72. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[newyawker99]

76. Hi senseandsensibility!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[bearfartinthewoods]

87. rather odd conversation to shout across the street

you have an odd neighbor.

[sangha]

91. Or an excited neighbor

.

[TSIAS]

37. I understand

There's a big difference in selling Kerry out there in the real world. The ABB argument that works on DU isn't always as effective when talking with undecided voters. It's important to let people know all the bad Bush has done, but it's also vital to put Kerry in the best possible light.

The charges that have been leveled against Kerry are the same things that people feared Dean would be faced with. A lot of people thought the conservatives would label Dean as a tax raiser and weak on defense. These are precisely the allegations that the right are leveling on Kerry.

I haven't met a lot of Kerry enthusiasts in my travels. In fairness, I didn't see a lot of enthusiasts of any other candidate. I saw a few Dean and Kucinich stickers, but no one else. Most of the Dems I talked with were undecided before the primaries. When Kerry started winning, they decided to unite behind him.

[countmyvote4real]

40. Oh, "average" people don't like Kerry. Damn, I should have voted

for the ham sandwich.

[bonemachine]

100. As someone who is pretty far left

I don't much like him... I appreciate some of the old clips of him, but he doesn't say anything that inspires me these days. Sure, he's better than Bush, but I'm still not sure I trust him to do the right things.

[mitchum]

10. You and I disagree

[unblock]

14. yeah, damn shame we couldn't find mr. perfect

yeah, we should have found a nominee so good, the bushies would have just said, "gee, we can't even think of a LIE that makes this guy seem bad. why don't we just go home to crawford now!"

the fact that the opponent exists and is capable of throwing punches is hardly a reason to be disappointed with our nominee. yes, only a senator or a congressman has an extensive voting record that can be used against him. but notice, first, that the bushies are having to lie already regarding the voting record; and, second, only a senator or congressman has a voting record that can be used to run on.

the other potential nominees had their weaknesses, too, and the republicans would have pounced on them. so kerry isn't attack-proof, big deal. what kind of a standard is that?

hey, you know, maybe the republicans shouldn't be choosing bush. after all, bush has a four-year history the kerry can use against him. perhaps the republicans should nominate someone without a public track record, right? yeah, that logic would fly real well at the republican convention.

come on, you think kerry's the first presidential candidate with a voting record?

[senseandsensibility]

15. Maybe you're just playing devil's advocate or something...

but if you really believe what you're saying, you're beyond help. Who cares what's in the Bush ads? Are you saying you believe their ads? If you do, why?

[Quixote1818]

27. I didn't say I actually believed the ad's but to the average person

they are very persuasive. That was my point. The ads are working as so many people I have talked to have a low opinion of Kerry now.

[saracat]

118. The average person doesn't

even know who Cheney is.They don't care about ads or voting records.They care about JOBS and the MONEY in their pockets.They are just now noticing the problems with Iraq.The casualties are starting to make them nervous.Whoever makes the best case for JOBS and making us safe will win. This is good for us as Bush has a lousy record and he is proving it to the American people.

[Kurt Remarque]

16. the military record is great...

but that MA liberal tag is tough to get past. best nominee - al gore!

[Nlighten1]

18. I do.

But I don't care anymore...

[Pastiche423]

80. I do, too!

I am beginning to understand the apathetic in this country more and more each day.

[Nlighten1]

84. Yep.

I saw his interview on MTV. It greatly saddened me that he is our nomination for President. Bill Clinton he is not and he just reminded me of the same sort of wishy-washy Dems that I can't stand and we need to get rid of...BUT...we need to get rid of Bush first.

[indie_voter]

90. Me too. I wanted Clark, but ABB. nt

[durutti]

19. He was a poor choice among poor choices.

*All* of the candidates were pretty bad choices, IMHO.

[WilliamPitt]

20. Paging Jesus/Allah/Buddha/Vishnu/Yaweh

We need someone the GOP can't 'define'...

...um...

Jesus: Consorted with whores

Allah: Terrorist

Buddha: Soft on defense

Vishnu: Will outsource all tech jobs to India

Yaweh: Too Jewish, possibly also French

[senseandsensibility]

32. Well put!

There is no one that the Democrats could nominate that would not get beaten up by the Bushies. And this is what they are counting on us doing: beating up on each other instead of the dumbest one.

[Quixote1818]

36. As a moderate I suppose I would have prefered someone closer

to the middle. Perhaps Kerry will still win but only because Bush is miserable failure! Kerry is simply more liberal than most Americans and a more moderate candidate would have run better against Bush. The Republicans always nominate someone from the far Right and the Democrats nominate someone from the far left.

[RetroLounge]

109. Tainted Love

eom

[terisel]

21. People want experience but not Bush's experience.

The situation we are in-economically and in Iraq means that people didn't want to take a change on someone without a long resume. Kerry has been around a long time and people will trust him to not destroy the country like the untried Bush did.

Do you think even Orrin Hatch really wants 4 more years of Bush? He's probably afraid that by 2008 Bush would have the Iraqi war being fought in the desert outside Salt Lake City. The conservative judgeships just ain't worth it.

It is time for a know quantity not Midnight Cowboy.

[osaMABUSh]

22. To answer you: no one else here thinks JFK was a 'poor' choice

I agree with the others. No matter who we chose as the nominee the Rovian attack machine would have made him 'appear' to be a poor choice.

I liked Dean and Clark early but I am certainly much happier with Kerry than Dean. Dean would have been ripped to shreds on the "lack of experience" angle. He was a wet dream for the repukes. On the other hand, Clark was the repuke's nightmare unfortunaly he came in too late and did not campaign effectively tp persuade Dems he was 'electable'.

I am in agreement, though, that Kerry needs Clark on the ticket.

[Bill Todd]

65. Now, now - you *know* you shouldn't generalize

I think that Kerry was a poor choice, for example. But I probably wouldn't have bothered to respond had you not presumed to speak for me: these threads get kind of boring after a while.

- bill

[pinto]

24. First Presidential campaign? If not, you know we've got a ways to go.

And, yes, Kerry has been a Senator for a long time. He has a history in the Senate. Votes are not always what the opposition ads say they are...this week a Republican sponsored bill in the Republican House was derailed by Dems adding an increase in the minimum wage as a rider. Not necessarily "pretty", but how the Congress operates many times.

[OHdem10]

26. I was a Clark supporter who now suuports Kerry

Watching TV and checking around on the Internet I found out"
Lawrence O'Donell---Kerry and Bush are essentially tied.Bush should be much farther ahead as the incumbent. The tie means Bush is in trouble. Right now(in election process) the election is about Bush.
He is the one in trouble.

Stan Greenber , Paul Begala---Kerry had extremely high numbers coming off the Primaries with a win every Tuesday. These numbers were going to drop no matter what. According to Greenberg, Kerry took some minor injuies--His can be quickly corrected.
Doing well raising money so that when the time is right he will be able to strike and stike hard.

Remember--Bush is not the greatest candidate going and we are trying to "fire him". There are no perfect cnadidates. No matter who the candidate was--Bush Rove Machine would have no problems lying about them. I think the people are beginning to catch on.
CkarK is out working for Kerry. This tells me something.

[goclark]

29. `The poor choice is BUSH

Kerry is a better man and candidate than Bush will ever be!
The problem is not Kerry, the problem is "the vast right wing conspiracy" that Hilliary correctly identified.


I must say that Clark is still my man for VP!:bounce:

[KC21304]

33. Mine too !

:bounce:

[jpgray]

31. Based on your past predictions, I hope you continue to think this way

:D

[Dying Eagle]

38. Clark and Edwards lost

GET OVER IT. Kerry's record is fine. It's only F*ckin April. We have alot of time to get the message out. If we ever get the Chimp to debate watch the numbers change then. God Da*m, I am sick of these anti-Kerry posts. I thought we were all on the same side. The Primary is over, we are all friends again. Now lets go get the Chimp!!!



:grr:

[Township75]

41. I guess I will join you in the mess...

I too think out of the 10 that ran for the Dem nomination, Kerry was in the lower half of good choices. So many people on this board are not excited about him. What is even worse, because most people on this board will still vote for him, are the independents' opinion of Kerry...at least the ones I speak to.

The see him as a rich condescending a-hole. They are really put off by both candidates being rich, from Yale, and from the same fraternity. They never seem to care much about his service record.

None of them like the idea of higher taxes, so when Kerry's record is brought-up I imagine they will be turned off by it.

I am not convinced the election is lost...I am convinced there was a better choice. That said, Kerry won the nomination fair-and-square, so he deserves it...I just wish Dean would have won it fair-and-square.

[SheilaT]

42. Had it not been for Howard Dean,

John Kerry (and all the others) would be running on a platform of how much like George W Bush they are.

Kerry is hardly different, and I'm sick that he's going to be the nominee. Yeah, yeah, I've heard all the arguments about how he'll have a different cabinet and appoint different judges, but he still gets most of his money from PACs. Twenty years in the Senate and he sponsored a whopping 5 bills, none of which were passed. Doesn't say much for his ability to get things done.

[zulchzulu]

50. Puleeze

Sounds like you still have some sour grapes in that bowl. Get over it.

As for the absolutely uneducated retort about how Kerry would be "running on a platform of how much like George W Bush" if it wasn't for Howard Dean, you need to do some homework on Kerry's issues.

If you can tell me what issues dealing with the environment, education, healthcare, GLBT, civil rights, women's rights, labor or anything else where Kerry is even remotely close to what Bush's platform is (including the IWR vote), then you should let us all know.

Ah, never mind...

[MercutioATC]

56. I agree with Sheila. Look at Kerry's voting record over the past few years

...just the past few. I'm not arguing his long-term record, just where's he's been lately.

Kerry is what's wrong with this party...he has no clear definition. I'll vote for him, but I'm not happy about him being the nominee.

[ACK]

77. Pure crack .. solid liberal record.

He made three bad decisions that cannot be defending in my eyes. This is over a 19 year voting record.

John Kerry on Abortion
Click here for 5 full quotes on Abortion OR background on Abortion.

* Partial-birth abortion ban undermine women's right to choose. (Nov 2003)
* No criminalization of a woman's right to choose. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
* Voted NO on disallowing overseas military abortions. (May 1999)

John Kerry on Budget & Economy
Click here for 7 full quotes on Budget & Economy OR background on Budget & Economy.

* Economy is recovering for corporations to some degree. (Jan 11)
* Will follow Clinton's plan to halve deficit in four years. (Oct 2003)
* Bush policy kept economy afloat in recession-keep some of it. (Sep 2003)
* No excuse for special tax cuts for the rich. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts. (Apr 2000)
* Voted NO on 1998 GOP budget. (May 1997)
* Voted NO on Balanced-budget constitutional amendment. (Mar 1997)

John Kerry on Civil Rights
Click here for 13 full quotes on Civil Rights OR background on Civil Rights.

* Flag burning is displeasing, but it's free expression. (Jan 25)
* For partnership rights and civil union. (Nov 2003)
* Include a sunset provision in the Patriot Act. (Jun 2003)
* Voted YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
* Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
* Voted YES on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
* Voted YES on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women. (Mar 1998)
* Voted NO on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business. (Oct 1997)
* Voted NO on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
* Voted YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)
* Voted NO on Amendment to prohibit flag burning. (Dec 1995)
* Voted NO on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds. (Jul 1995)
* Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Corporations
Click here for 3 full quotes on Corporations OR background on Corporations.

* Regulate on side of citizens, not on side of corporations. (Oct 2003)
* Democratize the process of corporate boards. (Sep 2003)
* Voted NO on restricting rules on personal bankruptcy. (Jul 2001)

John Kerry on Crime
Click here for 11 full quotes on Crime OR background on Crime.

* Moratorium on federal executions-only exception is terrorism. (Jan 25)
* Death penalty for Osama bin Laden. (Dec 2003)
* Voted YES on $1.15 billion per year to continue the COPS program. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on limiting death penalty appeals. (Apr 1996)
* Voted NO on limiting product liability punitive damage awards. (Mar 1996)
* Voted YES on restricting class-action lawsuits. (Dec 1995)
* Voted YES on repealing federal speed limits. (Jun 1995)
* Voted NO on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms. (May 1994)
* Voted NO on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals. (May 1994)
* More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes. (Apr 2001)
* Require DNA testing for all federal executions. (Mar 2001)

John Kerry on Drugs
Click here for 3 full quotes on Drugs OR background on Drugs.

* Admits having smoked marijuana. (Nov 2003)
* Voted NO on increasing penalties for drug offenses. (Nov 1999)
* Voted NO on spending international development funds on drug control. (Jul 1996)

John Kerry on Education
Click here for 14 full quotes on Education OR background on Education.

* Vouchers drain resources from public schools. (Jan 25)
* Supported "No Child Left Behind," but Bush reneged. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr 2001)
* Voted NO on Educational Savings Accounts. (Mar 2000)
* Voted NO on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules. (Mar 1999)
* Voted NO on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
* Voted NO on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
* Voted NO on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
* Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
* Voted YES on national education standards. (Feb 1994)
* Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice. (Aug 2000)
* Three R’s: $35B for Reinvestment,Reinvention,Responsibility. (Jan 2001)

John Kerry on Energy & Oil
Click here for 18 full quotes on Energy & Oil OR background on Energy & Oil.

* Raise CAFE standard to 26 mpg by 2015. (Jan 25)
* Ban MBTE and sue companies who make it. (Jan 22)
* 20% renewable energy by 2020. (Nov 2003)
* ANWR won't provide any oil for 20 years. (Sep 2003)
* Invent our way out of oil dependency-don't drill our way out. (Sep 2003)
* Invest in advancing secure forms of energy instead of oil. (Jun 2003)
* Led effort to try to raise fuel efficiency standards. (May 2003)
* Create new energy sources to end Mideast dependency. (May 2002)
* Voted YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010. (Jun 2003)
* Voted YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill. (Mar 2003)
* Voted NO on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)
* Voted NO on replacing CAFE standards within 15 months. (Mar 2002)
* Voted NO on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling. (Apr 2000)
* Voted YES on keeping CAFE fuel efficiency standards. (Sep 1999)
* Voted NO on defunding renewable and solar energy. (Jun 1999)
* Voted NO on approving a nuclear waste repository. (Apr 1997)
* Voted NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline. (Aug 1994)
* Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Environment
Click here for 10 full quotes on Environment OR background on Environment.

* Fact Check: Contaminated home uses city water, not bottled. (Dec 2003)
* Make environmental justice an EPA priority. (Oct 2003)
* Safeguard the environment and grow the economy. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior. (Jan 2001)
* Voted NO on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat. (Sep 1999)
* Voted NO on transportation demo projects. (Mar 1998)
* Voted YES on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997)
* Voted YES on continuing desert protection in California. (Oct 1994)
* Voted YES on requiring EPA risk assessments. (May 1994)
* Reduce liability for hazardous waste cleanup. (May 2001)

John Kerry on Families & Children
Click here for 3 full quotes on Families & Children OR background on Families & Children.

* Fund Head Start to leave no child behind. (Sep 2003)
* Voted YES on restricting violent videos to minors. (May 1999)
* Give parents tools to balance work and family. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Foreign Policy
Click here for 12 full quotes on Foreign Policy OR background on Foreign Policy.

* Excluding other nations in rebuilding Iraq is dumb. (Dec 2003)
* Supports multilateral cooperative internationalism. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on enlarging NATO to include Eastern Europe. (May 2002)
* Voted YES on killing a bill for trade sanctions if China sells weapons. (Sep 2000)
* Voted NO on cap foreign aid at only $12.7 billion. (Oct 1999)
* Voted YES on limiting the President's power to impose economic sanctions. (Jul 1998)
* Voted NO on limiting NATO expansion to only Poland, Hungary & Czech. (Apr 1998)
* Voted YES on $17.9 billion to IMF. (Mar 1998)
* Voted NO on Strengthening of the trade embargo against Cuba. (Mar 1996)
* Voted YES on ending Vietnam embargo. (Jan 1994)
* Progressive Internationalism: globalize with US pre-eminence. (Aug 2000)
* Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine. (Apr 2001)

John Kerry on Free Trade
Click here for 14 full quotes on Free Trade OR background on Free Trade.

* All new trade must include labor and environmental standards. (Jan 25)
* Veto FTAA and CAFTA until they have stronger standards. (Jan 4)
* Dean's trade policy is protectionist. (Sep 2003)
* FTAA needs more labor and environmental standards. (Sep 2003)
* Fix NAFTA-canceling it would be disastrous. (Sep 2003)
* Capitalism and democracy go hand in hand. (May 2003)
* Voted YES on extending free trade to Andean nations. (May 2002)
* Voted YES on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam. (Oct 2001)
* Voted YES on removing common goods from national security export rules. (Sep 2001)
* Voted YES on permanent normal trade relations with China. (Sep 2000)
* Voted YES on expanding trade to the third world. (May 2000)
* Voted YES on renewing 'fast track' presidential trade authority. (Nov 1997)
* Voted YES on imposing trade sanctions on Japan for closed market. (May 1995)
* Build a rule-based global trading system. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Government Reform
Click here for 10 full quotes on Government Reform OR background on Government Reform.

* Every vote must be counted. (Jan 11)
* Flag and patriotism belong to all Americans. (Jun 2003)
* Voted YES on banning "soft money" contributions and restricting issue ads. (Mar 2002)
* Voted NO on require photo ID (not just signature) for voter registration. (Feb 2002)
* Voted YES on banning campaign donations from unions and corporations. (Apr 2001)
* Voted YES on continuing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. (Aug 1999)
* Voted YES on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance. (Oct 1997)
* Voted YES on Approving the presidential line-item veto. (Mar 1996)
* Voted NO on banning more types of Congressional gifts. (Jul 1995)
* Voluntary public financing for all general elections. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Gun Control
Click here for 7 full quotes on Gun Control OR background on Gun Control.

* Democratic Party shouldn't be for the NRA. (Nov 2003)
* Supports assault weapons ban & Brady Bill. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on loosening license & background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks. (Jul 1998)
* Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Health Care
Click here for 14 full quotes on Health Care OR background on Health Care.

* Day 1: Make health care a right, not a privilege. (Jan 25)
* Don't push seniors into HMOs; change Bush Rx plan. (Jan 25)
* Cover more citizens with health plan like Congress gets. (May 2003)
* Lack of accessible health care is a disgrace. (May 2002)
* Voted YES on allowing importation of Rx drugs from Canada. (Jul 2002)
* Voted YES on allowing patients to sue HMOs & collect punitive damages. (Jun 2001)
* Voted NO on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit. (Apr 2001)
* Voted YES on including prescription drugs under Medicare. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on limiting self-employment health deduction. (Jul 1999)
* Voted YES on increasing tobacco restrictions. (Jun 1998)
* Voted NO on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)
* Voted YES on Medicare means-testing. (Jun 1997)
* Voted YES on medical savings acounts. (Apr 1996)
* Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Homeland Security
Click here for 18 full quotes on Homeland Security OR background on Homeland Security.

* Increase military by 40,000 troops-but no draft. (Jan 22)
* Bush misused the authority Congress gave him. (Jan 11)
* Color-coded warning system needs to be changed. (Jan 11)
* Focus more on human intelligence gathering. (Nov 2003)
* Make certain the veterans have benefits. (Nov 2003)
* No new generation of nuclear weapons. (Sep 2003)
* Automatic citizenship to immigrants who serves in army. (Sep 2003)
* Voted YES on adopting the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. (Oct 1999)
* Voted YES on allowing another round of military base closures. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on cutting nuclear weapons below START levels. (May 1999)
* Voted YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP. (Mar 1999)
* Voted YES on military pay raise of 4.8%. (Feb 1999)
* Voted NO on deploying missile defense as soon as possible. (Sep 1998)
* Voted NO on prohibiting same-sex basic training. (Jun 1998)
* Voted NO on favoring 36 vetoed military projects. (Oct 1997)
* Voted YES on banning chemical weapons. (Apr 1997)
* Voted NO on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty. (Jun 1996)
* Voted NO on 1996 Defense Appropriations. (Sep 1995)

John Kerry on Immigration
Click here for 5 full quotes on Immigration OR background on Immigration.

* Earned legalization for undocumented immigrants. (Jan 25)
* Amnesty to anyone here over 5 or 6 years. (Sep 2003)
* Voted NO on allowing more foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work. (Jul 1998)
* Voted NO on visas for skilled workers. (May 1998)
* Voted NO on limit welfare for immigrants. (Jun 1997)

John Kerry on Infrastructure
Click here for 5 full quotes on Infrastructure OR background on Infrastructure.

* Invest in high-speed commuter rail & double-dip benefits. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on Internet sales tax moratorium. (Oct 1998)
* Voted YES on telecomm deregulation. (Feb 1996)
* Chief information officer to digitize federal government. (Aug 2000)
* Promote internet via Congressional Internet Caucus. (Jan 2001)

John Kerry on Jobs
Click here for 8 full quotes on Jobs OR background on Jobs.

* Raise minimum wage to $6.65 by next year, then higher. (Jan 25)
* Provide employment opportunities to minorities. (Jan 11)
* Trade grows jobs. (Sep 2003)
* Jump start jobs at home via energy independence. (Sep 2003)
* Voted NO on repealing Clinton's ergonomic rules on repetitive stress. (Mar 2001)
* Voted NO on killing an increase in the minimum wage. (Nov 1999)
* Voted NO on allowing workers to choose between overtime & comp-time. (May 1997)
* Voted NO on replacing farm price supports. (Feb 1996)

John Kerry on Principles & Values
Click here for 17 full quotes on Principles & Values OR background on Principles & Values.

* Ready to lead America: I was there and I led the fight. (Dec 2003)
* Honors the separation of church and state. (Dec 2003)
* Political heroes: Max Cleland, FDR, JFK, Lincoln. (Nov 2003)
* Despite Zell Miller, Dem Party does speak to southerners. (Nov 2003)
* Campaign built around a call to service. (Oct 2003)
* Redeem promise for a better America for our children. (Oct 2003)
* Bush broke his three biggest campaign promises. (Oct 2003)
* Favorite song: Bruce Springsteen, "No Surrender.". (Sep 2003)
* Need a president who won't write laws only for contributors. (Sep 2003)
* Contest between common sense values and extreme ideologues. (Jun 2003)
* I'm talking about things that matter to people. (May 2003)
* It is time for this country to ask again, why not? (May 2003)
* Religious affiliation: Catholic. (Nov 2000)
* Supports Hyde Park Declaration of "Third Way" centrism. (Aug 2000)
* Member of Democratic Leadership Council. (Nov 2000)
* New Democrat: "Third Way" instead of left-right debate. (Nov 2000)
* Member of the Senate New Democrat Coalition. (Jan 2001)

John Kerry on Social Security
Click here for 8 full quotes on Social Security OR background on Social Security.

* I will never privatize, extend retirement age, nor cut SS. (Jan 4)
* Guarantee Social Security soundness, even if unpopular. (Sep 2003)
* Don't threaten Social Security on Wall Street trading block. (May 2002)
* Voted NO on Social Security Lockbox & limiting national debt. (Apr 1999)
* Voted NO on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees. (May 1998)
* Voted NO on allowing personal retirement accounts. (Apr 1998)
* Voted NO on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes. (May 1996)
* Create Retirement Savings Accounts. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Tax Reform
Click here for 16 full quotes on Tax Reform OR background on Tax Reform.

* Keep child tax credit, and new 10% tax bracket. (Jan 25)
* Kerry vs. Bush on taxes is a fight we deserve to have. (Jan 22)
* They're not Bush tax cuts, they're Democrat tax cuts. (Oct 2003)
* GOP tax policy comforts the comfortable. (Oct 2003)
* 10% bracket in Bush tax cuts was Democrats' idea. (Sep 2003)
* Bush tax cuts reach 32 million in middle class. (Sep 2003)
* We're tired of being trickled on--Middle class tax cuts now. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years. (May 2003)
* Voted NO on cutting taxes by $1.35 trillion over 11 years. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on increasing tax deductions for college tuition. (May 2001)
* Voted NO on eliminating the 'marriage penalty'. (Jul 2000)
* Voted NO on across-the-board spending cut. (Oct 1999)
* Voted NO on $792B tax cuts. (Jul 1999)
* Voted NO on requiring super-majority for raising taxes. (Apr 1998)
* Voted NO on FY99 tax cuts. (Apr 1998)

John Kerry on War & Peace
Click here for 24 full quotes on War & Peace OR background on War & Peace.

* Only go to war if we have to, not because we want to. (Jan 22)
* Bush went to war the wrong way-I voted for the right way. (Jan 22)
* Pre-emptive strike ok only when US survival at stake. (Jan 4)
* Get US more deeply involved in Arab-Israeli peace process. (Nov 2003)
* Leadership comes from experience: share the war burden. (Oct 2003)
* Bush has broken his promises & is mismanaging war. (Oct 2003)
* Maybe on $87B for Iraq-repeal Bush tax cut to pay it, if yes. (Sep 2003)
* De-Americanize Iraq: the exit strategy is victory. (Sep 2003)
* Vote for war was needed to push Saddam on inspectors. (Sep 2003)
* $87B for Iraq only when internationalization is addressed. (Sep 2003)
* Don't miss 3rd opportunity in Iraq to bring in UN. (Sep 2003)
* Don't send more US troops to Iraq-share power & share burden. (Sep 2003)
* Against a misapplied blanket pre-emptive doctrine. (Jun 2003)
* Intelligence information should not be manipulated. (Jun 2003)
* Disarm Saddam, but war should be a last resort. (May 2003)
* Preferred diplomacy, but supported invading Iraq. (May 2003)
* Vietnam didn't threaten US; US war crimes did. (Apr 1971)
* Vietnam war was criminal hypocrisy and tore apart US. (Apr 1971)
* How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake. (Apr 1971)
* Voted YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq. (Oct 2002)
* Voted NO on allowing all necessary forces and other means in Kosovo. (May 1999)
* Voted YES on authorizing air strikes in Kosovo. (Mar 1999)
* Voted NO on ending the Bosnian arms embargo. (Jul 1995)
* Condemns anti-Muslim bigotry in name of anti-terrorism. (Oct 2001)

John Kerry on Welfare & Poverty
Click here for 7 full quotes on Welfare & Poverty OR background on Welfare & Poverty.

* Desperate need to build more affordable housing. (Nov 2003)
* Ok for government to partner with non-profits & for-profits. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on welfare block grants. (Aug 1996)
* Voted YES on eliminating block grants for food stamps. (Jul 1996)
* Voted NO on allowing state welfare waivers. (Jul 1996)
* Voted YES on welfare overhaul. (Sep 1995)
* Finish welfare reform by moving able recipients into jobs. (Aug 2000)

Ok, did he make some bad decisions? Yeah, the vote for welfare "reform" and the votes for the Iraq War and the vote for the un-Patriotic Act.

But look at the big deal. Look at the man's total record. He is no Clinton centrist and no Kuicinich either. That is for sure. He is in terms of the issues anyway what the Democrats need. Just left enough to differentiate himself from the Repukes.

Kerry is a good man that will make an excellent president.

Look at the whole picture. Please.
_

[MercutioATC]

78. Like I said, his record IS good until the last few years.

He really blew it on the three biggies,though, in my opinion.

I don't think he'll do a bad job, but he's hardly providing an example of Democratic ideals to people who are mostly paying attention to the last few years (the majority of people).

[ACK]

81. Focused on three votes but rest of the last few years great.

* Partial-birth abortion ban undermine women's right to choose. (Nov 2003)
* No criminalization of a woman's right to choose. (Jun 2003)
* No excuse for special tax cuts for the rich. (Jun 2003)
* Flag burning is displeasing, but it's free expression. (Jan 25)
* For partnership rights and civil union. (Nov 2003)
* Include a sunset provision in the Patriot Act. (Jun 2003)
* Regulate on side of citizens, not on side of corporations. (Oct 2003)
* Democratize the process of corporate boards. (Sep 2003)
* Vouchers drain resources from public schools. (Jan 25)
* Supported "No Child Left Behind," but Bush reneged. (Oct 2003)
* Raise CAFE standard to 26 mpg by 2015. (Jan 25)
* Ban MBTE and sue companies who make it. (Jan 22)
* 20% renewable energy by 2020. (Nov 2003)
* ANWR won't provide any oil for 20 years. (Sep 2003)
* Invent our way out of oil dependency-don't drill our way out. (Sep 2003)
* Invest in advancing secure forms of energy instead of oil. (Jun 2003)
* Led effort to try to raise fuel efficiency standards. (May 2003)
* Fact Check: Contaminated home uses city water, not bottled. (Dec 2003)
* Make environmental justice an EPA priority. (Oct 2003)
* Safeguard the environment and grow the economy. (Jun 2003)
* Fund Head Start to leave no child behind. (Sep 2003)
* Excluding other nations in rebuilding Iraq is dumb. (Dec 2003)
* Supports multilateral cooperative internationalism. (Oct 2003)
* All new trade must include labor and environmental standards. (Jan 25)
* Veto FTAA and CAFTA until they have stronger standards. (Jan 4)
* FTAA needs more labor and environmental standards. (Sep 2003)
* Every vote must be counted. (Jan 11)
* Flag and patriotism belong to all Americans. (Jun 2003)
* Democratic Party shouldn't be for the NRA. (Nov 2003)
* Supports assault weapons ban & Brady Bill. (Oct 2003)
* Day 1: Make health care a right, not a privilege. (Jan 25)
* Don't push seniors into HMOs; change Bush Rx plan. (Jan 25)
* Cover more citizens with health plan like Congress gets. (May 2003)
* Make certain the veterans have benefits. (Nov 2003)
* No new generation of nuclear weapons. (Sep 2003)
* Automatic citizenship to immigrants who serves in army. (Sep 2003)
* Earned legalization for undocumented immigrants. (Jan 25)
* Amnesty to anyone here over 5 or 6 years. (Sep 2003)
* Invest in high-speed commuter rail & double-dip benefits. (Oct 2003)
* Raise minimum wage to $6.65 by next year, then higher. (Jan 25)
* Provide employment opportunities to minorities. (Jan 11)
* Jump start jobs at home via energy independence. (Sep 2003)
* I will never privatize, extend retirement age, nor cut SS. (Jan 4)
* Guarantee Social Security soundness, even if unpopular. (Sep 2003)
* Keep child tax credit, and new 10% tax bracket. (Jan 25)
* Kerry vs. Bush on taxes is a fight we deserve to have. (Jan 22)
* They're not Bush tax cuts, they're Democrat tax cuts. (Oct 2003)
* GOP tax policy comforts the comfortable. (Oct 2003)
* 10% bracket in Bush tax cuts was Democrats' idea. (Sep 2003)
* Bush tax cuts reach 32 million in middle class. (Sep 2003)
* We're tired of being trickled on--Middle class tax cuts now. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years. (May 2003)
* Desperate need to build more affordable housing. (Nov 2003)
* Ok for government to partner with non-profits & for-profits. (Oct 2003)

[zulchzulu]

88. Thanks for that

It's hard for me to have patience with people that think ALL Kerry is about is the IWR vote...

[MercutioATC]

129. I don't think that's ALL he's about, but it does weaken him against Bush.

He really doesn't have a leg to stand on when he criticizes Bush's handling of the war. Kerry voted for a resolution that gave Bush Congressional support to wage war at his discresion. That's exactly what Bush did. He gave Bush further ammunition by voting against the $87B funding package, allowing Bush to accuse him of waffling.

The average person...hell, the average VOTER...doesn't bother to research a candidate's voting record over the past 20 years. They listen to the spin and the recent high-profile votes. Not only is Kerry not saying anything new, he's weak on the one vote that people pay the most attention to...

[zoeyfong]

98. How do you ask someone to be the last man to die for a mistake?..indeed

I'd say kerry is a lot like bush on the war, even with his lame excuses. Anybody who signed on to this war, with or without UN support, is too dangerous to be president. *And* he has no intention of getting us out of there any time soon if he becomes president. Kerry, like Bush and many other national "leaders," does not want to be the one to say "It's time to bring the troops home, even though the mission is not accomplished." Of course, the mission will *never* be accomplished, because it was fatally flawed and fundamentally unachievable from the beginning; every day we stay there will only bring more unnecessary loss of life. This is a war we will lose; it is only a question of how many people will die between now and the time we admit that. John Kerry did not have the courage to unequivocally oppose this war from the very beginning, as he should have, and now he does not have the courage to say "I will not ask one more person to die for a mistake."

[Gore1FL]

121. He didn't vote for war

he voted for action if necessary. There is a big difference in interpretation. While his vote was a disapointment, it wasn't what Bush and his cohorts are defining it: A vote for the war. Don't buy into their definitions. They can;t be trusted on anything else, don't buy their Kerry definitions. He can and has answered adequately for his votes.


We attacked Iraq because Bush had a hard-on to attack iraq. Kerry's or anyone's vote either way would not have mad ea damned bit of difference.

[zoeyfong]

128. I remember that vote well, and it was known by all to be a vote for war.

There is absolutely no way to spin that vote. It was a vote give George Bush the authority to decide whether we needed to invade Iraq, *and* it was undeniable to all but the willfully ignorant that Bush had already made up his mind to have the war, and all he needed was the congressional ass-cover. Btw, it doesn't matter what 'would have happened anyway;' Jeezus H. Christ, if a massacre is 'going to happen anyway,' the very least a person can do is NOT lend their support to that massacre. Could the bar of morality possibly get any lower for democrats?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

106. Baloney...20 years in the senate and authored or co authored 350

bills. For every bill that passes, there are several versions that came before...some demanding more concessions and then they arrive at the bill to pass through consensus.

People need to do their homework and quit buying the Republican line. Also, please find me a senator who uncovered more government deception than Kerry.

[RetroLounge]

108. I agree with this. Too bad the Spine Transplant

didn't take.

RL

[JI7]

44. then the other candidates are fools for not going after his record

and therefore if kerry is a poor choice they are even worse. as for me, kerry was my #1 always and i'm really happy he is the nominee.

[JI7]

45. they called Kerry a washington insider

but there was a stupid man in 2000 who ran and part of his whole thing was he was not from washington, he was outside and he was going to go in clean things up. that stupid man ended up stealing the election and made a huge mess.

[zulchzulu]

46. Believe the Bush Lie Machine and you'd think Kerry was the Devil

Tell me of ANY candidate that the Bush Lie Machine would not try to completely discredit or assassinate their character.

You mention Clark or Edwards as possible "better" candidates against the Bush Lie Machine.

First of all, they are not in the race anymore. Secondly, there would be plenty of "issues" that the Bush Lie Machine would lie about them.

If you do your homework, you find that the charges against Kerry in the Bush ads are LIES. People will know all about it soon enough. And for Bush to be on such a negative attack so early is actually going to harm him in the end.

No matter who is running against Bush in 2004, they will face a very negative lie machine. And people who haven't figured it out so far will soon enough.

[dsc]

49. n/t

[fujiyama]

51. Kerry's the nominee

Get over it. He wasn't my first choice either (I would have preferred Edwards). Clark would make a great VP, but he didn't win because he was a rookie campaigner and it showed.

Dean had great ideas and gave the party a well needed spine by speaking out against Bush, but he made a lot of mistakes along the way. While it's true there may have been some dirty campaigning, the loss can't be blamed entirely on that.

The front loaded primaries were a bad idea and I would have maintained that stance regardless of whomever had won. However, they weren't set up to benefit any one candidate. They were set up to help raise money early on for whichever candidate had won the nomination.

Ultimately Kerry has a lot of strengths as well. He has a great record in the senate fighting for progressive/liberal values (I was very happy to hear Russel Simmons praising Kerry's record earlier tonight). He has won close reelections before and has proven to be a tough campaigner in the primaries (after all did anyone really expect him to recover from where he was a year ago?). Kerry would make a million times better president than what we have now.

There's a lot of time. Kerry will come out with some ads and start whacking Bush soon. He's still holding up pretty well in the polls.

[countmyvote4real]

52. but he’s our guy, Blanche. He’s our guy.

Metaphorically speaking…

If you want to stay in the wheelchair of the * administration, you have many options beyond Medicare. I won’t list them. I’m not an enabler that way.

If you really want your freedom to walk again, we have to get our guy elected. Then you can trash his current agenda as it emerges.

And if we lose by the popular vote or the Diebold vote or another SC selection, then you can fall back on your many messages here “over and over again” and proudly say, “I told you so.”

For the record, he wasn’t my first or second choice. But he’s our guy now. For me, he sure beats the alternative.

[Toucano]

53. I do too.

Of course I will vote for John Kerry. I will encourage others to do the same.

But I'm just not thrilled with him, nor am I really particularly excited about his victory.

I'll be excited to get rid of George Bush, but that's not the same thing.

Like so many said during the primary season, ABB was an invalid mantra for evaluating the candidates.

[AntiCoup2K4]

55. The poor choice was made when the DLC was allowed to exist ....

...in the first place.

Face it, this primary was bought and paid for from the beginning and those Repuke infiltrator assholes got exactly who they wanted through manipulating the media, manipulating the caucuses, Diebolding and God knows what else.

So go ahead and vote for Kerry. Maybe the Supreme Court won't get any worse. Possibly the environment won't be damaged any further. But don't expect one damn thing to change for the better in terms of this reckless insane fascist PNAC foreign policy, because Kerry and his so called "advisers" are 100% aboard that train (wreck).

[Guaranteed]

57. Um...yeah, anyway...MY new concern is that Kerry

isn't going to get us out of Iraq. I don't give a damn about "electability."

[zoeyfong]

99. Well, no shit, he isn't going to get us out of iraq. He got us in!

[OneBlueSky]

58. Kerry was the best choice of the available candidates . . .

and by that I mean ONLY that, of those candidates, he has the best chance of beating BushCo . . . remember, though, that for many of us -- perhaps a majority -- none of those in the primaries were as good a candidate as Al Gore . . . and he wasn't all that great . . .

again, this is solely from the standpoint of electability . . . several candidates (e.g. Kucinich, Dean) were closer to my own personal positions on the issues, but neither had a prayer against the evil empire . . .

given my druthers, I'd have liked to have seen Gary Hart run . . . his work on counterterrorism with Rudman would have given him instant credibility in Bush's seemingly strongest area, and he's a hell of a speaker and debater . . . alas, he disagrees . . .

[w4rma]

60. ANY Dem can be ridiculed with $40 million/month in smear ads. (nt)

[Lexingtonian]

61. oh, grow up....

Clark would get portrayed as a flunkie who got kicked out of the Pentagon, Edwards as a greedy lawyer who couldn't get reelected in North Carolina.

One, you seem to live out in Republican country. Where people assume elected representatives to be unaccountable, corrupt, and acting on behalf of interests other than their own. This is not an assumption you need to accept unquestioningly.

Two, you have no idea why the Kerry people can at least pretend to be perfectly optimistic and don't seem to think they need to anywhere even match Bush. They have focus group polling to tell them how well it's all working (or not) and you don't.

Three, all the larger scale polling shows is swing voters going from Kerry to Undecided, no slippage from Undecided to Bush or to Nader whatsoever. Actually, I think this is what Kerry's pollsters are seeing and see no need to fight- Bush's persistent destruction of his political capital is a gift that keeps on giving. (Don't forget that the 'approval rating' is the upper limit of votes incumbents get in our sort of elections.)

Fourth, Kerry tends to be very focussed on getting the job at hand done. That job isn't simply being on the rhetorical offensive every day- and there's no point in his getting overexposed this early. It's all about the fundraising and campaign personnel and alternative gameplans for the fall. You haven't seen him begun to fight in earnest.

[Piperay]

63. Not me, even though

Clark was my first choice I still think Kerry is a GREAT pick.

[sandnsea]

64. Now who's spineless?

That's what's been pissing me off around here. People who want to bash on Kerry because he's the EXACT kind of liberal candidate we want. People who say Dems need to have a spine, but won't back up our own candidates on votes that we agree with. They piss on them when they make what they perceive to be a safe vote and piss on them when they make a vote the Pubs can bash. No wonder they don't listen to the base anymore. The base are the spineless wimps, not the Dems in D.C.

[fishnfla]

85. "afraid to vote for Kerry" & "that scares me"

spineless and gutless

[sampsonblk]

101. We have to tell ourselves the truth - ABB is Our Only Hope

1. There are a lot of spineless Dems in DC. What is this? We can't complain about our own guys when we see something amiss?

2. Exit polls have shown it consistently: a huge chunk of the people who have voted for Kerry don't know or care what he stands for. He has inspired virtually no one.

3. Its all about ABB. And that's the only way John Kerry is going to win. Are we expecting swing voters to vote FOR Kerry? Hell no. Its all about ABB.

[Eurobabe]

69. i know its not possible

but wouldn't it have been *bonkers* strategy to make the GOP
THINK Kerry was the nominee, let them run ads for months until July, and then (for whatever reasons) nominate someone else? HAHA!!!

I just saw yet ANOTHER stupid Bush ad this am, with Kerry did this, Kerry did that, and what scares me is most people I fear will take it at face value without much research behind the charges.

He better get on it, and soon.

[lojasmo]

70. Yup.

Kerry's going to have a hell of a time beating bush, as I've always said. He'll do better if he choses a total FIREBRAND as veep. The list now looks like we'll probably have another Gore/Lieberman yawnfest.

[emulatorloo]

73. Bush ads are lies - here are some more: Clark was fired, Dean loves Saddam

Edwards is an ambulance chaser, Kucinich is an out of touch hobbit, Clark has no domestic experience, Dean wishes Saddam was still in power, Kucinich wants to pull our troops out and leave Iraq to Osama, Edwards is a slick lawyer with no experience.

[WI_DEM]

74. Richard Clarke is saying everything Dean said long ago

but we are stuck with Kerry and not much can be done except vote for him.

[seaglass]

102. Clarke had experience, Dean had none.

Big difference in credibility. When has Dean ever seen a classified intelligence report? His foreign policy experience consists of meeting a couple guys in Canada. Sorry, no time for on the job training.

We picked the right guy.

[WI_DEM]

127. in your opinion

but even with a lack of foreign policy experience which Dean has he still made the right decision and Kerry made the wrong one.

I'm voting for Kerry but I don't necessarily think he is the right guy.

[ACK]

75. I do not think he was a poor choice good solid liberal Democrat

http://www.issues2002.org/Senate/John_Kerry.htm

I keep saying this over and over. Look at the man's entire record and his votes.

He is not a leftist. He is not repuke-lite either. He is a solid liberal Democrat.

John Kerry on Abortion
Click here for 5 full quotes on Abortion OR background on Abortion.

* Partial-birth abortion ban undermine women's right to choose. (Nov 2003)
* No criminalization of a woman's right to choose. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
* Voted NO on disallowing overseas military abortions. (May 1999)

John Kerry on Budget & Economy
Click here for 7 full quotes on Budget & Economy OR background on Budget & Economy.

* Economy is recovering for corporations to some degree. (Jan 11)
* Will follow Clinton's plan to halve deficit in four years. (Oct 2003)
* Bush policy kept economy afloat in recession-keep some of it. (Sep 2003)
* No excuse for special tax cuts for the rich. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts. (Apr 2000)
* Voted NO on 1998 GOP budget. (May 1997)
* Voted NO on Balanced-budget constitutional amendment. (Mar 1997)

John Kerry on Civil Rights
Click here for 13 full quotes on Civil Rights OR background on Civil Rights.

* Flag burning is displeasing, but it's free expression. (Jan 25)
* For partnership rights and civil union. (Nov 2003)
* Include a sunset provision in the Patriot Act. (Jun 2003)
* Voted YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
* Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
* Voted YES on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
* Voted YES on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women. (Mar 1998)
* Voted NO on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business. (Oct 1997)
* Voted NO on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
* Voted YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)
* Voted NO on Amendment to prohibit flag burning. (Dec 1995)
* Voted NO on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds. (Jul 1995)
* Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Corporations
Click here for 3 full quotes on Corporations OR background on Corporations.

* Regulate on side of citizens, not on side of corporations. (Oct 2003)
* Democratize the process of corporate boards. (Sep 2003)
* Voted NO on restricting rules on personal bankruptcy. (Jul 2001)

John Kerry on Crime
Click here for 11 full quotes on Crime OR background on Crime.

* Moratorium on federal executions-only exception is terrorism. (Jan 25)
* Death penalty for Osama bin Laden. (Dec 2003)
* Voted YES on $1.15 billion per year to continue the COPS program. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on limiting death penalty appeals. (Apr 1996)
* Voted NO on limiting product liability punitive damage awards. (Mar 1996)
* Voted YES on restricting class-action lawsuits. (Dec 1995)
* Voted YES on repealing federal speed limits. (Jun 1995)
* Voted NO on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms. (May 1994)
* Voted NO on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals. (May 1994)
* More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes. (Apr 2001)
* Require DNA testing for all federal executions. (Mar 2001)

John Kerry on Drugs
Click here for 3 full quotes on Drugs OR background on Drugs.

* Admits having smoked marijuana. (Nov 2003)
* Voted NO on increasing penalties for drug offenses. (Nov 1999)
* Voted NO on spending international development funds on drug control. (Jul 1996)

John Kerry on Education
Click here for 14 full quotes on Education OR background on Education.

* Vouchers drain resources from public schools. (Jan 25)
* Supported "No Child Left Behind," but Bush reneged. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr 2001)
* Voted NO on Educational Savings Accounts. (Mar 2000)
* Voted NO on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules. (Mar 1999)
* Voted NO on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
* Voted NO on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
* Voted NO on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
* Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
* Voted YES on national education standards. (Feb 1994)
* Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice. (Aug 2000)
* Three R’s: $35B for Reinvestment,Reinvention,Responsibility. (Jan 2001)

John Kerry on Energy & Oil
Click here for 18 full quotes on Energy & Oil OR background on Energy & Oil.

* Raise CAFE standard to 26 mpg by 2015. (Jan 25)
* Ban MBTE and sue companies who make it. (Jan 22)
* 20% renewable energy by 2020. (Nov 2003)
* ANWR won't provide any oil for 20 years. (Sep 2003)
* Invent our way out of oil dependency-don't drill our way out. (Sep 2003)
* Invest in advancing secure forms of energy instead of oil. (Jun 2003)
* Led effort to try to raise fuel efficiency standards. (May 2003)
* Create new energy sources to end Mideast dependency. (May 2002)
* Voted YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010. (Jun 2003)
* Voted YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill. (Mar 2003)
* Voted NO on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)
* Voted NO on replacing CAFE standards within 15 months. (Mar 2002)
* Voted NO on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling. (Apr 2000)
* Voted YES on keeping CAFE fuel efficiency standards. (Sep 1999)
* Voted NO on defunding renewable and solar energy. (Jun 1999)
* Voted NO on approving a nuclear waste repository. (Apr 1997)
* Voted NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline. (Aug 1994)
* Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Environment
Click here for 10 full quotes on Environment OR background on Environment.

* Fact Check: Contaminated home uses city water, not bottled. (Dec 2003)
* Make environmental justice an EPA priority. (Oct 2003)
* Safeguard the environment and grow the economy. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior. (Jan 2001)
* Voted NO on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat. (Sep 1999)
* Voted NO on transportation demo projects. (Mar 1998)
* Voted YES on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997)
* Voted YES on continuing desert protection in California. (Oct 1994)
* Voted YES on requiring EPA risk assessments. (May 1994)
* Reduce liability for hazardous waste cleanup. (May 2001)

John Kerry on Families & Children
Click here for 3 full quotes on Families & Children OR background on Families & Children.

* Fund Head Start to leave no child behind. (Sep 2003)
* Voted YES on restricting violent videos to minors. (May 1999)
* Give parents tools to balance work and family. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Foreign Policy
Click here for 12 full quotes on Foreign Policy OR background on Foreign Policy.

* Excluding other nations in rebuilding Iraq is dumb. (Dec 2003)
* Supports multilateral cooperative internationalism. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on enlarging NATO to include Eastern Europe. (May 2002)
* Voted YES on killing a bill for trade sanctions if China sells weapons. (Sep 2000)
* Voted NO on cap foreign aid at only $12.7 billion. (Oct 1999)
* Voted YES on limiting the President's power to impose economic sanctions. (Jul 1998)
* Voted NO on limiting NATO expansion to only Poland, Hungary & Czech. (Apr 1998)
* Voted YES on $17.9 billion to IMF. (Mar 1998)
* Voted NO on Strengthening of the trade embargo against Cuba. (Mar 1996)
* Voted YES on ending Vietnam embargo. (Jan 1994)
* Progressive Internationalism: globalize with US pre-eminence. (Aug 2000)
* Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine. (Apr 2001)

John Kerry on Free Trade
Click here for 14 full quotes on Free Trade OR background on Free Trade.

* All new trade must include labor and environmental standards. (Jan 25)
* Veto FTAA and CAFTA until they have stronger standards. (Jan 4)
* Dean's trade policy is protectionist. (Sep 2003)
* FTAA needs more labor and environmental standards. (Sep 2003)
* Fix NAFTA-canceling it would be disastrous. (Sep 2003)
* Capitalism and democracy go hand in hand. (May 2003)
* Voted YES on extending free trade to Andean nations. (May 2002)
* Voted YES on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam. (Oct 2001)
* Voted YES on removing common goods from national security export rules. (Sep 2001)
* Voted YES on permanent normal trade relations with China. (Sep 2000)
* Voted YES on expanding trade to the third world. (May 2000)
* Voted YES on renewing 'fast track' presidential trade authority. (Nov 1997)
* Voted YES on imposing trade sanctions on Japan for closed market. (May 1995)
* Build a rule-based global trading system. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Government Reform
Click here for 10 full quotes on Government Reform OR background on Government Reform.

* Every vote must be counted. (Jan 11)
* Flag and patriotism belong to all Americans. (Jun 2003)
* Voted YES on banning "soft money" contributions and restricting issue ads. (Mar 2002)
* Voted NO on require photo ID (not just signature) for voter registration. (Feb 2002)
* Voted YES on banning campaign donations from unions and corporations. (Apr 2001)
* Voted YES on continuing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. (Aug 1999)
* Voted YES on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance. (Oct 1997)
* Voted YES on Approving the presidential line-item veto. (Mar 1996)
* Voted NO on banning more types of Congressional gifts. (Jul 1995)
* Voluntary public financing for all general elections. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Gun Control
Click here for 7 full quotes on Gun Control OR background on Gun Control.

* Democratic Party shouldn't be for the NRA. (Nov 2003)
* Supports assault weapons ban & Brady Bill. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on loosening license & background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks. (Jul 1998)
* Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Health Care
Click here for 14 full quotes on Health Care OR background on Health Care.

* Day 1: Make health care a right, not a privilege. (Jan 25)
* Don't push seniors into HMOs; change Bush Rx plan. (Jan 25)
* Cover more citizens with health plan like Congress gets. (May 2003)
* Lack of accessible health care is a disgrace. (May 2002)
* Voted YES on allowing importation of Rx drugs from Canada. (Jul 2002)
* Voted YES on allowing patients to sue HMOs & collect punitive damages. (Jun 2001)
* Voted NO on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit. (Apr 2001)
* Voted YES on including prescription drugs under Medicare. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on limiting self-employment health deduction. (Jul 1999)
* Voted YES on increasing tobacco restrictions. (Jun 1998)
* Voted NO on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)
* Voted YES on Medicare means-testing. (Jun 1997)
* Voted YES on medical savings acounts. (Apr 1996)
* Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Homeland Security
Click here for 18 full quotes on Homeland Security OR background on Homeland Security.

* Increase military by 40,000 troops-but no draft. (Jan 22)
* Bush misused the authority Congress gave him. (Jan 11)
* Color-coded warning system needs to be changed. (Jan 11)
* Focus more on human intelligence gathering. (Nov 2003)
* Make certain the veterans have benefits. (Nov 2003)
* No new generation of nuclear weapons. (Sep 2003)
* Automatic citizenship to immigrants who serves in army. (Sep 2003)
* Voted YES on adopting the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. (Oct 1999)
* Voted YES on allowing another round of military base closures. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on cutting nuclear weapons below START levels. (May 1999)
* Voted YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP. (Mar 1999)
* Voted YES on military pay raise of 4.8%. (Feb 1999)
* Voted NO on deploying missile defense as soon as possible. (Sep 1998)
* Voted NO on prohibiting same-sex basic training. (Jun 1998)
* Voted NO on favoring 36 vetoed military projects. (Oct 1997)
* Voted YES on banning chemical weapons. (Apr 1997)
* Voted NO on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty. (Jun 1996)
* Voted NO on 1996 Defense Appropriations. (Sep 1995)

John Kerry on Immigration
Click here for 5 full quotes on Immigration OR background on Immigration.

* Earned legalization for undocumented immigrants. (Jan 25)
* Amnesty to anyone here over 5 or 6 years. (Sep 2003)
* Voted NO on allowing more foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work. (Jul 1998)
* Voted NO on visas for skilled workers. (May 1998)
* Voted NO on limit welfare for immigrants. (Jun 1997)

John Kerry on Infrastructure
Click here for 5 full quotes on Infrastructure OR background on Infrastructure.

* Invest in high-speed commuter rail & double-dip benefits. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on Internet sales tax moratorium. (Oct 1998)
* Voted YES on telecomm deregulation. (Feb 1996)
* Chief information officer to digitize federal government. (Aug 2000)
* Promote internet via Congressional Internet Caucus. (Jan 2001)

John Kerry on Jobs
Click here for 8 full quotes on Jobs OR background on Jobs.

* Raise minimum wage to $6.65 by next year, then higher. (Jan 25)
* Provide employment opportunities to minorities. (Jan 11)
* Trade grows jobs. (Sep 2003)
* Jump start jobs at home via energy independence. (Sep 2003)
* Voted NO on repealing Clinton's ergonomic rules on repetitive stress. (Mar 2001)
* Voted NO on killing an increase in the minimum wage. (Nov 1999)
* Voted NO on allowing workers to choose between overtime & comp-time. (May 1997)
* Voted NO on replacing farm price supports. (Feb 1996)

John Kerry on Principles & Values
Click here for 17 full quotes on Principles & Values OR background on Principles & Values.

* Ready to lead America: I was there and I led the fight. (Dec 2003)
* Honors the separation of church and state. (Dec 2003)
* Political heroes: Max Cleland, FDR, JFK, Lincoln. (Nov 2003)
* Despite Zell Miller, Dem Party does speak to southerners. (Nov 2003)
* Campaign built around a call to service. (Oct 2003)
* Redeem promise for a better America for our children. (Oct 2003)
* Bush broke his three biggest campaign promises. (Oct 2003)
* Favorite song: Bruce Springsteen, "No Surrender.". (Sep 2003)
* Need a president who won't write laws only for contributors. (Sep 2003)
* Contest between common sense values and extreme ideologues. (Jun 2003)
* I'm talking about things that matter to people. (May 2003)
* It is time for this country to ask again, why not? (May 2003)
* Religious affiliation: Catholic. (Nov 2000)
* Supports Hyde Park Declaration of "Third Way" centrism. (Aug 2000)
* Member of Democratic Leadership Council. (Nov 2000)
* New Democrat: "Third Way" instead of left-right debate. (Nov 2000)
* Member of the Senate New Democrat Coalition. (Jan 2001)

John Kerry on Social Security
Click here for 8 full quotes on Social Security OR background on Social Security.

* I will never privatize, extend retirement age, nor cut SS. (Jan 4)
* Guarantee Social Security soundness, even if unpopular. (Sep 2003)
* Don't threaten Social Security on Wall Street trading block. (May 2002)
* Voted NO on Social Security Lockbox & limiting national debt. (Apr 1999)
* Voted NO on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees. (May 1998)
* Voted NO on allowing personal retirement accounts. (Apr 1998)
* Voted NO on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes. (May 1996)
* Create Retirement Savings Accounts. (Aug 2000)

John Kerry on Tax Reform
Click here for 16 full quotes on Tax Reform OR background on Tax Reform.

* Keep child tax credit, and new 10% tax bracket. (Jan 25)
* Kerry vs. Bush on taxes is a fight we deserve to have. (Jan 22)
* They're not Bush tax cuts, they're Democrat tax cuts. (Oct 2003)
* GOP tax policy comforts the comfortable. (Oct 2003)
* 10% bracket in Bush tax cuts was Democrats' idea. (Sep 2003)
* Bush tax cuts reach 32 million in middle class. (Sep 2003)
* We're tired of being trickled on--Middle class tax cuts now. (Jun 2003)
* Voted NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years. (May 2003)
* Voted NO on cutting taxes by $1.35 trillion over 11 years. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates. (May 2001)
* Voted YES on increasing tax deductions for college tuition. (May 2001)
* Voted NO on eliminating the 'marriage penalty'. (Jul 2000)
* Voted NO on across-the-board spending cut. (Oct 1999)
* Voted NO on $792B tax cuts. (Jul 1999)
* Voted NO on requiring super-majority for raising taxes. (Apr 1998)
* Voted NO on FY99 tax cuts. (Apr 1998)

John Kerry on War & Peace
Click here for 24 full quotes on War & Peace OR background on War & Peace.

* Only go to war if we have to, not because we want to. (Jan 22)
* Bush went to war the wrong way-I voted for the right way. (Jan 22)
* Pre-emptive strike ok only when US survival at stake. (Jan 4)
* Get US more deeply involved in Arab-Israeli peace process. (Nov 2003)
* Leadership comes from experience: share the war burden. (Oct 2003)
* Bush has broken his promises & is mismanaging war. (Oct 2003)
* Maybe on $87B for Iraq-repeal Bush tax cut to pay it, if yes. (Sep 2003)
* De-Americanize Iraq: the exit strategy is victory. (Sep 2003)
* Vote for war was needed to push Saddam on inspectors. (Sep 2003)
* $87B for Iraq only when internationalization is addressed. (Sep 2003)
* Don't miss 3rd opportunity in Iraq to bring in UN. (Sep 2003)
* Don't send more US troops to Iraq-share power & share burden. (Sep 2003)
* Against a misapplied blanket pre-emptive doctrine. (Jun 2003)
* Intelligence information should not be manipulated. (Jun 2003)
* Disarm Saddam, but war should be a last resort. (May 2003)
* Preferred diplomacy, but supported invading Iraq. (May 2003)
* Vietnam didn't threaten US; US war crimes did. (Apr 1971)
* Vietnam war was criminal hypocrisy and tore apart US. (Apr 1971)
* How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake. (Apr 1971)
* Voted YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq. (Oct 2002)
* Voted NO on allowing all necessary forces and other means in Kosovo. (May 1999)
* Voted YES on authorizing air strikes in Kosovo. (Mar 1999)
* Voted NO on ending the Bosnian arms embargo. (Jul 1995)
* Condemns anti-Muslim bigotry in name of anti-terrorism. (Oct 2001)

John Kerry on Welfare & Poverty
Click here for 7 full quotes on Welfare & Poverty OR background on Welfare & Poverty.

* Desperate need to build more affordable housing. (Nov 2003)
* Ok for government to partner with non-profits & for-profits. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on welfare block grants. (Aug 1996)
* Voted YES on eliminating block grants for food stamps. (Jul 1996)
* Voted NO on allowing state welfare waivers. (Jul 1996)
* Voted YES on welfare overhaul. (Sep 1995)
* Finish welfare reform by moving able recipients into jobs. (Aug 2000)

Ok, did he make some bad decisions? Yeah, the vote for welfare "reform" and the votes for the Iraq War and the vote for the un-Patriotic Act.

But look at the big deal. Look at the man's total record. He is no Clinton centrist and no Kuicinich either. That is for sure. He is in terms of the issues anyway what the Democrats need. Just left enough to differentiate himself from the Repukes.

Kerry is a good man that will make an excellent president.

Look at the whole picture. Please.
_

[neverforget]

79. Not my choice as Oregon hasn't had their primary yet so i haven't

even cast a vote for my presidential candidate. I'm stuck with what other Dems have chosen which is better than the illegal occupier that is squatting in the White House now and will gladly vote for Kerry.

[edzontar]

82. I'm worried because his campaign so far--since the primary--has been lousy

He is not really LEADING the way he kept saying he would, and he is pretty far behind right now in my state, PA, which ww will need to win this...

I hope things will improve, but I worry about his ability to galvanize young and minority voters...Gore did fairly well in those groups and I can't see kerry doing As well...but i hope I am wrong....

[MAlibdem]

83. your name says it all...Quixotic post indeed

[arewethereyet]

86. Edwards was always the best option but he did not become the choice

too bad.

[VOX]

89. I supported Edwards, but Kerry is now *the* one, and he has my support...

He will be the nominee, and as such, will be carrying the Democratic colors into the fray.

I cannot allow myself the luxury to think that Kerry was a poor choice. He is not *.

And he has my unyielding support.

[John_H]

92. LOL! n/t

[shivaji]

93. What ? Mr. "Electable" a wrong choice? Bwahahaha

[SW FL Dem]

95. I am a Wes Clark Dem but I am

offended by this topic. I love this country and I worry about our future.

[digno dave]

96. price we pay for electing a Senator

There's a reason its' been, what, half a century, since a Senator was elected president. TOO MANY votes that can be disected and distorted.

[DaveSZ]

97. I'm not going to read this entire thread, but:

There were really only perhaps 4 candidates that could have gone toe to toe with Bush: Kerry, Dean, Edwards, Clark.

Clark is a good man, but lacked political experienced and it showed.

Edwards would have been an excellent choice, but alas he didn't have much national security experience (and no military experience).


Kerry and Dean were really the only choices to go against GWB, because they are the only ones who chose to not take Federal campaign financing that places a cap on the amount of money they can raise. GWB would have been able to drive anyone else into the ground with negative ads (even more so than someone who could almost match him financially).

Of the remaining two (Kerry & Dean) Kerry is actually more liberal than Dean, but I feel that Dean would have been more easily painted as an out of touch radical. I'm so thankful to Dean though for all he's done for our party.

The Nation spells out well the reasons why Kerry is a solid choice:

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040315&s=corn

[CabalBuster]

103. Dean was the clear choice....now we have to deal with Kerry

which in my opinion does not have the spine and the "outsider" credentials to challenge Bush seriously. That Dean and Kennedy have to do the tough talk for him is an indication of Kerry's inability to be the "real" opponent this presidential campaign deserves. He was and continue to be the default Democratic nominee....someone who follows the DLC centrist line of not confronting the administration openly and only making timid statements and a time and place of their chosing. How can Kerry motivate voters to go to the polling places if he lacks the principled opposition and the inspiration and charisma that JFK had? This JFK is a cheap imitation.

[retread]

104. Who else? How about whistle-ass for starters? Kerry will beat him

like a drum!

[ecstatic]

105. He was, but we must now support him 100%

No more bashing or negative posts. He is, like it or hate it, our nominee now. We must appear unified if we are serious about getting Bush out this fall.

[Larkspur]

107. Yes, Dean should have been the nominee

Clarke backs up Dean's statement that capturing Saddam did NOT make us safer and refutes Kerry's rebuke of Dean on that statement.

And if Kerry picks McCain as VP, I'll seriously consider voting for Nader. Picking McCain will be a clear betrayal of the Democratic Party's ideals and a blatant sign that the Dem Party is morphing into Republican Party II.

[balanced]

110. There might have been a better choice, but

Kerry and the party should stick with the facts and publicize these facts. FACT: Under Kerry, middle class Americans would fare better as regards taxes. Put up the figures. Dramatize the difference. And if Kerry advocates government involvement in negotiating prescription drug prices, this is another big difference that can be dramatized--and it is a big difference. And on and on. Dramatize the differences. Show how middle class Americans will be better off under Kerry--much better off.

[napi21]

111. Kerry is taking all the Bush arrows because he's the probable

nominee. If it were Edwards, Dean, Clark, or any of the others, they would be in the same spot. Edwards would be taking hits on all the different cases he defended, Clark would have a bad military history, Dean would be mean and they'd find a former patient who hates him.

I think the experience Kerry has had in past elections and in the Senate will help him fight this battle and see the arrows coming and dodge them before they get there.

Just be prepared for a LOT of poison shots in the next 7 months and FIGHT THEm OFF!

[Commendatori]

112. I don't think it matters

I'd have picked Edwards, personally, but I think Kerry will win and win convincingly. Bush doesn't have a lot of support from his Dittohead base because he failed to cut tax revenues to twelve cents a year or whatever the hell they wanted, they feel stabbed in the back, God knows I and well over half the country do too (for different reasons than the Dittoheads have, obviously), and Bush didn't have half the vote in the country when he was running.

I know I'm new here and some of you might think I'm nuts, but I say that Dean, Edwards or Kerry were all more than capable of beating Bush. Just because I didn't get my first choice doesn't mean I won't be jumping for joy when Bush gets shelled.

[LandOLincoln]

113. Who thinks Kerry was a poor choice? My guess would be

those political sophisticates who think anyone to the right of Che Guevara is "Bushlite," that's who.

But I could be wrong. :toast:

[Nicholas_J]

114. Kerry was and is easily the best choice

Both Clark and Edwards both showed extreme lack of depth of understanding of both foreign affairs and even domestic affairs during their campaigns for the nomination. Most of the time their reponses were too general and indicated frequent attempts to cover up this lack of knowledge with quick one liner political slogans, repeated ad infinitum.

Kerry in fact, is doing better than any other candidate has done againt any incumbent president in any campaign in more than 60 years.
No candidate who has run against any incumbent has been this close in a race against that incumbent since before Dwight Eisenhowers run agaist Stevenson in 1956. In virtually every other campaign against an incumbent, the incumbent stayed between 10 and 20 percent ahead of their opponenet for most of the race and that gap never narrowed until the last weeks of the campaign. There is absolutely no fact that could lead anyone to base a belief on that somehow either Edwards or Clarke would be doing better, and history indicates that it is far more likely that they would both be doing far worse than Kerry is now.

[ACK]

115. Thank you

For putting this in its appropriate historical place.

Of course, I have been for Kerry since the start as a good solid liberal with a voting record 19 years long to back it up.

So what do I know?

:-)

[Nicholas_J]

116. Not just Kerry's record

No incumbent in the last 60 years has had an opponent who has been so close to him in the polls as Kerry is to Bush. Not even Reagan came as close to Carter during the 80 campaign and in fact lagged behind Carter in most polls by between 10 and 20 percent, closer to 20 percent most of the time until the last few weeks of the campaign.

The fact that Kerry has been leading Bush in 36 poll in 25 states over the last three weeks, while Bush has led in only 24 of those polls is an extremely bad sign for Bush. At this point, Bush should be leading in a majority of the poll in the states, but most of the states in which he is leading are clearly Republican leaning, while Kerry is leading in a far greater number of consecutive polls in states that are in play, and has massive leads in states that were very close in 2000. In Michigan. the latest polls hav Kerry with a 10 point lead, Minniesota, 12 points. In only one recent poll does Bush beat Kerry in Florida, and in polls taken in the 4 days since that poll Kerry is at a dead hear with Bush in the ARG 45 % Kerry, 44 Bush, but in another poll taken thins weekend Kerry is 6 points ahead of Bush, (Schroth and Associates) which has Kerry at 49 percent, and Bush at 43 percent.

From a historical perspective, Bush is in serious trouble and the fact that his attempts to try to define Kerry, using all of the ammunition against Kerry available this early in the campaign have had little effect on the polls in most of the states in which Bush is airling them leaves Bush with little ammunition too attack Kerry with when it counts, in the last month of the campaign. Kerry is a master of political timing. He didnt pull out the big guns during the primary process until the actual voting was going on. And the results were rather sucessful, wouldnt you say?

Kerry is not going to openly begin to attack Bush in Iraq until it is seen that the coalition is failing dismally, and that the specter of a Vietnam like quagmire begins to become apparent. The recent events in Iraq are beginning to appear to involve a great deal more people than Al Sadr's militia, as Sunni's are beginning to become involved and join them, and insurgent attacks are beginning to occur in Kirkuk, in the Kurdish dominated north.

Only a fool attacks before he sees the lay of the land, and Kerry is simply no fool To attack Bush on Iraq before the anticipated date of turnover of control would be poor strategy indeed. This is only the beginning of an insurgency. The events of the last few days are the results of smaller and less co-ordinated attacks earlier this year, and it is more likely that they will increase, rather than decrease, and that the Bush Administration will be calling for increasing military presence in Iraq by the mid summer, not decreasing it. Then Kerry can clearly lay out an attack on the obvious lack of exit strategy on the part of the Bush Administration.

This can all be tied in with the Bush Administrations tendency to support democratic regimes that have not been elected by the people of the nations under consideration. First placing a hand picked government in Iraq, thne supporting an unelected government in Haiti.

In fact, as of the most recent data posted today of electoral votes, Kerry has now passed Bush in the electoral vote count coming around from BUsh's one point lead last week, to Kerry now having three more electoral votes than Bush with Bush at 193 electoral votes, Kerry at 196.

http://www.dcpoliticalreport.com/CurrentPolls.htm


Again, something so historaically unheard of as to be considered a massive indication that Kerry was easily the best candidate the Democratic Party could have selected, as Kerry is way ahead in statates which both Edwards and Clark had some of their poorest showings. particularly in the Northeast and the Upper Midwest.

[LeftofU]

117. I have to say ....i wish it was Dean against Bush

But I 'll support Kerry any way I can.

[Gore1FL]

120. So Bush spin is convinving you that Kerry is a bad choice???

Hint: Bush Lies.

Hence Bush commercials are not a credible source of infomration.

[Nicholas_J]

126. It seems odd

That the average of every poll taken since March 1st still has Kerry with a 2.6 % lead over Bush with the total average for Kerry at 44.6 percent, and Bush 44%. The entire tracking of polls between Bush and Kerry have Kerry holding the lead over Bush and nothing that Bush does seems to be cutting into that lead.

[59millionmorons]

122. Dumb post #27

UGH

[LWolf]

124. Not a poor choice.

Actually, I don't think many of the dem nominees would have been a poor choice; I like almost all.

I think John Kerry is a disappointing choice, because I don't think he's going to work on the issues that are hitting me where I live. I don't think I'm going to see universal, single-payer health care under John Kerry. I don't think he's going to remove standardized testing and all legislation related to standardized testing from public education. There are some other things, but....

I do think he's going to be miles better than GWB, and he will have my support in ousting that disaster.